Sol-Ark 8/12/15k with Tigo TS4-A-O?

[zanydroid]

Is this setup still interlocked/otherwise coordinated with the SolArk shutting down? I believe that's required by code.

 

[Oldphile]

Wanted to post a follow-up to my original question, now that everything is in and working.

First, thanks for all the good feedback - helped me a lot in my planning and building.

Second, we ended up not directly connecting the TIGO-CCA to the SolArk - instead we used a double pole switch (see attached) to have the switch be the shutdown trigger, not the Tigo. In the end I like it this way, since it allows me to shut down the solar (if needed) without triggering the Sol-Ark shutting down.


View attachment 182936


The TS4-A-O's are working beautifully, doing a great job of keeping the voltage levels high, as the single tall shadow of the ONE tree moves across my panels as the day progresses.

a great combination of technology, Sol-Ark and Tigo. 10/10 would do it again.

Do you have arc fault enabled on the Sol-Ark? I get frequent nuisance arc fault errors with the TIGO optimizers. I have one system with optimizers and one without. I don't get arc faults on the system without optimizers.

 

[LochNess]

If the installer did not finish installing the system / left out components that should have been installed per the line diagram you can pursue the remedies available in your state. In mine it's a formal complaint to licensing board then using small claims court. Or going to arbitration if available.

I'm not sure we can find more information than you on this problem solving approach. Maybe if you add more to this thread, or create a new post, with a big picture view of what you have installed, we can suggest other solutions.

If I owned the system I would go the route of figuring out how to install CCA/TAP and in parallel recovering remedy. Because I'm guessing you've spent 4-8 hours and not productively found actionable stuff from the scarce information available about blind deployment.

Probably worth mentioning... The spec sheet for the Sol-Ark 15:

"PV Rapid Shutdown Control -- NEC 690.12 Integrated"

Thats PV RSD (as opposed to inverter shutdown), and its listed separately from the PV DC Disconnect Switch.
So its the Sol-Ark itself transmitting the Tigo stay-alive signal?

 

[zanydroid]

That conclusion is a pretty long stretch.

There are multiple protocols that could be integrated.

SunSpec

Tigo itself has two protocols (one sunspec like but not compatible)

SolArk has updated their products for their new own brand of optimizers.

 

[teal95]

Interesting reading as I just powered up my system (TIGO with optimizers, 20 kW panels, 30 kWh EG4 LL batteries and a SolArk 15). TIGO are powered up with the optimizers, until fully set up. I've been told once set up if the CCA is powered down it does RSD.

However I've found the TIGO layout tool to be plain awful. I should be able to drag and drop panels and then layout the wiring, and that's not happening.

 

[Oldphile]

I just updated my layout because the installer made a mess of of it. Fortunately he used my account, so I'm the installer. If you need to move panels, delete the serial number, move, then reassign the serial number.

 

[SenileOldGit]

View attachment 115612
The Tigo TS4A-O is a buck only architecture, you can google it. I've had my system working for about a month now. There is a shortcoming to lacking the boost ability when strings are paralleled.

The attached picture shows my panel wattages in the middle of the day. Strings A&B are parallel wired. Strings C&D are parallel wired. A tree is shading B5,B6,D1,D2. B1-B4 should be producing full power like row A. D3-D6 should also be producing full power. I believe what is happening is that there isn't enough voltage in string B to match string A (since Tigo doesn't have boost ability) so string B is way away from peak power in the panel IV curve. Thus 8 panels in full sun have 50% production due to 4 panels in shade :-(

The TS4-A-O optimizers just can't help when the string voltages are too far apart due to shading.

Unfortunately, I think my only solution to the lower strings getting poor production is a chain saw.

Forgive me if you've already covered this, as I have only read up to your post on the first page of this thread, but if you didn't parallel wire strings A and B, and instead series wired strings A and C, and B and D, would the optimisers work better then?

Or alternatively, what if you wired B1-B3 with D4-D6 as one string, and then wired B4-B6 with D1 to D3 as the other string, so the shaded part wouldn't be shared between each string? Ideally I think you would be better off with three strings of 8 panels, with no parallel strings (you would probably need another inverter if you did that, of course). You could then 'isolate' the shaded panels more, so two out of three inverters would have 16 unshaded panels between them.

I am looking for any evidence that Tigo optimisers (or any other type) actually work better than bypass diodes.