Sol-Ark 15k will only invert 13k of DC PV to AC

[Think About It]

Is there a bypass on the Sol-Ark? Can you bypass the Inverter altogether, put the house under full load and watch utility voltage? I think it's time to call the utility company. I also suspect the problem is with the Utility transformer. Is the transformer dedicated to your house or are other homes attached to it also?

 

[Clint-L]

Is there a bypass on the Sol-Ark? Can you bypass the Inverter altogether, put the house under full load and watch utility voltage? I think it's time to call the utility company. I also suspect the problem is with the Utility transformer. Is the transformer dedicated to your house or are other homes attached to it also?

I’m not sure of that. I’m sitting here watching the 15k inverter. Have my own meters in my lines and I’m not over 124.~v on each line.

When I watch the inverter closely, I feel like my focus is now on not the PV, but what the inverter is “inverting”. It absolutely will not invert over 12,835~ (approximately). Check out attached pic.

If it hits 12,835 on inversion (6416w L1 6416w L2) it resets the PV and /or throttles it back to about 10kw DC PV and ramps back up. My micro inverters are not resetting at this time. They are UL1741 as well. It’s funny that the load limit power setting cannot be changed over 12kw. It reverts right back if you change it.

Once it kind of stabilizes at this stage it runs at this full throttle above not utilizing all of the solar until we start declining I. The afternoon.

This is all regardless of loads locally, battery charge, etc etc.

UL1741 is a fact of rules. If other inverters do not disconnect or throttle them neither should the solark. They’ve got an issue. Maybe it’s even an issue with a perfect combo of one voltage and panels, but my most important fact at this point is that the micros are not disconnecting or throttling and they are following the same UL1741 specifications.

See attached

 

[Clint-L]

Is there a bypass on the Sol-Ark? Can you bypass the Inverter altogether, put the house under full load and watch utility voltage? I think it's time to call the utility company. I also suspect the problem is with the Utility transformer. Is the transformer dedicated to your house or are other homes attached to it also?

Meant to say, yes the transformer is dedicated to my house and is about two years old. My house stays at a very solid and constant 121.x volts constantly, even with loads. That is testing by the meter. There is 3/0 wire from the Solark to a whole Home disconnect and then to the meter all on 3/0.

What do most folks see for their home voltage? Is it only normally 120 or less rather than 121 per line?

 

[Think About It]

What do most folks see for their home voltage? Is it only normally 120 or less rather than 121 per line?

In my work, I regularly see voltage at or above 124. The utility is supposed to stay within 5% of the nominal 240 VAC, so 252/126 is allowable. I've never seen those slightly high voltages cause a problem.

 

[Think About It]

I’m not sure of that. I’m sitting here watching the 15k inverter. Have my own meters in my lines and I’m not over 124.~v on each line.

When I watch the inverter closely, I feel like my focus is now on not the PV, but what the inverter is “inverting”. It absolutely will not invert over 12,835~ (approximately). Check out attached pic.

I can't help thinking that the problem is related to the 248V from the grid. I agree that it shouldn't be an issue but we need to figure out a way to confirm/prove that it is or isn't the cause. Need time to think about how to do this. Suggestions welcome.

 

[Ampster]

What do most folks see for their home voltage? Is it only normally 120 or less rather than 121 per line?

In rural Northern California mine has varied between 116 and 124 for the past 30 days. There does seem to be a daily cycle but on average it is pretty close to 120. I based that on the single phase 240 grid voltage.

 

[Ampster]

I may have mentioned this in an earlier post on this thread but years ago in Southern California I had a problem with high grid voltage knocking off an old Xantrex inverter. I had a good weeks worth of data and called Southern California Edison about it. I don't recall the specifics but I think it was outside of the standard. Eventually a field guy called me back and said that they routinely adjusted some capacitors at the local substation for seasonal differences and that based on my feedback and their own observations they would adjust them.

 

[Think About It]

I can't help thinking that the problem is related to the 248V from the grid. I agree that it shouldn't be an issue but we need to figure out a way to confirm/prove that it is or isn't the cause. Need time to think about how to do this. Suggestions welcome.

What happens if you discharge the batteries, set working mode to "load first", disconnect the grid, pull from the load and charge the batteries. What will the inverter max out at? No grid attached.

 

[Spunky]

Yeah, what ^^he said^^

Can you disconnect from the grid (grid down) and charge the battery bank at 275A ~ 15kw?
This would take the utility out of the equation.

 

[Think About It]

Yeah, what ^^he said^^

Can you disconnect from the grid (grid down) and charge the battery bank at 275A ~ 15kw?
This would take the utility out of the equation.
View attachment 133417

Damm! I'm envious. I wish I had as much PV power as you guys.

 

[Danke]

Yeah, what ^^he said^^

Can you disconnect from the grid (grid down) and charge the battery bank at 275A ~ 15kw?
This would take the utility out of the equation.
View attachment 133417

Sol-Ark 15K?

Am I reading that correctly? You have 16,918W coming in from PV and you’re using almost all that between charging the battery and loads?

 

[Spunky]

Sol-Ark 15K?

Am I reading that correctly? You have 16,918W coming in from PV and you’re using almost all that between charging the battery and loads?

That's correct, the SOC is wacked as you can tell by the voltage.

I was running Open-Loop, so the BMS wouldn't be throttling me.

I had a similar issue a few weeks ago, but capped at 10.5kw. Got a ticket going with Sol-Ark and received SW update 7222.

While waiting for the sun to come out, I changed some setting too. Not sure if the SW fixed it or what

Also not sure if it has always been capped at 10.5kw as my 1st array is 12kw and a 15% inefficacy would've put it there. When a added another 6.4kw in Dec., I got the same old output!

But yes, I've been trying to prove what works and what doesn't. So, trying to help.

 

[Danke]

That's correct, the SOC is wacked as you can tell by the voltage.

I was running Open-Loop, so the BMS wouldn't be throttling me.

I had a similar issue a few weeks ago, but capped at 10.5kw. Got a ticket going with Sol-Ark and received SW update 7222.

While waiting for the sun to come out, I changed some setting too. Not sure if the SW fixed it or what

Also not sure if it has always been capped at 10.5kw as my 1st array is 12kw and a 15% inefficacy would've put it there. When a added another 6.4kw in Dec., I got the same old output!

But yes, I've been trying to prove what works and what doesn't. So, trying to help.

So, even though the Sol-Ark is suppose to only produce 15k you’re producing over 16k?

 

[Spunky]

Says, 19.2kw on PV. I only have 18.4kw, so I can't hit 19.2kw.
I can send 3kw to my pre-waterheater, but my amps to my batteries drops.

BTW my new 460w bi-facials were running 20% over

 

[Think About It]

So, even though the Sol-Ark is suppose to only produce 15k you’re producing over 16k?

I think it's confusing. The data sheet says" Max PV Power Delivered to Battery & AC Outputs". I understand this to mean that you can deliver a max of 15K PV to the battery and a max of 15K PV to the AC Outputs. You can deliver 15KW to the batteries and 4.5K to the AC Outputs, or you could deliver 9.25K to each. You just can't exceed 15K on either one.

A theory that I have about Clint's problem is that for some reason the inverter is thinking that the Inverted power is coming from the batteries which is limited to 12K, instead of the PV which is limited to 15K.

He may also want to try disconnecting his batteries and seeing how much power the inverter will pump. Closed loop communications from the batteries have been the cause of other erratic problems.

 

[Clint-L]

I have a big update on this.
I have been successul in getting 18Kw now from my array. The way I did that was sending about 10kw in to my batteries. There is a limit on actual inverting output power on the Solark15k of about 15kw (makes sense). That said - The limit of DC PV going direct to battery in combination with inversion is 18kw - PERIOD I've not seen it do 19.2 as stated in manual. That 18kw is a limitation in the software that if you change it, it just reverts back, even in powerview.

Solark did tell me they are working on a fix for the limiting power. Interesting enough, they seem focused on the MPPT limiting amerage, which I was as well for a while. I feel silly that I never discharged my batteries far enough to prove this out until now. It seems so simple now, and Solark should have stated this more clearly in their marketing.

They had me thinking I have an a line voltage issue, while my microinverters have ZERO issues. They do not disconnect and they are UL1741SA just like the Solark.

Oh well, It sounds like this is what it is, unless we get some software update that changes things. Good news is, they have admitted the issue and I am talking to a new person on the Solark side that seems to understand and is honest about "their" issue. So I guess, this is may be a hopeful start to a real solution.

TLDR: - Solark 15k will produce 18kw max DC-PV to DC and will only allow a total inversion of 15kw when you add the load and the grid sell numbers together it will always = 15kw. I had never caught on to that until I had an epiphany the other day. ???????

The load + the Grid will NEVER be over 15kw. I believe that is the end of the story.

 

[Think About It]

I have a big update on this.
I have been successul in getting 18Kw now from my array. The way I did that was sending about 10kw in to my batteries. There is a limit on actual inverting output power on the Solark15k of about 15kw (makes sense).

Thanks for confirming this. That's what I was trying to get at in my previous post - the inverter is limited to 15K. But you should be able to get another 4.5K to charge the batteries. You're only getting and additional 3K, so we are still short 1.5K.

Sol-Ark confirmed the issue. That's a start. Did they commit to addressing it in software?

 

[Clint-L]

Thanks for confirming this. That's what I was trying to get at in my previous post - the inverter is limited to 15K. But you should be able to get another 4.5K to charge the batteries. You're only getting and additional 3K, so we are still short 1.5K.

Sol-Ark confirmed the issue. That's a start. Did they commit to addressing it in software?

They confirmed that it is a software issue and they are working on it. No estimate deliverable date.

 

[Clint-L]

Yeah, what ^^he said^^

Can you disconnect from the grid (grid down) and charge the battery bank at 275A ~ 15kw?
This would take the utility out of the equation.
View attachment 133417

Thanks for giving me the idea to try battery DC load on the solark 15k. I made a post earlier today of the findings. I was still connected to grid, but was able to generate 18kw of PV with 15kw of AC inversion and the rest was DC direct in to the batteries.

 

[Danke]

Thanks for confirming this. That's what I was trying to get at in my previous post - the inverter is limited to 15K. But you should be able to get another 4.5K to charge the batteries. You're only getting and additional 3K, so we are still short 1.5K.

Sol-Ark confirmed the issue. That's a start. Did they commit to addressing it in software?

I call Sol-Ark two different times and I get two different answers. Three different times, three different answers…

The tech support I talked with today really was unsure of her answers so I asked if there’s somebody else I could speak with, I got put on hold and nobody ever came back. Before she left me on hold, she said the Sol-Ark could only do 15K total, that’s AC load and battery charging combined. Maybe I’ll try to call them again tomorrow.