Sol ark runs generator too long?

[robby]

Use TOU to control the generator.

 

[BKlafehn]

Yes, we do have the latest.

 

[BKlafehn]

Use TOU to control the generator.

Sorry to be dense about this. The TOU instructions I've seen seem to be for limiting power bought from the grid. This application would be the reverse - limiting power "sold" to the grid.

However, I just found this under Time of Use in the Sol-Ark manual: "If using a generator, select the charge box for the times that may need the generator, and the Gen will charge the battery to the voltage or percentage specified in the "Batt" column." (p. 36, revision 12/19, 2022). So, if we set the charge percentage to 60%, say, this would lift the batteries from 15% (LiFePO4 DoD) but wouldn't keep the generator running for hours to get from 60% to 95%.

We'll try that!

I guess this would be set like that for all time periods. How do you set the TOU screen for that situation - only have one time, 12:00AM? Or would we need two times, 12:00AM and 11:59PM?

Another thing that I haven't seen explained is the difference between 'Limited to Home' versus 'Limited to Load'. Wouldn't 'Home' include the batteries? Sol-Ark recommends 'Limited to Load' when using a generator, but under Limited to Load, the generator only powers the loads even when it could be supplying the battery at the same time. Seems like 'Limited to Home' would be more appropriate to maximize the usefulness of the generator running...

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I have a friend with a sol-ark and 10kwh of batteries. He's not making it thru the night and the solark starts his generator just as it should. But what it does is charge his batteries nearly 100% before killing the generator. This mean the batteries are full when the sun comes up which is NOT what he wants. Seems there is no way to set the top limit of the generator run time....

So we came up with this solution. When in offgrid with solark, the generator is connected to the grid input and the generator input becomes a "smart load" switched input. You can turn the smart load on and off at preset SoC. So our idea is to connect a very small STDP 240v relay to the "smart load/gen" input and use the contacts on the relay to inhibit the genny from starting. Wire the gen start signal thru the normally closed contacts on the relay. When SoC is below xx% (ie 50%) the relay drops, the contacts close and the genstart signal can reach the genny. When the SoC gets to >YY%, the solark will still be commanding the generator to run, but the "smart load" relay will pull in, open the contacts and cause the gen run signal to be lost.

How's that? Or solark could add a menu item to shut the generator off at a given SoC. I guess until that day, you gotta run what you brung.

Use Time of Use TOU and set one of the times zones to charge from Generator to a certain voltage.

Works well.