Sol-Ark 12k Time of Use settings

[DGSmooth]

Cheers all - my Sol-Ark struggles continue lol. I'm totally off grid, 48V, and trying to get the system to use the batteries as much as possible, and minimize generator run time. I know the Sol-Ark 12k isn't the best for an off grid system, but it's what I have. Seems like generator runs way to much. Example the generator will come on when batteries get down to 49V, say at like 7am, then sun comes up at 8 and I'm pulling in 4k from panels, loads are less than 1k, generator stays running. 4 hours later sun is still blazing, 7k from panels, batteries at 59V, generator still running. I think the time of use settings could be used to somehow limit generator, but life of me I can't figure it out lol. Anybody a pro at those settings?

 

[DIYrich]

TOU settings are ignored when the grid is down.
The generator start is a problem with the Sol-Ark. Once it turns on the generator, it won't stop until the battery is full. It should be smart enough to stop when it sees some level of PV, or have an SOC level to stop.

 

[DGSmooth]

TOU settings are ignored when the grid is down.
The generator start is a problem with the Sol-Ark. Once it turns on the generator, it won't stop until the battery is full. It should be smart enough to stop when it sees some level of PV, or have an SOC level to stop.

Thanks for the help.

What do you mean by "when grid is down"? I'm off grid, with gen connected to grid input.

So what does it use to determine when the "battery is full"? I'm using voltage mode instead of percentage mode.

 

[DIYrich]

What do you mean by "when grid is down"? I'm off grid, with gen connected to grid input.

Grid power is not available at the Grid Port.

So what does it use to determine when the "battery is full"? I'm using voltage mode instead of percentage mode.

 

[DGSmooth]

Grid power is not available at the Grid Port.


View attachment 272801

Oh I see. And there's no way for me to limit it? As in, at certain times of day, I only want the generator to get batteries up to 60% SOC?

 

[DIYrich]

Oh I see. And there's no way for me to limit it? As in, at certain times of day, I only want the generator to get batteries up to 60% SOC?

Not that I am aware of.

You might be able to use something like Solar Assistant to change the start parameter. Say: if battery is below 80% at 5pm, top up to 100%. Then at 6pm, drop the level down to 5% so it doesn't turn on later, unless the battery gets really low.

 

[Oldphile]

According to the manual TOU can limit SOC charge.

 

[DGSmooth]

According to the manual TOU can limit SOC charge.
View attachment 273025

Thats the way I interpreted it to work as well. Doesn't seem to work that way. Here is my system right now. Generator came on at some point in the night, brought batteries up, now panels are producing more than my loads, generator is still running. Why?

 

[Jose_Sol-Ark]

Hi @DGSmooth , the TOU feature can be used in off-grid installation to turn off the generator at specific times and SOC%/Voltages. You should activate all of the charge boxes in the TOU tab. If possible, please take a screenshot of your TOU settings so I can review them.

 

[DGSmooth]

Hi @DGSmooth , the TOU feature can be used in off-grid installation to turn off the generator at specific times and SOC%/Voltages. You should activate all of the charge boxes in the TOU tab. If possible, please take a screenshot of your TOU settings so I can review them.

Howdy there, thanks for the help. I actually have Bill at Sol-Ark, maybe you know him, helping me over the last few days. We've played with those settings and just can't get it to work. Best we could manage, is the invertor stops taking a charge from the generator once it hits that SOC voltage in the TOU setup, but it still triggers the generator to run. I'm also on the 226 software, which has the added absorption voltage timer.

 

[Oldphile]

I had a number of issues then did factory reset. After that all was good.