Why are you looking at SolArk? What is the feature set that you want from this?
I like the full range of options. I want a DC system. I do not like micro-inverters. It feels logical to take DC convert to AC only to then convert back to DC to store in the battery and then convert back to AC when you want to use it. Also, I want more options on batteries.
OK, for DIY if you are competent to do the calculations and find someone willing to do the extra wiring work needed for DC, then microinverters only make sense in a limited set of situations (often correlated with situations where solar is silly. I have microinverters b/c my house is literally under 3 trees up here. The only way I have a hope at ROI is b/c I did DIY discount and am on NEM2)
The extra conversion adds some cost for a working system with battery.
As for SolArk battery choices. You do have a lot of UL9540 solutions, probably 6 vendors at this point.
Until SOK gets their server rack approved they're going to be kind of expensive.
I might be mistaken, but that would only matter if I sell back. I will likely just have a ~10KW rack battery. I am looking to be educated, and I have only read about that recently... There are some batteries like EC4 that say they are pending approval, but I think they have been pending for years.
UL9540 applies whether or not you sell back. It's a state building code requirement. The main difference is that, if you do not sell back, it's easier to get away with skipping it.
With current NEM3 compensation scheme, you can probably get your interconnect fee back even with the reduced payback. I think it's <$150.
EG4 18kpv should be fully approved now, and the 14kWh PowerPro battery is quite cost- efficient. Plus it is outdoor rated, and outside is a great place to put a battery for fire safety reasons.
The EG4 8K never got approved, and until the 18kpv got to the finish line I sort of assumed they were incompetent to do this.
No real rush. it was a soft deadline to get a plan in place. I was hoping to have the tax rebate sooner rather than later. I have not been able to figure out if you can claim the rebait at the time of purchase or only after installation.
I believe it's based on in-service date, that's how I factored it into planning.
I expect hybrid prices to go down a lot in the next 1-2 years. I don't have a model for how much a NEM3 user will save in SoCal, esp for a cooling dominated electrical load. Probably a lot.
I am always looking for better options. I was looking at a somewhat DIY install, but my wife has seen too many people in the ER who have fallen off roofs. so, she insisted that I have someone else do it.
I think the 5K-1P is OK for off-grid and probably UL9540 listed as a ESS. I'm not sure you will be allowed to configure it in a mode where it falls back to grid. It depends on whether it always runs parallel to grid or can transfer on/off grid as needed. SolArk pre-sales support is probably able to help you with this. Also, you will need to confirm that you can configure enough 120V loads to actually be able to use that electricity.
There will be some challenge in finding someone to install a system you design. I know at least one forum member who had the same issue (older person, + either they or their spouse didn't want to do the roof install). I didn't have the patience to figure out how to hire this way and decided to live dangerously.
If you are looking at the 8K, I think you can get a Deye for about half the cost of the Sol-Ark.
Do you have the name of a new supplier for 120/240?
