My system also does not have an issue if the grid is up, the dark start issue is only during a grid outage. I have mind set to shut down with a solid 30% still left in the battery bank, but when the sun comes up, I would still need to log in from a battery powered laptop and change the shut down setting lower to wake it up and get the AC coupling to work again. I would expect the Sol-Ark with only AC coupling would have the same issue.
The charge side on my Schneider is rated at 92% efficient, so 8% loss charging from AC, not too bad, but this is also after the 96% efficient Microinverters, so another 4% loss there. A good MPPT charge controller can be 98% efficient, just 2% loss. All together, 7% to 10% less loss than DC to AC to DC again. When you push 10 KWH to the battery, that is nearly a full KWH lost. For my system, I am looking at adding nine 300 watt panels, wired 3S3P. The current will peak a little under 30 amps and 90 volts. I will run just 25 feet of #8 after the combiner, so loss will not be a problem. I looked at a higher voltage charge controller, but could not justify the cost difference. Putting all 9 panels in series would have been just 10 amps at 270 volts, but that is right at the bottom of the MPPT range on the 600 volt controller. The 150 controller is 1/3 the price.
I know the Sol-Ark has a built in MPPT, mine does not.
I can see some reasons why you might want to hide that you have solar, but that was never an option for me. My original grid tie Enphase system went in without storage, and not doing net metering was just not an option. I would have had to curtail 50% of my production during the day and just lose it. Before the battery system went in, I was exporting over 10 KWH every day, and buying it back at night. Now with the battery, I charge over 8 KWH into the battery and run off of that during the peak time of use rate. I still end up exporting some during the day. Once the battery is full, and the solar panels are still making more power than the house needs, you have 2 choices. You can curtail the output and get nothing for the extra capacity, but you then don't need net metering, and you may be able to have a cheaper rate when you do need to buy some power. OR.. You can export that extra power and get some credit for it when you need to buy some power. With my current 16 x 300 watt panels, I have managed 2 months where my electric bill was less than zero and had credit carry to the next month. Most months, I still end up buying $50 to $150 worth of power when I have to run my air conditioning. We have had over 2 weeks so far where it has been over 100F each day. With the 9 more panels to make power for use at night, I should zero my bill much more often. 2,700 watts added to my existing 4,800 watts will get me very close to grid zero on all but the hottest days. When it is crazy hot, I also lose a bit of solar production, with my peak power falling off nearly 400 watts.