Sol-Ark 15k - Please confirm settings

[palehorse]

Hi Everyone,

Would like some confirmation of the settings I have in my 15k.

1. I have a grid tie system with HomeGrid batteries. I have only (1) 15k inverter.
2. I do NOT have a critical loads panel or any prioritization. The 15k and the batts power my main panel. I have a portable generator which I will use in emergency situation.
3. Current settings. Grid Sell checked, Limited Power to Load checked, Limited Power to Home Unchecked. Dont have CTs.

Questions:

1. Do I have to have Limited Power to Load checked? Does Limited power to home or load have to be checked or can it be just "grid sell" checked?
2. I would like this setup. PV to Power Load First, then batts then grid sell. What are the settings for that?
3. I would like to always pull from PV, then batts then grid. What are the settings for that?

(edit). I have reviewed the manual and installer guide but it doesn't make clear to me what I am attempting to do. I know its not complicated but I want to ensure I have the appropriate settings for my set up.


Thanks!

 

[houseofancients]

if using limited to home checked, you need , to the best of my knowledge ct's, so the device can sense what your usage is.

 

[DIYrich]

In the Grid Parm, Limiter tab:
Uncheck limit power to load.
Uncheck limit power to home.
Uncheck time of use
Check grid sell and put a high number in box (maybe uncheck works too?)

In the Batt Setup, Charge Tab:
Decide if you want to Grid Charge the batteries. If so, check the box, and put in the parameters.
Otherwise, it will charge from Solar only. Which is ok, if you are not doing peak shaving, time of use, or other stuff where you want the batteries to be full. Note: If you anticipate a possible grid down (severe weather), this is where you can go to have the batteries charge up.

In the Batt Setup, Discharge Tab:
Set your parameters for low battery.

With nothing set in Grid Parm, Limiter Tab, it should default to PV to Support Load, then Charge Battery, then any excess to the Grid.

 

[palehorse]

In the Grid Parm, Limiter tab:
Uncheck limit power to load.
Uncheck limit power to home.
Uncheck time of use
Check grid sell and put a high number in box (maybe uncheck works too?)

In the Batt Setup, Charge Tab:
Decide if you want to Grid Charge the batteries. If so, check the box, and put in the parameters.
Otherwise, it will charge from Solar only. Which is ok, if you are not doing peak shaving, time of use, or other stuff where you want the batteries to be full. Note: If you anticipate a possible grid down (severe weather), this is where you can go to have the batteries charge up.

In the Batt Setup, Discharge Tab:
Set your parameters for low battery.

With nothing set in Grid Parm, Limiter Tab, it should default to PV to Support Load, then Charge Battery, then any excess to the Grid.

Thanks. However if I uncheck TOU then how will the system know to pull from my battery first? For example, party cloudy day and during times of sun the PV will power the load, lets say constant 8000 watts. When it starts to shade from a cloud the PV drops and so I want the batts taking over and not the grid.

To my understanding if you remove TOU then that wont happen.

From the manual: Time Of Use (TOU): Using this mode, combined with “Limited Power to Home” or “Limited Power to Load”, allows the inverter to discharge the batteries to deliver power to the home and reduce the power consumption from the grid during specific time intervals.
The battery discharge will cover the calculated load demand with the threshold discharge power rate set in the “Power(W)” column.
You can configure six different discharge rates (Watts) and depth of discharge from the battery (V or %).

General description:
a. Uses batteries to reduce the power consumption during user defined periods.
b. Energy Priority: 1. Solar PV Power | 2. Batteries (down to programmed discharge V or %) | 3. Grid Power | 4. Generator

 

[houseofancients]

Thanks. However if I uncheck TOU then how will the system know to pull from my battery first? For example, party cloudy day and during times of sun the PV will power the load, lets say constant 8000 watts. When it starts to shade from a cloud the PV drops and so I want the batts taking over and not the grid.

To my understanding if you remove TOU then that wont happen.

From the manual: Time Of Use (TOU): Using this mode, combined with “Limited Power to Home” or “Limited Power to Load”, allows the inverter to discharge the batteries to deliver power to the home and reduce the power consumption from the grid during specific time intervals.
The battery discharge will cover the calculated load demand with the threshold discharge power rate set in the “Power(W)” column.
You can configure six different discharge rates (Watts) and depth of discharge from the battery (V or %).

General description:
a. Uses batteries to reduce the power consumption during user defined periods.
b. Energy Priority: 1. Solar PV Power | 2. Batteries (down to programmed discharge V or %) | 3. Grid Power | 4. Generator

your system will only know if you install the ct's or a meter connecting through rs485 ( eastron and chint meters should work just fine)

 

[houseofancients]

your system will only know if you install the ct's or a meter connecting through rs485 ( eastron and chint meters should work just fine)

too add ...
the ct's / meters should be installed on or as close as possible to your incomming service lines

 

[palehorse]

For what reason would I need CTs? The installer never suggested and its never come up.

 

[houseofancients]

For what reason would I need CTs? The installer never suggested and its never come up.

the ct's do the actual sensing of how much power is being used at any given moment from the grid...

unless you are fully offgrid ( and your home is connected to the load port ) ,that is the only way the inverter can zero out your load

 

[niktak11]

the ct's do the actual sensing of how much power is being used at any given moment from the grid...

unless you are fully offgrid ( and your home is connected to the load port ) ,that is the only way the inverter can zero out your load

Unless the sol-ark is installed between the meter and the main panel. In that case the internal CTs are sufficient.

 

[houseofancients]

Unless the sol-ark is installed between the meter and the main panel. In that case the internal CTs are sufficient.

still his house would need to be connected to the load port..

 

[palehorse]

My setup is as such. Meter is outside that feeds into a manual transfer switch which i had set up for whole home generator power in case of an outage. Done with my portable generator which powered my main panel and i could select which circuits to turn on and off. Manual transfer switch feeds into main panel.

Since having solar, the 15k is connected to the main panel at the load and grid connections. Then to the transfer switch then to the meter outside.

Hope that helps.

 

[houseofancients]

My setup is as such. Meter is outside that feeds into a manual transfer switch which i had set up for whole home generator power in case of an outage. Done with my portable generator which powered my main panel and i could select which circuits to turn on and off. Manual transfer switch feeds into main panel.

Since having solar, the 15k is connected to the main panel at the load and grid connections. Then to the transfer switch then to the meter outside.

Hope that helps.

that does help, as it explains your inverter is the "middleman" in between the loads (loadport) and grid , and there for can make use of it's internal CT's , and a such doesnt need the external ct's or meter....

that leave taking a peek at your TOU setting...
could you show your exact settings as they are now ( screenshot from app) ?

 

[palehorse]

Here are my TOU settings. I have a flat rate for utility/kw so I dont need TOU for certain times of the day to use battery or not. I just have it on Sun-Sat and no seasons. Regardless of time of day I want to always pull from battery first if PV doesn't meet the load. That way I am never pulling from grid unless I have to. That is why the battery percentages are rather low.

 

[Tulex]

I didn't have my provided CTs installed for the first day, and grid exported showed up as negative grid used. That's in solar assistant I should say.

 

[DIYrich]

Thanks. However if I uncheck TOU then how will the system know to pull from my battery first? For example, party cloudy day and during times of sun the PV will power the load, lets say constant 8000 watts. When it starts to shade from a cloud the PV drops and so I want the batts taking over and not the grid.

Good point.

Try this:
Basic Setup, Advanced tab:
Check Grid Peak-Shaving with "0" in the Power Box

 

[DIYrich]

Here are my TOU settings. I have a flat rate for utility/kw so I dont need TOU for certain times of the day to use battery or not. I just have it on Sun-Sat and no seasons. Regardless of time of day I want to always pull from battery first if PV doesn't meet the load. That way I am never pulling from grid unless I have to. That is why the battery percentages are rather low.

This should work, but uncheck Limit Power to Load, and set all % to 20% (or whatever your lower limit is).
Reason to Uncheck Limit Power to Load is so that if you have excess PV production, and the batteries are full, it will sell the excess to the Grid.
You set it to 20% so when the cloud comes by, the batteries support load until it passes. If batteries are under the % when that happens, then you draw on the grid.

If you have "net metering", then IMHO, keep the batteries charged at 80% and let the utility figure it out. That way, you always have 80% battery in the event of a grid down. In your setup, the sun goes down, you draw down the battery, a storm comes through and knocks out power. You are down too, until the sun comes up the next day.

If you can't sell to the grid, then do check the Limit Power to Home box.

 

[palehorse]

Thanks all. But my understanding of Limit Power to Load is that is has to be checked. As its checked now and I have net metering, so I see flow back to the grid when batteries are full. So I am currently selling back.

Good point on battery percentages in case of grid down. My thinking was that in that case I would just pull my generator out and charge up at 8kw until full.

Regarding Grid Peak Shaving I currently have it "unchecked"

 

[cm119]

I think your TOU times need to be fixed, the manual says they need to be in time order, so from midnight (at the top) to midnight (at the bottom). It looks like you have a 7am setting at the very bottom?

Other than that I think your settings should do what you are asking, is there something that is NOT behaving as expected? Are you monitoring with the app?

 

[cm119]

If you have "net metering", then IMHO, keep the batteries charged at 80% and let the utility figure it out. That way, you always have 80% battery in the event of a grid down. In your setup, the sun goes down, you draw down the battery, a storm comes through and knocks out power. You are down too, until the sun comes up the next day.

This is my thinking also. If you have net metering and no TOU, no reason to use the batteries at all unless the grid is down. Any ‘savings’ by discharging the battery are negated by having to use PV to recharge is the next day anyway, so your ‘net’ is the same. BUT you lost efficiency due to losses in charging/discharging and conversion.

 

[palehorse]

All good points guys. I will make some adjustments. Its not that something is behaving poorly. Its more of what should it look like given my scenario. Again, appreciate the insight.