Sol-Ark not a good company to deal with

DavidEck
DavidEck Registered Users Posts: 1
This statement is false. “ Sol-Ark currently sells three models of inverter, with names that correspond to the number of kilowatts (kW) of continuous power output. They are called the 5K, 8K, and 12K lines. Sol-Ark plans to begin selling a 15 kW inverter (called the “15K” of course) later in 2022.”

I have two 12k EMP sol-ark inverters and after all the money i spent on these pos i come to find out they can only deliver 9kw ea NOT 12kw that everyone believes! I installed a 25kw array and the only way to get it to put out the max of the array is to drain my battery down, then it will produce 23 to 24kw while it is charging the batteries however as soon as the batteries are charged it drops the system back to 18 to 19kw. I have contacted Sol-Ark and these people will not even respond. I sent a certified letter to CEO, no response. I joined linkedin and message him, no response. I wrote a review on google reviews and someone who claims to be owner will look into it and get back to me in a few days, guess what , no further contact from them. That was over 2 weeks ago. I emailed them , no response. This is not a reputable or legitimate company. They claim customer’s are important to them however their actions say that that is false. Ignoring me or any customer is not good practice. I asked them to swap out these falsely advertised inverters for 2 15k inverters. Is this how good, responsible companies act?

Comments

  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,002 ✭✭✭✭✭
    DavidEck said:
     I installed a 25kw array and the only way to get it to put out the max of the array is to drain my battery down, then it will produce 23 to 24kw while it is charging the batteries however as soon as the batteries are charged it drops the system back to 18 to 19kw.
    I don't deal with grid tied systems much, but suspect you are expecting too much from your system!

    Typically, a 25 Kw array will only produce about 75-80% of the panel rating. This is called the Normal Operating Cell Temperature or NOCT value. The panels are rated at STC - Standard Test Conditions. This utilizes a 'flash' test which never allows the panels to warm up. You should expect only 75-80% of the panels rating. Some panels even list the NOCT values on their label, here are a couple examples;



    You can also see info about central inverter ratings for typical array, they are almost always 'over paneled' due to this difference.

    You can read about how much central inverters are 'over paneled' in many articles, here's one;

    Why Oversizing Solar Panel Arrays Is A Smart Move (solarquotes.com.au)

    You might also see it in silly articles about UK solar failures in the heat, as solar farms are only producing 90% of their usual output in the extreme heat in the UK. This is beyond the normal expected reduction!

    Solar panels are getting too much sun and losing efficiency as Europe's heatwave hits the industry | Fortune

    Perhaps they expected you to already understand this, but it's just normal.
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,731 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    This was his first post and there is alot missing. If this is grid tie, it could be normal? Maybe he will come back?

    The problem I often hear about with this high frequency inverter is nuisance tripping on split phase load imbalance. Not great to have to lose power when you start a table saw or air compressor.



    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • boB
    boB Solar Expert Posts: 1,030 ✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2022 #4
    So, maybe you just need to try starting one air compressor on L1 and another one on L2 ?   There...  Balanced !

    Seriously, I wonder why that is that is the case ?  I have heard this same thing about the SolArk...     

    The general statement regarding HF inverter surge is mostly correct but it is not 100% correct.  There is no theoretical reason why this should be true.  I have seen it work well before.     I think the Asian inverters don't always take the best design approach.  Evidently most do not understand this problem, but that's OK 😀   They're getting better at this stuff all the time it seems.

    Interesting chart.   I wonder about some of the particulars for those comparisons though.  Like time, etc. 
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,731 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    The problem is people with split phase will not behave in a defined way with their loads.

    I know my wife won't ;)
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • KenMorgan
    KenMorgan Registered Users Posts: 92 ✭✭
    solar panel field size should have nothing to do with the power output of the inverter its either a 12k or its not.  if the battery bank cannot support the required amps to sustain the load then thats a different issue entirely. 

    Ignore the solar panels, what can the inverter produce from the battery pack?

    30kw LiFePo4 battery bank, 18 JA solar 200 watt panels, 20 sharp 200 watt panels,  morningstar controller(s) and a magnum 4448 inverter with all the usual junk that goes with it.