Sol-Ark Design questions

[solarken]

I'm designing a system with the Sol-Ark 15K and looking for guidance.
The line diagrams Sol-Ark provides all show a 200A fused disconnect ahead of the inverter. Has anyone used the Grid breaker integrated into the Sol-Ark as a service disconnect? I can't find breaker ratings in the documentation.
The data sheet shows 10AWG max for the PV Inputs. Has anyone found 8AWG will fit?
The specs say it has 690.12 Rapid Shutdown integrated, but it looks like a Sunspec PLC transmitter functionality may not be built-in. Is this the case, and what solutions have you used?
Customer wants to use EG4LL batteries. On EG4 website it says their batteries work with Sol-Ark in closed loop mode, but I don't see EG4 listed on Sol-Ark site as a compatible battery partner. Any insight?

Thanks, Ken

 

[solarken]

Adding the Sol-Ark diagram for context. Which brings another question. I view the 200A Fused Disconnect shown as the Main Service Disconnect, and that would require the GEC and N-G Main Bonding Jumper. They show the MBJ in the loadcenter they call the main service panel. Doesn't the MBJ need to be in the first disconnect on the customer side of the meter?

 

[Birken Vogt]

I'm designing a system with the Sol-Ark 15K and looking for guidance.
The line diagrams Sol-Ark provides all show a 200A fused disconnect ahead of the inverter. Has anyone used the Grid breaker integrated into the Sol-Ark as a service disconnect? I can't find breaker ratings in the documentation.

I am quite sure the Sol-Ark equipment is not utility service rated.

Customer wants to use EG4LL batteries. On EG4 website it says their batteries work with Sol-Ark in closed loop mode, but I don't see EG4 listed on Sol-Ark site as a compatible battery partner. Any insight?

I was working with a Sol-Ark system with a large array of EG4 batteries today, and it is functioning in closed loop for some time. But I did not build this one. I am a little skeptical of EG4. They seem a bit like a startup which if they go bust, may leave a lot of people hanging.

Adding the Sol-Ark diagram for context. Which brings another question. I view the 200A Fused Disconnect shown as the Main Service Disconnect, and that would require the GEC and N-G Main Bonding Jumper. They show the MBJ in the loadcenter they call the main service panel. Doesn't the MBJ need to be in the first disconnect on the customer side of the meter?

Since the beginning of time, battery inverter people have not been real great about knowing the code nuances. But here in California, all our services have a meter, 200 amp main plus MBJ in the first enclosure and subpanels after, and they work just fine like that.

 

[jaggedben]

Adding the Sol-Ark diagram for context. Which brings another question. I view the 200A Fused Disconnect shown as the Main Service Disconnect, and that would require the GEC and N-G Main Bonding Jumper. They show the MBJ in the loadcenter they call the main service panel. Doesn't the MBJ need to be in the first disconnect on the customer side of the meter?

Yeah whoever drew that diagram is wrong and confused. I think probably even most of the technical people at Sol-Ark know it's wrong and it somehow slipped past editing.

Also no reason the meter and fused disco couldn't be a normal meter/main with a breaker, or panel with (non-backed up) load. Or that the feed to the Sol-Ark should have to be 200A.

 

[solarken]

I got a little more info back from a Sol-Ark Field Engineer, who said The "Grid" breaker is really a load breaker, not service rated. He did not give the SCCR rating.

 

[solarken]

I am quite sure the Sol-Ark equipment is not utility service rated.

-You are quite right!

I was working with a Sol-Ark system with a large array of EG4 batteries today, and it is functioning in closed loop for some time. But I did not build this one. I am a little skeptical of EG4. They seem a bit like a startup which if they go bust, may leave a lot of people hanging.

-I would not choose EG4 either, in this case the customer already purchased EG4 and Sol-Ark equipment and wants the system designed around those. Will have to see how it goes.

Since the beginning of time, battery inverter people have not been real great about knowing the code nuances. But here in California, all our services have a meter, 200 amp main plus MBJ in the first enclosure and subpanels after, and they work just fine like that.

 

[scrubbin]

I believe Sol-Ark doesn't appreciate EG4 for copying their15k with their EG4 18kPV inverter. I heard this from their training engineer on one of their YouTube training videos. So they no longer have any partnership with EG4. Sol-Ark says to run them in open loop. But I think you can still run them closed loop at your own risk.
From Carlos at Sol-Ark:
EG4 is not one of our battery partners unfortunately so we have to advise customers to not use closed-loop communications. We have not validated the reliability of the established closed-loop Comms that EG4 claims to have with us. That's not to say someone could not get it to work using the CanBus protocol number 00 on our inverters.

What is important to remember is in closed-loop communication any battery BMS can send the inverter write commands on CAN or ModBus. If there is an issue on that write command either in value or to the register its supposed to be addressing issues can directly affect inverter performance and functionality including faulting, improper behavior, and damage. This is why depending on the outcome and damage the warranty might not be honored if you were running in closed-loop comms with EG4 batteries.

Open loop is the best and safest option with EG4 batteries from the Sol-Ark perspective.

 

[Birken Vogt]

The only warranty at risk would be the battery warranty. And they are the ones saying you can run closed loop. Running in closed loop inappropriately might under or overcharge the batteries, but it is not going to hurt the inverter any. The inverter takes care of itself.

They are all copying each other. Atlas copied Sol-Ark and got sued out of existence. Fortress used to get along with Sol-Ark but they had a falling out too, maybe because Fortress makes their own inverter now. None of it is made by the company with their name on the box. They are all rebadging from China. Sol-Ark seems like the widest used around here nowadays.

 

[PWDickerson]

I'm designing a system with the Sol-Ark 15K and looking for guidance.
The line diagrams Sol-Ark provides all show a 200A fused disconnect ahead of the inverter. Has anyone used the Grid breaker integrated into the Sol-Ark as a service disconnect? I can't find breaker ratings in the documentation.
The data sheet shows 10AWG max for the PV Inputs. Has anyone found 8AWG will fit?
The specs say it has 690.12 Rapid Shutdown integrated, but it looks like a Sunspec PLC transmitter functionality may not be built-in. Is this the case, and what solutions have you used?
Customer wants to use EG4LL batteries. On EG4 website it says their batteries work with Sol-Ark in closed loop mode, but I don't see EG4 listed on Sol-Ark site as a compatible battery partner. Any insight?

Thanks, Ken

The Sol-Ark does not have a breaker on the AC input, only the output. If the data sheet says 10AWG max, then stick with that. It is never a good idea to use a wire size that is a terminal isn't rated for. We don't typically use the transmitters, but I know from experience that the Sol-Ark 12V aux power supply does not have enough power to run a Tigo CCA. You will need a dedicated power supply for that. I haven't paired the EG4 batteries with the Sol-Ark 15K, only with the EG4-18K