5K OUTDOOR OUTDOOR SOL-ARK 15K INSTALL GUIDE & OWNER’S MANUAL UPON RECEIVING SHIPMENT ................................................................................................................................. 4 OUTDOOR SPEC SHEET ............................................................................................................................................................ 5 WIRE GAUGE GUIDE (COPPER) .....................................................................................
Disclaimer UNLESS SPECIFICALLY AGREED TO IN WRITING, SOL-ARK: (a) MAKES NO WARRANTY REGARDING THE ACCURACY, SUFFICIENCY, OR SUITABILITY OF ANY TECHNICAL OR OTHER INFORMATION PROVIDED IN ITS MANUALS OR OTHER DOCUMENTATION. (b) ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE, WHETHER DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL, WHICH MIGHT ARISE OUT OF THE USE OF SUCH INFORMATION. THE USE OF ANY SUCH INFORMATION WILL BE ENTIRELY AT THE USER'S RISK.
Warning Symbols This symbol indicates information that, if ignored, could result in minor injury or damage to the equipment. This symbol indicates information that, if ignored, could result in serious injury, damage to the equipment, or death. This symbol indicates information that is important but not hazard-related. Warnings Read this entire document before installing or using the Sol-Ark 15K inverter.
Upon Receiving Shipment Inspect Shipment A. Compare the package condition to the condition of the package in the photo we sent you before it left our facility. You must note any damage due to shipping with delivery driver before accepting the package otherwise the shipping company will deny any claim. B. If damaged, contact us immediately at 972-575-8875 Ext. 3 Component Guide A. Limiter Sensors included: 1 3/8" CT sensors x2 (Included) B.
Spec SpecSheet Sheetf August 19th, 2022 5
2” 2” 2” Minimum Horizontal Clearance || 6” Minimum Vertical Clearance Temperature Derating DC: 90C-100C Shutdown @ 100C AC: 75C-82C Shutdown @ 82C Sol-Ark 15K Torque Values Application Note Load Terminal Block Grid Terminal Block Gen Terminal Block Neutral / Ground Busbars Cover Screws Battery Connection 62 IN Lbs 62 IN Lbs 62 IN Lbs 26.5 IN Lbs 26.5 IN Lbs 90.0 IN Lbs 7 NM 7 NM 7 NM 3 NM 3 NM 10 NM Do Not Use Impact Drivers to Tighten Any Fasteners on the Sol-Ark.
Wire Gauge Guide (copper) 34.93mm (1 3/8in) 50.8mm (2in) PV input: 12-10AWG AC Inputs/Outputs: 1/0 AWG - 4/0 AWG All Sensors: 20 - 24AWG CT Sensors: 10' Wire Included Batt Temp Sensor: 6' Wire Included RJ45 Cable: 7' Included (Extendable up to 20') Battery input: 2/0-4/0AWG (3/8" Regular Limiter Sensor Lugs) 15.875mm (5/8in) X-Large Limiter Sensor Fits 4/0 AWG Inputs 300A: 1.5A Fits Metal Busbar Grid Feed PV Panel Inputs - 0’ – 100’: 12 AWG 100’ – 300’: 10 AWG 10 AWG Max 400A: 2.0A + 25.
Wiring Diagrams These Wiring Diagrams are examples of common use-cases for Sol-Ark inverters. Sol-Ark does not provide custom diagrams; however, you may contact support@sol-ark.com for any questions about existing Wiring Diagrams. 1/0 AWG to 4/0 AWG CT Sensors are optional but necessary to enable Peak Shaving. Diagram 1 See pg. 21 and pg.39 for additional info.
Diagram 2 Diagram 3 August 19th, 2022 9
Diagram 4 Diagram 5 August 19th, 2022 10
Note: PV fuses are only required for >2 strings per MPPT 1/0 AWG to 4/0 AWG Diagram 5 Diagram 6 11 August 19th, 2022
1/0 AWG to 4/0 AWG Diagram 7 August 19th, 2022 12
Note: Before powering up Parallel System installs, please see Pg.
Note: Before powering up Parallel System installs, please see Pg.
Note: Before powering up Parallel System installs, please see Pg.
Note: Before powering up Parallel System installs, please see Pg.
GUI Screens Main Menus Basic Setup August 19th, 2022 17
Battery Setup c Grid Setup August 19th, 2022 18
Physical Installation Inverter Components A B C D E F G J L H I A. B. C. D. E. F. LCD Touch Screen PV Disconnect Switch ON/OFF Button WI-FI Dongle Input 2 x 200A Battery Breaker Communication Ports G. H. I. J. K. L. K 200A Load Breaker Sensor Input Board Battery Terminal Blocks (+ + || - -) MPPT Inputs Neutral/Ground Bus Bar Terminal Blocks (GEN/ Load/ Grid) Deciding Backup Circuits A.
Single System Installs (Whole-Home Backup) A. Use the output from 200A Fused Disconnect (from the grid) for the Grid input connection to the Sol-Ark B. Connect the Load output from the Sol-Ark directly to the Main Service Panel (at least 2/0 AWG) C. Connect a Generator (100A) or AC-Coupled system to the GEN terminal block Mounting the Sol-Ark A. B. C. D. E. F. G.
Optional Battery Installation Method: Multi-Terminal Installation The battery terminals parallel batteries to ensure a common connection. If 275A charge/discharge rate is needed, connect batteries to both terminals; If using 3 or more batteries, use a busbar for + and - battery connections. Only connect batteries of the same brand, model, and chemistry to both terminals. if Lead Acid, approx. age also.
Integrating a Generator Generator < 19.2kW (GEN Terminal, See Pg. 8 - 9) A. ONLY supports 240V generators | 100A Terminal Block B. Connect the generator output to the "GEN" input terminal block in the Sol-Ark 15K user area. GEN input doesn’t support 3-Phase Generators. C. THD of less than 15% is preferred but not required Standby Generators > 19.2kW (GRID Terminal, See Pg. 8 and 11) (OFF-GRID) A. Supports 220V / 240V / 208V generators | Depends on “Grid Type” selection | 200A Terminal Block B.
Integrating Sensors and Accessory Placement Sensor Pin Out (Located in Sol-Ark user area) (1,2) Batt Temp: Batt Temp Sensor has no polarity; used for voltage correction when using lead acid batteries (+3, -4) CT1 & (+5, -6) CT2: Current transformers used for limited to home mode and peak shaving; Polarity matters (7,8) Gen Start Relay: Two wire start for generators, simple open or closed relay (9,10) Gen On Relay: Not currently in use (11 B, 12 B) Emergency Stop: Short these pins to initiate emergency sto
Emergency Stop Signal & PV Rapid Shutdown Signal Pins 11(B) and 12 (B) use an ordinarily open & latching switch to connect the two emergency stop pins that cut off the RSD power supply when triggered, thus stopping the inverter AC output. Pins 15 and 16 provide the 12V / 100mA signal power lost when the Sol-Ark shuts down using the front button.
Powering-Up & Testing the Sol-Ark 15K Check the voltage on each PV input circuit A. It should be no higher than 500Voc Temp. corrected B. DO NOT connect PV+ OR PV- to GND C. Verify polarity (backward polarity shows 0V) Turn ON with one of three sources of power: 1) PV 2) Grid 3) ON/OFF Battery Power Cycle Sequence 1. Turn on the Built-In battery disconnect Check Grid Input Voltage A. B. C. D. Measure L1 to Neutral and L2 to Neutral. Ensure 120Vac Measure L1 and L2.
Wi-Fi / Internet Connection Remote Monitoring Setup Ethernet Dongle A. Open the dongle enclosure and thread the ethernet cable through the hole, and plug it into the RJ45 port B. Reassemble the dongle housing and plug dongle into Sol-Ark, and secure it with screws If all is well, you will see solid red and green lights C. Register the dongle via the app or www.mysol-ark.com Wi-Fi (Via Cell Phone or computer) A. B. C. D.
Create an Account and Sign In After filling the form click “Create Account” Add a Plant Scan the QR code on the dongle while plugged in On Plant Type, ALWAYS select Energy Storage (DC coupling). August 19th, 2022 Make sure to pick a unique plant name. (I.E.
Connect the System to the Internet If Wi-Fi paired with 10.10.10.
Start Monitoring The Data This screen is the real time view Attention If you are installing parallel systems, DO NOT create a plant for each inverter. Create one plant for the Master unit and then use the browser version of PowerView (mysol-ark.com). Select your plant Alarms Click on the “…” for the MASTER’s plant and hit “Add Gateway” then put the S/N and Key of the SLAVE’s dongle.
Login to Web Portal using ANY Search Browser A. Open Google or Safari → type in the search bar: 10.10.10.1 B. Scroll Down to "Wi-Fi Connection" C. Press "Scan" to search local networks Select Your HOME Network A. B. C. D.
Programming Guide Sol-Ark Menus August 19th, 2022 31
Main Screens (Touchscreen) 17.00 -5.00 5.00 -7.00 Detailed Volts View • • • • • • • Top row = Total power for column Middle Row = Line 1/PV1 voltage, Amps, and Watts (note: PV Voltage not to exceed 500V) Bottom Row = Line 2/PV2 voltage, Amps, and Watts (note: PV Voltage not to exceed 500V) Batt Temperature will show -20°C if the temperature sensor is not connected.
Grid Graphical View A. Displays power drawn from and sold to the grid over time B. Bars above the line indicate power bought from the grid C. Bars below the line indicate power sold back to the grid This view can help determine when the peak power is used in the Home and for Time of Use programing System Setup Menu A. ID = LCD serial #. Sol-Ark Technical Support uses the Wi-Fi serial #. B. COMM = LCD software version C. MCU = Inverter software version Basic Setup Display A. Brightness adjustment B.
Battery Setup Batt Batt Capacity: Enter the battery bank's size connected to the system.
Discharge Shutdown V: battery voltage at which the inverter will shut down (battery symbol on the home screen will turn red) Low Batt: Low battery voltage (battery symbol on the home screen will turn yellow) Restart: battery voltage at which AC output will resume Batt Resistance: used in % SOC batt calculations Batt Charge Efficiency: used in % SOC batt calculations Batt Empty V: sets reserve capacity and improves % SOC calculations.
When On-Grid, the AC-coupled inverter will always be on, and it will sell any extra power back to the grid. AC Coupled PV Arrays will not work WITHOUT grid sell enabled (while the grid is available). To use the LOAD breaker for AC coupling grid-tied inverter(s) i. ii. iii.
Grid Input Grid Frequency: Select the Grid Frequency connection Grid Type: • • • 220V Single Phase (Call us before using) 120/240V Split Phase (North America) 120/208V Three (3) Phase Protect Parameters: (when Settings when the system will connect/disconnect from the grid. UL 1741 & IEEE1547 do not use these parameters. We recommend widening the frequency range when connecting a generator to the grid breaker (55-65Hz) If 120/208V, the L1 and L2 are phase specific.
FreqVolt (UL 1741SA must be enabled in "Sell Control" tab) Puerto Rico Grid Compliance Settings: Kauai Grid Compliance Settings: HECO Grid Compliance Settings for O'ahu, Maui, Hawai'i: HECO Grid Compliance Settings for Lana'I and Moloka'i: ISO Grid Compliance Settings for Massachusetts: PowFac Power Factor is programmable from 0.8 – 1.
Limiter Sensors (CT Sensors) CT Sensors enable Limited to Home mode (meter zero) and Peak Shaving mode. CT sensors also allow the system to calculate loads powered upstream of the Grid Breaker in the home. If using multiple inverters or using a critical loads panel, CT installation is recommended.
Limiter Sensor Automatic Setup Requires Batteries, AC coupled panels must be off while detecting, and does NOT work for 208V installs. If you do not have batteries or are in 208V mode: verify CT sensor placement manually. A. Install limiter sensors as previously described (shown in all diagrams as well). Battery and grid connections also required before starting auto-setup. B. Navigate to the "Advanced" Tab of the Basic Setup screen (follow the directions below to get there) A.
Install Tips Off-Grid Install Tips Sol-Ark 15K will automatically operate in Off-Grid Mode without the grid (under the same power priority as TOU). A. Limiter Sensors are not required for completely Off-Grid installs unless using Grid Peak Shaving with a Gen connected to Grid input breaker. B. The Grid input Terminal Block on the Sol-Ark should be used as the Generator input (4-30kW generators) so that you may maintain Smart Load output capability when off-grid.
Batteries Battery Charging Information 4-Stage Charging The MPPT has a 4-stage battery charging algorithm for rapid, efficient, and safe battery charging. The figure below shows the stage sequence. MPPT Charging Algorithm Bulk Charge Stage In the Bulk Charge stage, the battery is not at a 100% state of charge and has not yet reached the Absorption voltage setpoint. The controller will deliver 100% of available solar power to recharge the battery.
Sol-Ark PCC-230 Battery Batt Capacity: 230Ah x #Parallel_Batteries (1 parallel = 4 Batt in series, 2 = 8 Batt, 3 = 12 Batt, 4 =16 Batt) Max A Charge: 100A x #Parallel_Batteries Max A Discharge: 100A x #Parallel_Batteries Max A Grid Charge: 50A x #Parallel_Batteries TEMPCO: -5mV/C/Cell Float V: 53.6V Absorption V: 57.6V Equalization V: 57.6V Equalization Days: 30 Equalization Duration: 3 Hours Recommended Shutdown V / Percentage: 47.0V & 20% Recommended Low Batt V / Percentage: 47.
HomeGrid: Stack’d Series Batt Capacity: 100Ah x # Batt Modules Max A Charge: If # Batt Modules ≤ 3 – 100A x # Batt Modules If # Batt Modules > 3 – 300A Max A Discharge: If # Batt Modules ≤ 3 – 100A x # Batt Modules If # Batt Modules > 3 – 300A Max A Grid Charge: If # Batt Modules ≤ 3 – 100A x # Batt Modules If # Batt Modules > 3 – 300A TEMPCO: 0mV/C/Cell BMS Lithium Batt: 00 Float V: 52.2V Absorption V: 52.2V Equalization V: 52.
MODBUS/RJ45 Application Note BMS Lithium Batt Modes (Subject to Change): 00: CANBus Battery mode – Inverter also acts a ModBus slave with slave ID set by “ModBus SN Setting” (Pg. 32) 01: Storz ModBus Protocol 02: Pylontech ModBus Protocol 03: Old Blue Ion + eGauge / Polarium ModBus Protocol 04: Fortress Power ModBus Protocol 05: Kilovault HAB ModBus Protocol 06: Battery or Battery Controller is ModBus master and writes battery data to inverter’s BMS registers (not currently in use).
Parallel Systems Before Enabling Parallel Operation A. Make sure all units in parallel have the same software version. a. Check the following screen to verify your firmware versions. b. Go to https://www.sol-ark.com/software-update/ to schedule an update or call/email Tech Support for assistance. B. Parallel systems REQUIRE a joint battery bank. If you do not have a battery, you can keep all Sol-Ark's out of parallel and set every System to Grid Sell Mode. C. Dipswitches must be set appropriately, see fig.
Stacking Sol-Ark 15K @ 120V/240V Outputs Parallel 15Ks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Continuous With PV (kW) 15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150 165 180 Continuous With No PV (kW) 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96 108 120 132 144 Grid Input Pass Through (A) 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400 Peak 10sec (kVA) 24 48 72 96 120 144 168 192 216 240 264 288 Stacking Sol-Ark 15K @ 120V/208V Outputs (3-phase) Parallel 15Ks 1* 2** 3 6 9 12 Continuous With PV (kW) 15 30 45 90 135 180 Continuous With No
Note: The values shown on the home screen of each system represent each system's contribution, not the total of the array. Note: If an error or fault occurs on any unit, all units will shut down. They will automatically attempt to restart up to 5 times before requiring a manual restart. If a manual restart is necessary, first resolve the issue that caused the shutdown. A manual restart requires powering down the system (See Pg. 24).
Troubleshooting Guide LCD is not powering on • • Check all connections- at least one of the following power sources is required: PV/Grid/Battery Try pressing the power button, touchscreen, or navigation buttons Panels are connected, but DC Light is not on • PV voltage must be 150V-425V | It’s night Panels are not producing • • • • Check for proper wiring on all solar panel connections Turn PV disconnect "ON" Check that the PV input voltage is not greater than 500V If the system says PV = 0V, check PV p
Battery cable sparks when connected • Put the built-in battery breaker in the off position before connecting or disconnecting batteries.
Troubleshooting Phasing Issues If the Sol-Ark screen shows Grid Phase Wrong, there is a phasing issue with your wiring, and it may cause overload faults (F18, F26, F34) even with the Load breaker off and WILL CAUSE DAMAGE if left unchecked. Single Sol-Ark: To locate the improperly wired phases, measure L1 to L1 (Top Screws) between the Grid and Load breaker; you should see 0V AC. Repeat for L2 to L2 between the Grid and Load breaker.
Sol-Ark 15K Error Codes Fault Instruction Common Cause/Remedy F1 DC Inversed Failure If you have parallel systems and turn one system off, you with get this notification. NOT a fault. F8 GFDI_Relay_Failure Current Leakage from inverter AC output to Ground, check Ground and neutral are connected at the main panel F13 Grid_Mode_change F15 AC_OverCurr_Failure It can happen when not using batteries or if Grid Input settings are changed. This is a notification, NOT a fault.
Install Verification Checklist For installer to complete AFTER the system is operational. The purpose is to protect the installer, homeowner, and inverter. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Was a diagram of your install submitted to Sol-Ark for review? Y/N A. If not, Sol-Ark is not liable for any issues with system performance as a result of the installation, nor is Sol-Ark liable for any changes to installation that are needed to ensure proper system operation.
Sol-Ark 15K Limited Warranty 10-Year Limited Warranty for SOL-ARK (Portable Solar LLC) Products. Sol-Ark provides a Ten-year (10) limited Warranty ("Warranty") against defects in materials and workmanship for its Sol-Ark products ("Product"). The term of this warranty begins on the Product(s) initial purchase date, or the date of receipt of the Product(s) by the end user, whichever is later. This must be indicated on the invoice, bill of sale from your installer.
