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Sol-ark 15k max PV increase

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niktak11

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Mar 14, 2021
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I checked the settings section of the app last week for the first time in months and noticed that it now allows you to set the "Max Solar Power" field to as high as 22500W. I figured it was a bug but I changed mine up to the max to see what happened. Previously my unit was hard capped right around 17.85kW PV input. Today I briefly hit 19.7kW so it must have actually worked. Has anyone else tried this with their unit yet?

1000010268.jpg
 
Last edited:
CommandoJoe said:
This is just the max range of the graph for scaling purposes, not a setting of your inverter.
Click to expand...
I'm talking about the actual inverter setting in the sol-ark app. I'm just showing a screenshot from solar assistant so I can show a finer timescale.
 
Hello, I don't understand how that's possible. Below is a graph of my 15K. It clips at 18kw when charging batteries. When batteries are full the 15K clips at 15kw. I have a 19kw array. Bob

1741149123678.png
 
wdawg said:
Hello, I don't understand how that's possible. Below is a graph of my 15K. It clips at 18kw when charging batteries. When batteries are full the 15K clips at 15kw. I have a 19kw array. Bob

View attachment 282612
Click to expand...
Mine used to clip at 17.8kW. Last week I checked the app for the first time in months and saw that the max solar input field can now be set to up to 22.5kW. I increased the value to the max and it worked.
 
interesting... My 15k is still sitting in its box, but the permits should be in in the next few business days and then we can start getting it up and running... I only currently have 11.5 kw of solar panels up on the ground stand, currently hooked up to nothing but wind (cables are hanging), but i plan to add a second array to max out the inverter, if there is more overhead in there, maybe i will change the number of panels for the second array to a bit more, my current array will fill up MPPTs 1 and 2, but MPPT 3 is going to be empty until i get the second array setup, but getting the system running first is the priority, then i can putz around with the second array while im saving money on power already.

I know its not uncommon for companies to overspec their equipment, or de-rate it to leave a good safety margin, maybe they realized that margin was really big, and decided to open it up a little bit to the end user?
 
JurassicRanch said:
interesting... My 15k is still sitting in its box, but the permits should be in in the next few business days and then we can start getting it up and running... I only currently have 11.5 kw of solar panels up on the ground stand, currently hooked up to nothing but wind (cables are hanging), but i plan to add a second array to max out the inverter, if there is more overhead in there, maybe i will change the number of panels for the second array to a bit more, my current array will fill up MPPTs 1 and 2, but MPPT 3 is going to be empty until i get the second array setup, but getting the system running first is the priority, then i can putz around with the second array while im saving money on power already.

I know its not uncommon for companies to overspec their equipment, or de-rate it to leave a good safety margin, maybe they realized that margin was really big, and decided to open it up a little bit to the end user?
Click to expand...
Each MPPT can do ~11kW so in theory they could increase it all the way to 33kW. I'm guessing they didn't design the cooling to handle that though and you'd have a hard time putting all of that energy somewhere with just a 15kW inverter and a 275A DC converter.
 
I changed my max pv with the Sol-ark app. It definitely changed something in the 15k. Solar Assistant saw the change. I'll have to wait for a sunny day to check out any change in the inverters output.
 
wdawg said:
I changed my max pv with the Sol-ark app. It definitely changed something in the 15k. Solar Assistant saw the change. I'll have to wait for a sunny day to check out any change in the inverters output.
Click to expand...
Yours can also be set to 22.5kW now?
 
niktak11 said:
Yours can also be set to 22.5kW now?
Click to expand...
Yes, I can set it to 22.5kW and Solar Assistant sees the change. I'm going to set it to 19.5kW since this is the published Max PV and that is also the limit of my array. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny. I'll see what happens. Thank you for pointing out this change. It might be worth a few extra kWhs a day.

Bob
 
It just seems odd to me that the app would allow the higher (22,500W) setting, and the inverter seems to be actually implementing it, when the very first line on the specifications page of the manual for Input Data (PV) is:

Max. Allowed PV Power (STC) 19,500W
Click to expand...

Also, I just don't even know where all that power would go. In the Output Data (AC) section:

Real Power, max continuous 15,000W
Real Power, max continuous (batteries only, no PV) 12,000W (50A @ 240V)
Peak Apparent Power (10s, off-grid) 24,000VA @ 240V
Peak Apparent Power (100ms, off-grid) 30,000VA @ 240V
Click to expand...

and, in the Section 3.4 Battery Setup, the Max A Charge is 275A. At the nominal 48V, that's 13,200W (assuming the battery and wiring can handle that).

Of course, I don't know if the maximum real power of 15,000W is just the AC (inverted) side of things or if it includes the DC side into the battery. Maybe 13,200W can go into the battery at the same time the inverter is feeding 15,000W into the load.
 
dreancestere said:
Of course, I don't know if the maximum real power of 15,000W is just the AC (inverted) side of things or if it includes the DC side into the battery. Maybe 13,200W can go into the battery at the same time the inverter is feeding 15,000W into the load.
Click to expand...
My Sol-ark is now accepting 19.5kW of pv. The power is allocated between AC inverter (limited to 15kW) and battery DC (limited to 14kW). Attached is my Solar Assistant dashboard. 13.9 kW (battery) + 2.7 kW (load) + 2.4 (grid sell back) = 19 kW.

1741452049122.png
 
dreancestere said:
It just seems odd to me that the app would allow the higher (22,500W) setting, and the inverter seems to be actually implementing it, when the very first line on the specifications page of the manual for Input Data (PV) is:



Also, I just don't even know where all that power would go. In the Output Data (AC) section:



and, in the Section 3.4 Battery Setup, the Max A Charge is 275A. At the nominal 48V, that's 13,200W (assuming the battery and wiring can handle that).

Of course, I don't know if the maximum real power of 15,000W is just the AC (inverted) side of things or if it includes the DC side into the battery. Maybe 13,200W can go into the battery at the same time the inverter is feeding 15,000W into the load.
Click to expand...
Max inverter output is 15kW. That requires at least 15.5kW before losses. The 275A of battery charging doesn't even go through the inverter, it's separate. The 19.5kW figure in the manual has never been correct. Since launch my unit was limited to slightly under 18kW from PV. Now as of a couple weeks ago the limit was increased to 22.5kW.
 
A little guidance from Sol-ark would be appreciated. Is the unit designed to handle the increased PV input? My AC temps increased a couple degrees. It makes me wonder if a new machine is in the works.
 
wdawg said:
A little guidance from Sol-ark would be appreciated. Is the unit designed to handle the increased PV input? My AC temps increased a couple degrees. It makes me wonder if a new machine is in the works.
Click to expand...
It has been awhile since they have released a new residential product, although that is the norm for them. I'd like to see a split gateway/inverter system from them. Hopefully one that can handle a 400A service.
 
niktak11 said:
Mine used to clip at 17.8kW. Last week I checked the app for the first time in months and saw that the max solar input field can now be set to up to 22.5kW. I increased the value to the max and it worked.
Click to expand...
How much PV do you have?
 
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