Sol-Ark problems by David Poz.. anyone else?

[mvonw]

If you look at the diagrams in the Sol-Ark manual, they show L1 and L2 as well as grounding and neutral wiring diagrams. Pretty helpful. But if you have another brand/model of inverter, look at their manual , hopefully they offer wiring diagrams for various configurations.

I'm generally pretty good with basic North American household wiring. I already have a main load center that is hooked up to my generator. The neutral is bonded to ground which is connected to grounding rod in the ground. I'm building a new shed for the batteries/inverter/sub panel., which won't be bonded. I do believe I should ground the shed as well, but I think that's optional Nobody is every going to inspect my place...

 

[mvonw]

Yea I worked from home for a year. That didn't last. Was horrible. I went to sleep AT WORK. I woke up AT WORK. I ate lunch AT WORK. Have to be careful what you ask for in this life. You just might get it.

The benefit of having internet at my cabin is that my teenage daughter and wife will come now more often. As I get older, I appreciate this more than ever....

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Are you off-grid or grid-tie?

Technically all my power comes from Solar, (However I have a Tap from the transfer switch (utility side) to both Grid inputs of my Sol-arks.

I got rid of the line side taps and now run Generator into the Grid input.

It is there in case something weird happens like I don't have enough battery or solar to run my loads and it will use the generator NOW.

I have not used any grid power for months though. I get charged $8.95 a month for the privilege of have the grid although I don't use it.

If anything where to happen to my Solar setup I just pull the lever on the transfer switch and back on grid.

I also do not back feed the grid either. There is no selling solar to the Grid. The Co-op I get power from has some funky rules, fees and extra equipment associated with that.

Technically my solar is a Permanent Backup.. ;-)

They actually sent someone out a few months ago to see what was wrong since all the meters are read via the line or CELL they didn't know I had solar.
Guy proceeded to tell me I couldn't do that.
Told him he could take his meter with him if he wanted. I didn't need them.
He huffed and puffed but the meter is still there.

I also have a Winco 25KW PTO generator so I could care less if they pull the meter or not. I wont be without power regardless.

 

[robby]

It has to be a substantial imbalance.
I had to have 4k imbalances before I tripped mine.
Maybe it’s different for each setup??
Not sure. Just haven’t had any issues with mine..

I am pretty sure I have gone past 3500W of Imbalance and had no issue's. It's been awhile so the exact number is no longer in my head.
Poz was deliberately using old firmware that was conservatively designed to trip the Inverter in the exact situation he was told would trip it. That was why he would not update the Inverter and why he would not call Sol-Ark for Advice. It was just a piece of theater designed to discredit Sol-Ark on behalf of his Sponsor.

If mine had an issue I would buy an autotransformer but 8 months in and it has not been an issue.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I am pretty sure I have gone past 3500W of Imbalance and had no issue's. It's been awhile so the exact number is no longer in my head.
Poz was deliberately using old firmware that was conservatively designed to trip the Inverter in the exact situation he was told would trip it. That was why he would not update the Inverter and why he would not call Sol-Ark for Advice. It was just a piece of theater designed to discredit Sol-Ark on behalf of his Sponsor.

If mine had an issue I would buy an autotransformer but 8 months in and it has not been an issue.

Definitely Propaganda Theater. Called him out on it but Mysteriously Comments Disappeared. I un-subbed after that.

 

[robby]

Definitely Propaganda Theater. Called him out on it but Mysteriously Comments Disappeared. I un-subbed after that.

Same here, he removed all of my comments. I was never subscribed because he really does not have any technical knowledge on electronics or Solar Equipment.

 

[mvonw]

Same here, he removed all of my comments. I was never subscribed because he really does not have any technical knowledge on electronics or Solar Equipment.

I definitely value real-world, long term experience over a YT channel review. I’m pretty green to this technology. I’m also not a perfectionist and understand all products have their quirks and limitations. It seems like a good fit for my application. I like the low idle current and ease of installation. The Poz videos did appear to me to be a little bit of a ‘setup’ just in the overall presentation. Perhaps in his mind, he was being unbiased. It’s unfortunate that he deleted your comments, especially if they were civil and informative. That definitely does not support his credibility.
I think there is a lot of demand for unbiased product vs. product comparisons of similar products, so even a flawed reviewed provides some value since it provokes rebuttals in forums like this. What does it mean to be sponsored by Signature Solar? Does he just get free products? That hardly seems worth it compared to loss of credibility in a tech oriented channel??

 

[Shawn Hayes]

So they want you to jerry rig a soulution to use your tools with $14k worth of inverters? Thats wild...and unfortunate! They have access to Chinese manufacturing how is it they dont have thier own autotransformer?

My thoughts exactly. The biggest overpriced, over engineered, half-assed disappointing thing I’ve seen.
Newer models may be better but doesn’t help us that thinking buying “American” newest solar inverter was a good thing....at the time!!
I would say that the only saving grace is that it’s EMP protected. But at this point I have a question is it really and does it even work? By the time we find out it’ll be too late I guess lol

 

[Roqm]

My thoughts exactly. The biggest overpriced, over engineered, half-assed disappointing thing I’ve seen.
Newer models may be better but doesn’t help us that thinking buying “American” newest solar inverter was a good thing....at the time!!
I would say that the only saving grace is that it’s EMP protected. But at this point I have a question is it really and does it even work? By the time we find out it’ll be too late I guess lol

Your wasting your time buying solark if your looking to buy a "american" inverter... great inverter but def not American.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

My thoughts exactly. The biggest overpriced, over engineered, half-assed disappointing thing I’ve seen.
Newer models may be better but doesn’t help us that thinking buying “American” newest solar inverter was a good thing....at the time!!
I would say that the only saving grace is that it’s EMP protected. But at this point I have a question is it really and does it even work? By the time we find out it’ll be too late I guess lol

My 2 work great.

All in how you set them up.

 

[houseofancients]

Your wasting your time buying solark if your looking to buy a "american" inverter... great inverter but def not American.

they are rebadged deye inverters, which in turn are sunsynk's

 

[Nobodybusiness]

they are rebadged deye inverters, which in turn are sunsynk's

Still work well for me.

Can’t buy Deye here anymore.

 

[Shawn Hayes]

My 2 work great.

All in how you set them up.

Apparently you don’t understand that I have the first version with green MCU’s and they have more issues with small variable speed loads for some reason. Sol-Ark will not swap out units and MCU can’t be replaced with newer version. Sol-Ark has acknowledged this is an issue, therefore they ship you cheap after market transformers to help. Maybe review my posting about what they said & sent me as a cheap workaround.

Newer versions with blue boards apparently aren’t as bad.

 

[Shawn Hayes]

Your wasting your time buying solark if your looking to buy a "american" inverter... great inverter but def not American.

Yeah, I have since learned about this well after I purchased and had mine installed.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Apparently you don’t understand that I have the first version with green MCU’s and they have more issues with small variable speed loads for some reason. Sol-Ark will not swap out units and MCU can’t be replaced with newer version. Sol-Ark has acknowledged this is an issue, therefore they ship you cheap after market transformers to help. Maybe review my posting about what they said & sent me as a cheap workaround.

Newer versions with blue boards apparently aren’t as bad.

Unfortunate…

 

[Shawn Hayes]

My 2 work great.

All in how you set them up.

Just as an added note, I seemed to have found a partial work around for my problem. I will never discuss that here!!! Costly on my end.
Still doesn’t fix the fact Sol-Ark sold inverters that according to their tech staff says:

“Essentially, what occurs is that some smaller power tools will have a some kind of rectifier to go into a lower setting or such and because the Sol-Ark is pushing power to your tools, the power that may get rectified has no where to go but back to our Sol-Ark. This causes a big spike on one leg and throw these bus imbalances. These auto transformer help to reduce this as well as balancing this surge between both legs.”

So knowing this they refuse to fix or replace my $14,000 dual 12-K’s. Yes, unfortunate.

 

[RV10flyer]

Your wasting your time buying solark if your looking to buy a "american" inverter... great inverter but def not American.

Neither is 99% of what we buy. I can tell you this. My two SolArk12ks, 20,640W of QCells solar array and 132kWh of diy EVE 280aH batteries are doing great. I have the green circuit boards, my loads are perfectly balanced, I have two variable speed heat pumps running right now and the whole system is purring like a kitten at 30°F outside temperature. I consume 10-25% of my battery per night, depending on whether 2 or 4 are home and how cold it is outside. Three nights and two very cloudy days will require auto generator start the third day unless we get a nice sunny third morning.

 

[Shinebox]

Neither is 99% of what we buy. I can tell you this. My two SolArk12ks, 20,640W of QCells solar array and 132kWh of diy EVE 280aH batteries are doing great.

While true, I find Sol Ark’s marketing themselves as some all American, veteran owned company selling a bespoke product of their design to be misleading at best. The fact that it’s a grossly overpriced rebrand of a well known Chinese brand is insulting when you consider their entire marketing spiel.

 

[RV10flyer]

While true, I find Sol Ark’s marketing themselves as some all American, veteran owned company selling a bespoke product of their design to be misleading at best. The fact that it’s a grossly overpriced rebrand of a well known Chinese brand is insulting when you consider their entire marketing spiel.

I am an HVAC contractor. It is no different than my American standard or Goodman equipment. The box says "made in the USA". Everything inside that box comes from China or Mexico. Keep dreaming if you think America makes anything anymore. I tell my customers the truth. What choice do we have at this point? One year ago, after an ice storm in nine days without power, I went looking for an off grid system for my 1600 to 2500 kWh per month house. I wanted a company that would stand behind their product. I just assumed it would be manufactured in China. American standard equipment went up 25% in the last year. Yes, it's also over priced. But So are Chevy trucks. I stand behind what I install and it breaks down 30% less than most other brands I've installed.

 

[Shinebox]

I am an HVAC contractor. It is no different than my American standard or Goodman equipment. The box says "made in the USA". Everything inside that box comes from China or Mexico. Keep dreaming if you think America makes anything anymore. I tell my customers the truth. What choice do we have at this point? One year ago, after an ice storm in nine days without power, I went looking for an off grid system for my 1600 to 2500 kWh per month house. I wanted a company that would stand behind their product. I just assumed it would be manufactured in China.

Not the same at all. I get offshore manufacturing and the global economy. A product being manufactured in China is more likely than not. Where your example misses the point is that American Standard, Goodman, Apple etc all design their own products and can legitimately make a claim to the ownership of the ideas within. Sol Ark slaps their name on a Deye inverter, goes around waving an American flag and triples the price, all while trying to claim that this is a product that they themselves are responsible for creating. I couldn’t care less that their inverter is made in China; the Victron Multiplus I have was made in China, but is Victron rebranding someone else’s product and tripling the price?