Page 1
RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATION GUIDE USER MANUAL February 2, 2023...
Page 2
STOP READ THE INSTRUCTIONS COMPLETELY BEFORE OPERATING THE EQUIPMENT. Check the grid type before turning ON the unit. Turn ON and program the unit using only batteries. The unit will be programmed in 220V L-N/380V L- L at a frequency of 50Hz, by default. Not following the instructions may result in permanent damage to the equipment.
Page 4
Use of such information shall be entirely at the user’s risk. Sol-Ark is not responsible for system failure, damage or injury resulting from improper installation of its products. Information in this manual is subject to change without notice.
Solar PV+/PV- are UNGROUNDED. Note, you may ground PV Racking/Mounts, but doing so directly to the Sol-Ark will likely result in damage in the case of a direct lightning strike to the PV array. DO NOT connect the grid to the Load Output Terminal Block.
Upon Receiving Shipment Inspect Shipment. A. The box should include all items shown in the component guide. B. If there are damages or missing parts, call immediately (USA) 972-575-8875 Ext. 2 Components guide. Object Description 12K-3P-L inverter Metal mounting bracket (French mount) Expansion plugs for concrete M8x80mm CAT 5E communication cable Allen key...
Wire Gauge Guide (copper) * AC Input/Outputs : GRID-Breaker 60A MAX allowing 45A passthrough , 6 AWG conductor. LOAD-Breaker 60A MAX allowing 45A passthrough, 6 AWG conductor. *It is possible to use 10AWG conductors if using the inverter for grid sell only. *Wire gauge should be selected in compliance with your local electrical code.
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. Diagram 1 February 2, 2023...
Page 18
Grid Setup (All the values shown on this manual are meant for illustration purposes. If you do not know the appropriate setting, contact technical support). February 2, 2023...
Physical installation Inverter components Table 1: Sol-Ark 12K-3P-L parts identification. Element Element ON/OFF Button WI-FI port – DB9 LCD screen Sensor input board Battery terminals (+|-) GRID terminal RJ45 port LOAD terminal (Parallel A/Parallel B) RJ45 port (BMS) GEN terminal...
B. NEMA 3R - IP65 enclosure, rated for outdoor installation (can be installed indoors) . C. PROTECT LCD screen from direct exposure to UV light. D. Mount the Sol-Ark on the installed French cleat / ensure Sol-Ark is level and sits properly (French cleat dimensions can be seen on page 8).
Page 21
E. System weight= 34.5kg (76lb). Securely attach to the wall. You may need expansion plugs-anchors for concrete. In case a different anchorage is required, it must be calculated to support the weight of the equipment. Figure (1.2) Wall mount. F. Use 2 to 4 screws + washers (choose screw length and surface type) to mount the French cleat. G.
All inverters in a parallel system MUST connect to a single battery bank, otherwise the inverters will not function properly. b. Do not use separate battery banks in parallel systems. Sol-Ark 12K-3P-L is a 48v nominal system. Do not connect the inverter to any other battery configuration.
Page 23
Grounding connection: It is essential to add a grounding connection directly into the frame, with the goal of protecting the end user in case if experiencing a failure from the original ground conductor. NOTE When the system is installed off-grid scenarios, the neutral must be connected to ground.
Page 24
A. Strings in parallel within the same MPPT (C1-C2) must have the same design voltage Voc. If the solar panels are oriented in different directions and connected in the same MPPT, there will be a loss in PV efficiency. B. It is recommended to ground the mounting frame from the PV array into an external grounding system. C.
Volt High=240V” and “Grid Volt Low=220V”, voltages on “Normal Connect” section are L-N. Sol-Ark will not charge the batteries using the generator unless the “Start V” or “Start %” condition is fulfilled. The start condition either V or % will light up in white depending on which control mode is selected under “Battery Setup” → “Use Batt V Charged”...
Page 26
This is how many amps (DC) you can push into the battery from generator power. To ensure you do not overload a small generator, you will want to adjust the GEN or GRID Start A value. If connecting more than one Sol-Ark in parallel, multiply the GEN or GRID Start A value by the # of Sol-Arks for actual current value into the battery bank.
If “TOU” (Time Of Use) is enabled, it is necessary to select “Charge” to kick on the generator. BMS Port (RS485/CAN) • It is used to connect the battery in closed loop communication with the Sol-Ark 12k-3P-L (review our battery communications integration guide). •...
1. “TURN ON” the external battery disconnect. 2. Make sure that Sol-Ark 12k-3P-L is properly connected to the batteries, solar panels, grid, etc. 3. “TURN ON” the external disconnect switch that feeds the GRID terminals and “ URN ON” the external GRID breaker that feeds the GRID terminal.
Page 29
A. Green = Grid is connected. B. OFF = Grid is not connected. Normal A. Green = Sol-Ark 12K-3P-L is working properly. B. OFF = Sol-Ark 12K-3P-L is not working properly. Alarm A. Red = Alarm/ check the alarms menu. Home Screen →...
B. Insert the ethernet cable through the plastic enclosure and connect the cable to the RJ45 port as shown in the figure (7.2). C. Reassemble the dongle housing and plug the dongle into Sol-Ark as shown in the figure (7.2), secure it with screws. You will see solid red and green lights after a couple of minutes.
IP address setup (PC or smart phone) Connect to the Dongle Network A. On your Smart Phone or Computer go to: Settings → Wi-Fi → Select the EAP-XXXXX network → Password= 12345678 (Dongle network does not provide internet, it is just a communication bridge between your device and the dongle).
Page 32
“Login” to Web Portal using ANY Search Browser A. Once your device is connected to the dongle, open any browser (Safari, Google, Chrome, etc.) B. On the address bar (http://..), type the following IP address: 10.10.10.1 as shown in the Figure (7.6). If you can’t access the configuration page, try again with a computer.
Page 33
Click on SAVE to save your information as shown in the Figure (7.8). NOTE: If successful you should see a red and green light on the dongle showing a solid connection, Figure (7.9). LED: Connected to Sol-Ark and has power. GREEN LED: Connected to router and server. Figure (7.8) Save information...
Page 34
App for Smart Phone (PV Pro). iPhone: (PV Pro) Android Figure (7.10) IOS app Figure (7.11) Android app Installers It is recommended that the installer creates the plant and share it later with MANAGER permission to the owner of the system. Once created, the installer or the homeowner can share the plant and assign Manager permissions on “My Plants”...
Page 35
Create an Account and Sign In Type your E-mail and After filling the form, click Password to SIGN IN. SIGN UP. Add a Plant Scan the QR code or type manually the S/N and KEY. Select (…), then click CREATE PLANT. On Plant Type, always select Energy Storage (DC Coupling).
Page 36
If Wi-Fi paired with IP Address (10.10.10.1 method) – select DONE. Remote Monitoring On PV Pro (PowerView)-( https://pv.inteless.com Energy Attention Generation. If you are installing parallel systems, DO NOT create a plant for each inverter. Create one plant for the Master unit.
Page 37
It takes about 60 sec for the lights to turn on (red and established. green lights) after setup. LED: Connected to Sol-Ark and has power. GREEN LED: Connected to Internet and Server. FLASHING GREEN LED: Connected to router but not into the server (usually a VPN or Firewall issue).
Main Screen (Touchscreen) Hold 4 sec to force Settings Grid usage graph Smart Loads PV power Detailed generation voltage screen graph DC solar power production Battery power Grid power Load power Sell (-) / Buy (+) consumption Charge (-) / Discharge (+) Figure (8.1) Main screen Detailed voltage screen •...
Page 40
• AC Temp = Temperature of AC conversion side. o Batt → AC o PV → AC • “GRID” Column = power in the grid. o If selling to the Grid, Watts = negative (-) o If buying from the Grid, Watts = positive (+) o HM= power detected by the external current sensors.
Figure (9.2) Advanced setup always the maximum output of the inverter production. Grid Peak Shaving: Sets the Sol-Ark's threshold to begin contributing power from batteries to keep the power drawn from the grid below that value. Auto detect home Limit Sensor: Command that helps to detect the correct polarity from the CTs sensors.
Parallel Parallel Enable whenever you have more than one system connected – one unit needs to be set as a “Master”, the second one as a “Slave”, and so forth. MODBUS SN : Identification number for each system configured in parallel (1,2,3,4,n).
Page 43
Gen Exercise Cycle (Day & Time) : Set a weekly generator exercise schedule. (Day of the week/time/duration length). The generator must have two-wire start connected to Sol-Ark. To disable the exercise, set the duration length to 0 minutes. Gen Force: When enabled, the inverter will close the dry-contact two-wire start and hold it closed for as long as enabled.
Page 44
Batt Resistance : Internal resistance in mOhms from the battery bank. Used in % SOC batt calculations. Batt Charge Efficiency : Value provided by battery manufacturer. Used in % SOC batt calculations. Batt Empty V : Sets the empty voltage, associates a voltage to 0% charge. This value determines the lowest % SOC limit. Smart Load - (GEN terminal) A.
Page 45
3. The loads shown by the system will be the addition of the main service panel + critical loads panel. 4. This system work mode is MANDATORY with parallel Sol-Ark systems – allows an optimal power distribution between the inverters.
Page 46
6-time intervals MUST follow a chronological order. Power(W): This is the maximum discharge power (adjustable in Watts) the Sol-Ark will draw from the battery during the time intervals. Batt: Voltage or percentage battery state-of-charge at which the system stops using the batteries.
Other GEN Connect to Grid Input: Enable this option if you have a generator wired up into the “GRID” terminal. Zero Export Power: Minimum power imported from the grid having loads connected, this option will avoid the sell back to the grid from the inverter if there is not a permit to sell back or net metering agreement, it can be set between 1 –...
Page 48
Connect Normal connect: Protect parameters caused by grid fluctuations, this can only be used with “General Standard”, the voltages shown in this menu corresponds to L-N (the maximum difference grid voltage value is +/- 10V). Reconnect: Protect parameters for the grid after a grid disconnect, this can only be used with “General Standard”, the voltages shown in this menu corresponds to L-N (the maximum difference grid voltage value is +/- 10V).
“GRID” terminal. CT Ratio Set the CT ratio. The Sol-Ark CT ratio is 2000/1. DO NOT change this value or you will lose the warranty for the inverter. Parallel systems •...
Automatic CT’s Limit Sensors Configuration “Auto detect Home Limit Sensors” This option requires batteries, AC coupled inverters need to be OFF during the detection test. If this test is done with connected AC-coupled systems, you will need to do a factory reset. Install the CT sensors as described in “Wiring Diagrams”...
“Gen” terminal. C. When off-grid, there is no need for a transfer switch. Connect the load output of the Sol-Ark to the whole home. D. Do not use “Grid Sell” mode Off-Grid. Only Limited power to load (default) in systems with only 1 inverter, and Limited Power to Home with paralleled in E.
Figure (12.1) Charge controller curve Absorption Stage When the battery has reached the absorption voltage setpoint, the Sol-Ark inverter uses constant-voltage regulation to maintain battery voltage at the absorption setpoint, preventing overheating and excessive battery gassing. The battery is allowed to come to a full state of charge at the absorption voltage setpoint. Absorption lasts until batteries charge at 98% of the programmed Ah size.
Page 53
Sol-Ark PCC-230 (AGM) Examples of TOU (Time Of Use) Batt Capacity: 230Ah x #Parallel_Batteries Table (1) TOU Example (1 parallel = 4 Batt in series, 2 = 8 Batt, 3 = 12 Batt, 4 =16 Batt) Time Watts Charge Sell...
D. Parallel systems REQUIRE a joint battery bank. If you do not have a battery, keep all Sol-Ark's out of parallel and set Figura 13.1 Pantalla de Ajustes every System to Grid Sell Mode. E. All INPUTS/OUTPUTS must be shared among all inverters, except for DC solar inputs.
Page 55
Parallel systems Sol-Ark 12K-3P-L @ 220V/380V outputs # of inverters in Continuous Continuous Grid Peak power 5 parallel output output power “Pass Through” power with with batteries (KVA) PV (kW) (kW) Parallel systems programming sequence • Program each one of the units with parallel option under “Basic Setup” → “Advanced”.
Troubleshooting guide with phase sequence. If the screen of your Sol-Ark inverter shows the error shown in Figure (13.3) or “W03”, ensure the phase sequence follows A-B-C convention. The message “Grid Phase Wrong” is displayed when the inverter does not detect the correct phase rotation.
• Check to make sure your generator is compatible with Auto Start • Make sure that the Auto Gen Start wire is adequately connected to the Sol-Ark 12K and the generator Normal LED isn't on • Sol-Ark 12K is in pass-through-only mode, only a Grid connection.
Page 58
System is beeping • Check the System Alarms menu to see which alarm has been triggered. Most alarms will self-reset. • There is no battery connected. If not using a battery, select “No Battery” and disable “Activate Batt” in Batt menu.
A. Battery icon screen, showing a table of detailed voltages. This checklist must be filled out B. Sol-Ark 12K with batteries and the user wiring area and submitted to register your 5. Load and solar test warranty. Please visit: A.
This warranty applies to the original Sol-Ark Product purchaser and is transferable only if the Product remains installed in the original use location. Please call Sol-Ark to let us know if you are selling your Home and give us name and contact of the new owner.
Need help?
Do you have a question about the LATAM 12K-3P-L and is the answer not in the manual?
Questions and answers