Sol-Ark needs a serious Change!

[Brucey]

Sol-Ark is cheap?

Deye which can no longer be imported to the USA is half the price.

 

[curiouscarbon]

not sure how relevant this is... either way
asking clearly with specificity can facilitate an outcome to match with expectation

asking for a low cost device, inverter/charger alone leaves many variables open. specifying certain operation parameters as priorities, eg failure mode or efficiency of conversion, clarifies what to find.

designed in B, manufactured in A

 

[Watts Happening]

We recently installed a new Sol-Ark 12k EMP controlling 32x400 watt Q-Cell Panels. During the finalization of the setup and building a plant, we couldn't get the Sol-Ark to communicate with the monitoring servers through our wired home network. A phone call to tech support was interrupted when I had an epiphany and thought to ask where these monitoring servers are located. I informed the technician that if the monitoring servers are based in China, Russia, Iran, North Korea or any country that is unfriendly with the United States, our router will intentionally block those IP addresses on all inbound and outbound traffic. The tech took a long pause and told us to "hold-on"..... when he returned he admitted that the monitoring servers are in China. The Phone app also uses Chinese servers.

The #1 existential threat to the United States, especially our power grid, is China. Giving China the ability to monitor the solar power production of Sol-Ark systems here in the United States is grossly irresponsible. Needless to say that I'm disappointed that a "Veteran Owned" company would not consider the implications of this corporate decision.

Sure, I could just use the system unmonitored - which is what we are doing in the interim while we await the power(s) that be at Sol-Ark to pull their heads out of the sand.

Spending the additional premium to purchase an EMP hardened Sol-Ark system seems a bit untoward to then give control of the same system to the #1 country that might choose to use an EMP device against the United States in the future.

Before you folks decide to jump in here and start telling me that I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill, just know that those Chinese servers can be used by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to change your setup, flash your firmware to render your system inoperative, or possibly make it completely unsafe. Give that some thought.

I've written a letter last week to the CEO of Sol-Ark and received no response. More people need to call and write them to have the monitoring server and services brought back onto and into the United States.

Oh, and before you assume that your non-Sol-Ark brand inverter is safely monitored in the USA or the EU, you might want to check to see where the monitoring servers are located before you just assume.

The answer is dirt simple, just use Solar Assistant. It’s by FAR the best app and experience out there. Cheap, easy and solves all your issues.

And while I understand your sentiment towards data going to China, I can’t help but chuckle when people say these things (I get it and feel the same way though).

Complaining about china on the internet from a device surely made in China, through a router made in China, it’s just the world we live in.