Sol-Ark 15K All in One Inverter Released.

[Subdood]

I think it was worded perhaps confusing to some, my edit in [ ]:



There are two double pole 200A breakers. I believe even though he had cables going to each double pole breaker, only one double pole breaker was in use.

Yes, it does have two dp 200A breakers, but he was pointing at the positive 200A breaker when he said it popped (at 7:15 in the video). Did both pop? Maybe, but he didn't say so.

That's what I said originally, after I edited out the part about both positive posts being separated:

He tried to push about 240A through a single pole of the double pole 200A breaker and popped it.

Either way, it didn't like it.

 

[Danke]

Yes, it does have two dp 200A breakers, but he was pointing at the positive 200A breaker when he said it popped (at 7:15 in the video). Did both pop? Maybe, but he didn't say so.

That's what I said originally, after I edited out the part about both positive posts being separated:

Either way, it didn't like it.

Both dp 200A breakers are positive, and separate from each other.

I believe confussion is he opened the 15k cover pointing to the popped breaker after he had already rewired it. He didn’t show the wires in the trough, so I assumed there might have been a busbar joining them there, or the other one wasn’t connected.

Midway through the video as he pans the batteries, you can then see two positive cables exiting the rack.

 

[Subdood]

Both dp 200A breakers are positive, and separate from each other.

I believe confussion is he opened the 15k cover pointing to the popped breaker after he had already rewired it. He didn’t show the wires in the trough, so I assumed there might have been a busbar joining them there, or the other one wasn’t connected.

Midway through the video as he pans the batteries, you can then see two positive cables exiting the rack.

Okay I didn't know they were both on the positive side. He said so, guess I wasn't paying attention. I just assumed there'd be a breaker on the positive and negative runs, it kinda looks like it does.

 

[Danke]

Okay I didn't know they were both on the positive side. He said so, guess I wasn't paying attention. I just assumed there'd be a breaker on the positive and negative runs, it kinda looks like it does.

I took some photos, maybe that will clear it up. The two neg. terminals on the right join together and exit to behind breakers.

 

[robby]

Midway through the video as he pans the batteries, you can then see two positive cables exiting the rack.

When he first wired it up at the 00:51 Sec mark he only has one pair of cables and then he runs the tests and it trips the breaker. After that at the 08:00 Min mark he has installed a second pair of wires but does not run the test again.
The two breaker bonded design is so that if your drawing a high current and one wire should somehow come loose the breaker would trip.

 

[Subdood]

I took some photos, maybe that will clear it up. The two neg. terminals on the right join together and exit to behind breakers.

View attachment 112323View attachment 112324View attachment 112326

Danke, Danke. Ich habe nicht ein 15k. It would be nice to have, but we don't really need something that big, nor can we afford it for that matter. Right now, I'm just trying to get a small critical load system set up and running. Hopefully I'll be able to upgrade to something bigger in the future, though.

 

[Danke]

My plan PV DC to DC shows wattage too high, so I emailed Sol-Ark about AC coupling some of the PV to GEN input, their response:

As a quick caveat to this scenario, please know that any of the 19.2KW (if you used that much) that is not used by your loads will end up going back out to the grid. If you are in a situation where you cannot sell back to the grid, you will want to limit your AC coupled side to a size you know you will use. The DC side will curtail it's use but the AC side will not and the only place it can go is back to the grid.

I won’t be selling back to grid, so maybe just accept some clipping (just use DC to DC) if that ever happens?

 

[jubileeranch]

I should have mentioned. Where we are installing the sol ark 15k, there is a disconnect after the meter (same box), then the main panel is on the other side of the house. But I should have mentioned if the house doesnt have that configuration, a disconnect is required. Glad Sol Ark is here! Cool

With my Sol-ark 15k, do I need to install DC disconnect boxes like (IMO 4 Pole 25 Amp DC Disconnects) or is it built in?

 

[niktak11]

With my Sol-ark 15k, do I need to install DC disconnect boxes like (IMO 4 Pole 25 Amp DC Disconnects) or is it built in?

There is a solar disconnect built in. Having one out by your array too would be useful though, possibly even required by local code.

 

[nc73]

This must be the place big spenders hang out. Do these shutdown with a little load on it too like the old...

 

[Carlos_Sol-Ark]

With my Sol-ark 15k, do I need to install DC disconnect boxes like (IMO 4 Pole 25 Amp DC Disconnects) or is it built in?

Hello,

The 15K does have DC battery breakers and a DC PV disconnect included on the unit, however, it is recommended to have an additional PV disconnect from the array so you can kill the array wires coming into the inverter as needed for maintenance.

 

[Balthazar-B]

Hello,

The 15K does have DC battery breakers and a DC PV disconnect included on the unit, however, it is recommended to have an additional PV disconnect from the array so you can kill the array wires coming into the inverter as needed for maintenance.

@Carlos_Sol-Ark, same deal for AC? I.e., best practice to have a separate disconnect if you're feeding PV AC into the gen terminal?

 

[Wet1]

@Carlos_Sol-Ark, same deal for AC? I.e., best practice to have a separate disconnect if you're feeding PV AC into the gen terminal?

Doesn't that auto-disconnect anyway once turned off at the SA (anti-islanding)?

 

[Balthazar-B]

Doesn't that auto-disconnect anyway once turned off at the SA (anti-islanding)?

I don't know. Will that work under all circumstances, e.g., an issue with the inverter that requires it to be 100% isolated before service? Will it ever be possible that anti-islanding stops working properly? That's why it would be helpful for Sol-Ark to weigh in on rigorous best practices.

 

[On_The_Road]

Setting this up as a zero export system using solar and batteries for the home's power. While remaining grid tied.

Do most utilities require an interconnection agreement?

How does this unit insure it's zero export? Is it through the CTs or does it physically disconnect from the grid?

 

[Egl_81]

Setting this up as a zero export system using solar and batteries for the home's power. While remaining grid tied.

Do most utilities require an interconnection agreement?

How does this unit insure it's zero export? Is it through the CTs or does it physically disconnect from the grid?

I'm currently running in limit to home mode while I go through the interconnection process with my utility. It uses CTs and does not physically disconnect so that it can still import power if needed. It will try to continuously pull in a small amount of power from grid so that it doesn't export any. You can change the amount it tries to continuously import, I think default is 20W, which is what mine is set to. On occasion, I have seen it EXPORT from 10 to 100W for just a second, usually when a large load kicks off before it is able to reroute that power to the batteries. My last electric bill came with a separate section "kWh Received from Customer," showing that I exported 3kWh over the course of a month. I haven't heard any issue from my power company about it so I'm not taking it as an issue. If I wanted to, I'd imagine that raising the amount it continuously imports from 20W up to over 100W would probably take care of this. That or just flipping off my disconnect to grid during the day when my panels are producing a lot of power until my interconnection is finalized.

 

[niktak11]

I'm currently running in limit to home mode while I go through the interconnection process with my utility. It uses CTs and does not physically disconnect so that it can still import power if needed. It will try to continuously pull in a small amount of power from grid so that it doesn't export any. You can change the amount it tries to continuously import, I think default is 20W, which is what mine is set to. On occasion, I have seen it EXPORT from 10 to 100W for just a second, usually when a large load kicks off before it is able to reroute that power to the batteries. My last electric bill came with a separate section "kWh Received from Customer," showing that I exported 3kWh over the course of a month. I haven't heard any issue from my power company about it so I'm not taking it as an issue. If I wanted to, I'd imagine that raising the amount it continuously imports from 20W up to over 100W would probably take care of this. That or just flipping off my disconnect to grid during the day when my panels are producing a lot of power until my interconnection is finalized.

What does your export total for the month say in the PV Pro app? Mine is consistently at 0.2kWh per month with my import power set to 60W.

 

[Egl_81]

What does your export total for the month say in the PV Pro app? Mine is consistently at 0.2kWh per month with my import power set to 60W.

PV Pro indicates the same 3kWh export.

 

[Hedges]

Any difference between L1 and L2 voltage?
Suspect utility meter doesn't measure that, but SolArk does.
This could result in different interpretation of power exported vs. imported.

 

[Egl_81]

Any difference between L1 and L2 voltage?
Suspect utility meter doesn't measure that, but SolArk does.
This could result in different interpretation of power exported vs. imported.

No, L1 and L2 are the same. I don't think its a problem, just the way the 15K works. I'm sure I could eliminate it altogether if I set the continuous import power higher, but I'm not really worried about it.