Sol-Ark 12k vs. Schneider XW6848 Pro system any thoughts?

blacknbart

Currently thinking about getting a Schneider Xw6848 Pro system (attached layout), but someone chatted me up about the Sol-Ark 12K system. The Sol-Ark is compact and not as material and install extensive, but I may need two in order to give me the power I would need.  I was wondering if there were any Sol-Ark 12K users out there to give me some pointers. 

Dave Angelini

Some of my installer buddies are using them. There have been issue with the systems becoming so imbalanced (split phase) that they shut down and you loose power. The Solar-Arc is tempting because of the price. The price is good because there is not the huge Toroid transformer that the low frequency XW has. I would wait a few years to see if they sort this out. A 15 amp circuit table saw shut down their inverter. There are you-tubes I was told. 

blacknbart

Dave, yeah we totally picked that up from a couple of videos we reviews on YouTube about the Sol-Ark 12K.  We even had a talked with a Tech/salesperson from Sol-Ark yesterday just to give us some apples to apples comparison to the Schneider arrangement.  We're not completely sold on the Sol-Ark due to the fact of the Invertor shutting down due to those higher loads at which are common for most households from time to time (table saw, Dryer, Vehicle charge, well pump, etc., etc.  It's nice that it’s compact and is an easy install, but ......... it seems like it Apples to Watermelons in comparison with the Schneider rig. The cost isn’t that much on an issue as well.  Thanks for your input.

MarkC

Recent video that seems impressive.  I'd guess one of these presenters could answer some of the questions about phase balancing and start surge current - but thier sales pitch would seem to indicate (at least the surge) has been well thought out. 

https://www.freeconferencecall.com/wall/recorded_audio?audioRecordingUrl=https://rs0000.freeconferencecall.com/storage/sgetFCC2/Dkb0m/HPpvY&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=120341448&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_8q1VckapRBt3jZu_6WcLlFmDCvnkTJ5yYvemLawY5f6Bp978elV7apLFoBBmtjVkVxAA706xLZNhbMOMC98pBlJosRQ&utm_content=120341448&utm_source=hs_email

MichaelK

I personally was a bit annoyed by the fact that they demonstated that the sol-Ark was more cost effective than the XW+ because the XW+ "required" two quite expensive Schneider MMPT charge controllers for a price of >9000$.

I'm powering my XW+ with 1 Midnight controller at 1/4th the price of the Schneider controllers.

Dave Angelini

A bit deceptive (mppt-100a-600v is around a grand) and that is not a good sign for a company. I have never had an XW shutdown for anything but low battery offgrid in a well designed system. The all in one concept also makes a spare or troubleshooting expensive offgrid. 

If they are good in 2 years, I will keep an open mind.