Sol-Ark hybrid inverters appear to be quite popular in the USA. Just wondering if the folks around here have any thoughts on them. I can’t find any info on the rest of the CER site.
Thanks,
-Garrett
I haven’t heard of them @Garrett. Interesting that it seems to be marketed to the DIY/ prepper market. It’s a grid connect inverter, so I wouldn’t recommend doing anything DIY with it. Seems to be a low cost option, there are quite a few competitors in this space, you can see a table here:
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Hi Garrett,
I have never heard of Sol-Ark either. This seems to be a US company focused on the US market. Looking at the inverter specifications it does sound impressive, but like any new product it’s wise to try and get some real world feedback. Some of the efficiency claims and the comparison chart seem a little dubious.
Based on the images and diagrams on the website, it appears to be well-engineered with quality isolation switches (circuit breakers) and solid terminals/connectors. Plus a builtin UPS isolator, a high 185A charge rating, and 2 x MPPT’s (although the MPPT voltage range isn’t huge).
It may well be great high quality, reliable, all-in-one unit. It would be great to get some feedback from people who have used them.
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Thanks very much for your thoughts gents.
Hi everyone, the Sol-Ark would seen to be a clone of the Deye which pops up as the Sunsynk, Inge and a few other guises. I had a Deye 5kW fitted two months ago and it has done everything asked of it. Early days of course. It is fitted in a “hybrid” arrangement, managing power from a 5kW pv array, 4.8kW Pylontech (2 x 2,4kW) batteries and the grid. Here in South Africa the grid is often only in your imagination and the Deye handles the changeover to pv or batteries instantly. I love the Deye and would recommend it.
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@agtec Thanks for the insight. 
Yes it defintiely seems to be a repackaged version of the Deye hybrid inverter with additional isolation to suit the US utility standards. Still it seem to be very good unit and it’s good to hear some positive feedback. Can you provide any screenshots of the software and interface?
Cheers.
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Hi Svarsky, sure, here’s a link to the User Manual - Oh, sorry the site says NO to a pdf file. So, here are some screenshots:-
It has some clever bits like the “Smart” function which can be a generator or load, depending on how you set it up. The LCD touchscreen isn’t brilliant but it does all that I want. There is also a wifi connection to the Solarman logger - but I’m still wrestling with that!
Cheers
Sol-Ark is getting some good feedback from the US and Canadian solar installers, especially for off-grid system… Here’s how the Sol-Ark 12K compares to the leading off-grid inverter/chargers on the market
@agtec I’m keen to hear more about your experience with the Deye hybrid inverter. How is it performing? Is the monitoring software adequate and reliable?
These inverters seem to be becoming really popular in the US (under the Sol-Ark brand)
Hi Svarky, I’m delighted with the performance of the Deye hybrid but have struggled with the monitoring software. Actually, I’m so pleased with the way the inverter is working that I lost interest in installing the Solarman software.
On the upside, the inverter does exactly what I want. It is saving me some 60% of my electricity expenses (the remaining 40% being mainly fixed charges), now that I rarely dip into the grid for power. We frequently enjoy “load shedding” (as it is coloquially known) and I don’t even notice the change. Hopping between grid, pv panels and the batteries is seamless.
If I’m to be super-critical, the fan is a little noisy, so don’t place it next to a bedroom. At the same time, the climate here can be very hot so I would be nervous of a fan-less inverter.
Over all, I’m a satisfied customer.
By the way, if you are ever tempted to shop for Deye (and clones) on Alibaba, be very careful of forgeries - there are any number of fakes for sale at ultra-cheap prices. Make sure that the manufacturer is Ningbo Deye Inverter Technology Co. Ltd
