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SOFAR 8kW PV Installation: Opinions, Durability, Failures & Experiences with Inverters

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Treść została przetłumaczona polish » english Zobacz oryginalną wersję tematu
  • #1021 19783429
    leon3029
    Level 10  
    radar1967 Hello. I had a 4.6 installation on a 4.4 ktlx inverter. I read various opinions and advice, but I listened to my friend briefly and explained everything to me.
    Apparently, it is impossible to move higher than 6.6 from my version, but this is not true and for a month it has been almost 8 kw without any problem. I also made a fan, which reduced the temperature to 55 degrees at maximum production, Panels added to 7600kwp at the moment and, surprisingly, the inverter got a kick in the sun for December, not too strong slaps of 8200 or more.
    2 strings 12 and 8 panels 380 w Starts without a problem for 4.4, of course, like snow, I try to gently sweep it away with a broom because the panels are on the roofs of a residential house, but not too sharp and it is possible to enter.
    The installation was assumed by a company with a concept and everything was done on top-shelf security. I also consulted the power change on the jumpers, which they confirmed that it works and runs without a problem because it is the same inverter up to 10kw supposedly. My observation is very interesting how I increased its power, Sofar stopped pressing the temperature to 60 degrees. Now, with additional cooling, the fan is set so that it does not allow the temperature to exceed 55 degrees and, as I wrote, with such power of the panels it presses over 8kw. You do each adjustment at your own risk, because you have to open it at the front. There is no seal, but there is a trace of production on the card and in the event of a failure, they may not accept the warranty.
    Personally, I am not worried about it, I will replace it with a new one if they do not accept the warranty.
    greetings
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  • #1022 19796722
    jarczydło
    Level 15  
    Hello :)
    SOFAR 8.8KTL-X (9.92kW in panels) switched with SW3 jumpers from position 1100 to 1011,
    it should be 11kW, and it is
    SOFAR 8kW PV Installation: Opinions, Durability, Failures & Experiences with Inverters

    Curiosity. I don't think they even produced one in the KTL-X category.
    It doesn't bother me, we'll see the sun come.


    Edit.
    Maybe that's good because SOFAR 11KTL-X has a rated power of 10kW at the AC output, and
    the maximum is 11kW.
    greet
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  • #1023 19796911
    prose
    Level 35  
    jarczydło wrote:
    SOFAR 8.8KTL-X (9.92kW in panels) switched with SW3 jumpers from position 1100 to 1011,
    it should be 11kW, and it is
    At the neighbor's 11 KTL-X there is 10 kW.
  • #1024 19796925
    jarczydło
    Level 15  
    Well, it's a guitar, prepared for the season :)
    thanks, greetings


    One more thing, the firmware version is 2.20, leave it or maybe jump on newer?
  • #1025 19797085
    prose
    Level 35  
    jarczydło wrote:
    One more thing, the firmware version is 2.20, leave it or maybe jump on newer?
    If it works well, leave it.
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  • #1027 19804149
    slayeros
    Level 9  
    Planned power in 6.64 kWp panels and 6 kW Sofar (I'm writing in short 6 kW, not 6.6 kW, etc.), but I allow the possibility of increasing the power of the panels to 10 kWp in the event of a decision to switch from gas to heat pump in the future. Therefore, is it not better to take a Sofar 8 kW? There are two versions in the thread: 1) All Sofars up to 10 kW have the same guts 2) Sofars up to 6 kW differ in the size of some elements from Sofars above 6 kW. So maybe it is better to pay a few stakes? Would it be necessary to jump from 8 kW to 6 kW with jumpers for better efficiency with such a power of the panels? Is 16 LR4-66HPH 415M Longi panels better to combine in 1 or 2 strings depending on the selected 6 or 8 kW inverter?
  • #1028 19804215
    krawietz
    Level 16  
    slayeros wrote:
    Planned power in 6.64 kWp panels and 6 kW Sofar (I'm writing in short 6 kW, not 6.6 kW, etc.), but I allow the possibility of increasing the power of the panels to 10 kWp in the event of a decision to switch from gas to heat pump in the future. Therefore, is it not better to take a Sofar 8 kW? There are two versions in the thread: 1) All Sofars up to 10 kW have the same guts 2) Sofars up to 6 kW differ in the size of some elements from Sofars above 6 kW. So maybe it is better to pay a few stakes? Would it be necessary to jump from 8 kW to 6 kW with jumpers for better efficiency with such a power of the panels? Is 16 LR4-66HPH 415M Longi panels better to combine in 1 or 2 strings depending on the selected 6 or 8 kW inverter?


    I have a similar solution that my friend is planning, but I threw 18 pieces of such Longi panels in the east / west configuration. I paid a few stakes for the Sofar inverter in the 8kW version, because somewhere in the back of my head I have the option of adding 6 more panels and "tapping" to almost 10kWp (it could be more, but of course for the "power plant" what counts is the power of the panels and not the maximum power of the inverter) .
    Of course, with my roof configuration, in theory, these 8kW are enough, but if necessary, it can be moved. The technical data show that the inverter hardware for the version up to 6kW is different than from 8kW - a different weight, but I do not know what it is really like.
    According to the manufacturer's data, these panels have a full power of 38.2V, which with your installation will give 611V for one string and 305.5 for two. The inverter in the papers has information that the full power is for the voltage range 380 - 850V, so if you divide it, you will be below this range.
    On the other hand, if you are thinking about expansion, it may be worth doing two at once, because then you "only" add panels, and the entire installation with DC protection will already be there. It's hard for me to say how much the efficiency of the inverter will be lower with two strings.

    Krawietz
  • #1029 19804296
    Krzychooo
    Level 16  
    slayeros wrote:
    1) All Sofars up to 10 kW have the same guts

    They do not have. There are 2 ranks and 6 ranks first.
    Take 8.8, there will be plenty of power in reserve.
  • #1030 19805043
    slayeros
    Level 9  
    Krzychooo wrote:
    Take 8.8, there will be a lot of power reserve.
    And in that case, is it possible and possibly if there is a need to change the jumpers from 8 to 6 kW? Would staying at an inverter power of 8 kW, up to a panel power of 6.64 kWp, not make too much of the inverter underload loss?
  • #1031 19805635
    pejan 123
    Level 9  
    For those who hope that they will change the jumpers and increase the Sofar's power, this will inform you that my observations show that the change of the jumper only changes the KW calculation algorithm - the production power itself does not change! I have a sub-meter and, for example, Sofar 6.6, after changing to 11, it showed temporary production of 9.6 kW and I have 6.6 panels :) . Only after checking with the sub-meter it turned out that he was cheating. As a result, it distorts the amount of kW produced in different periods ...
  • #1032 19805646
    krawietz
    Level 16  
    pejan 123 wrote:
    For those who expect that they will change the jumpers and increase the Sofar's power, it will inform that from my observations that the change of the jumper only changes the KW calculation algorithm - the production power itself does not change! I have a sub-meter and, for example, Sofar 6.6, after changing to 11, it showed temporary production of 9.6 kW and I have 6.6 panels :) . Only after checking with the sub-meter it turned out that he was cheating. As a result, it distorts the amount of kW produced in different periods ...


    Sofara 6.6 is unlikely to be moved higher with jumpers. There are two HW versions up to 6kW (6.6) and then from 8kW (8.8).


    Krawietz
  • #1033 19805862
    scorpion26
    Level 11  
    does anyone sell a single-phase, ok 2KW?
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  • #1034 19806153
    leon3029
    Level 10  
    pejan 123 @ kalietz @ Hello. You write so much fairy tales in the subject. I have a Sofara 4.4 ktlx changed power to 5.5 later 6.6 and now 8.8 set not some other 4.4 ktlx repeat.
    It flies like today the sun shone at 8kw per hour and to the max, one day he was tapping 8.70, Today from 5h the sun saw the panels, he did 24kwh and I will add that in the morning the 2nd string was snowed until almost 11am.
    My question, where did he lie or it is impossible to fly higher with jumpers ?? At 4.4 he was heating up to 60 degrees, now max 56 at 8.8. Will someone explain to me where the lie or can not be changed ??
    Unless I have some unusual inverter haha.
    greetings
  • #1035 19806170
    pejan 123
    Level 9  
    leon3029 wrote:
    pejan 123 @ kalietz @ Hello. You write so much fairy tales in the subject. I have a Sofara 4.4 ktlx changed power to 5.5 later 6.6 and now 8.8 set not some other 4.4 ktlx repeat.
    It flies like today the sun shone at 8kw per hour and to the max, one day he was tapping 8.70, Today from 5h the sun saw the panels, he did 24kwh and I will add that in the morning the 2nd string was snowed until almost 11am.
    My question, where did he lie or it is impossible to fly higher with jumpers ?? At 4.4 he was heating up to 60 degrees, now max 56 at 8.8. Will someone explain to me where the lie or can not be changed ??
    Unless I have some unusual inverter haha.
    greetings


    And what is the total power of the panels? and from what did you read this production?
  • #1036 19806179
    leon3029
    Level 10  
    The total power of the panels is 7600 watts. Production read from inverter and duplex counter. There is a difference because several devices worked, but max 2-3 kW running consumption
  • #1038 19806218
    krawietz
    Level 16  
    leon3029 wrote:
    The total power of the panels is 7600 watts. Production read from inverter and duplex counter. There is a difference because several devices worked, but max 2-3 kW running consumption


    And you had a temporary output with 7.6kWp on an 8.7kW inverter?

    tailor
  • #1039 19806220
    pejan 123
    Level 9  
    krawietz wrote:
    leon3029 wrote:
    The total power of the panels is 7600 watts. Production read from inverter and duplex counter. There is a difference because several devices worked, but max 2-3 kW running consumption


    And you had a temporary output with 7.6kWp on an 8.7kW inverter?

    tailor


    As for me, not available.
  • #1041 19806334
    pejan 123
    Level 9  
    leon3029 wrote:
    SOFAR 8kW PV Installation: Opinions, Durability, Failures & Experiences with Inverters
    Please

    From this it only follows that the instantaneous power indication on the inverter is overestimated ... but as you see it.
  • #1042 19806346
    leon3029
    Level 10  
    I have to worry you because these kW on the meter were flying like crazy.
    Supposedly, the weather will be on Sunday, I will take a photo, I will write the meter with PGE and after the whole day I will give you how much it has done and whether it is overstated or not.
  • #1043 19806397
    krawietz
    Level 16  
    leon3029 wrote:
    I have to worry you because these kw on the meter were flying like crazy.
    Supposedly, the weather will be on Sunday, I will take a photo, I will write the meter with PGE and after the whole day I will give you how much it has done and whether it is overstated or not.


    Do you have an independent meter somewhere? Like so, disconnect almost everything in the house, when the inverter shows values well over the power of the panels, and then see some output is temporary.
    The inverter shows you 1kW more than the nominal power of the panels - it is over 10% ... It is unlikely that the panels have real power that much greater ...

    Tailoring
  • #1044 19806715
    prose
    Level 35  
    Nothing is deceiving, it just lets more power of the panels through, and in my case, the temporary production often shows over the power of the panels. I have mounted under the counter and everything is correct, no distortions.
  • #1046 19807257
    tom.pk
    Level 16  
    leon3029 wrote:
    SOFAR 8kW PV Installation: Opinions, Durability, Failures & Experiences with Inverters
    Please

    And when was this photo taken?
  • #1047 19807311
    leon3029
    Level 10  
    Hello exactly on December 3rd. Lublin area of Biłgoraj. Today I pack 8,200 but I'm away to take a photo. It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow, so around 1 p.m. I will click a photo for Tomaszki to believe it :)
    A colleague prose has already exposed all the breweries for him because thanks to him I have such performance.
    greetings
  • #1048 19807484
    krawietz
    Level 16  
    leon3029 wrote:
    Hello exactly on December 3rd. Lublin area of Biłgoraj. Today I pack 8,200 but I'm away to take a photo. It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow, so around 1 p.m. I will click a photo for Tomaszki to believe it :)
    A colleague prose has already exposed all the breweries for him because thanks to him I have such performance.
    greetings


    Please click two photos - one is the voltage and current of PV1 on the display and the other for PV2.
    This photo of what you did shows PV2 - 500V and 6.9A, which is about 3.45kW of power from this string ...
    In that case, the second one must be producing at least 5.34kW at the time of taking the picture.

    tailor
  • #1049 19810751
    radar1967
    Level 11  
    Hello, in my opinion the most important thing is the output current from the inverter, not what the inverter shows, but the real one measured with an ammeter, I have measured and I have the results of a 5kw sofar set at 6kw to use the power of the panels in convenient conditions, I have 5920W in panels. And so I measured the output current for the settings 5 and 6kw, both settings almost the same result, the current on the inverter display 5.4A, power 3.8kw, the ammeter shows the same result of 5.4A from the formula for power is about 3.8kw, everything is correct. Then I switched to 8kw and got a power of 6.8kw, current 9.4A, the ammeter showed about 5.4A power from the formula about 3.8kw, i.e. the inverter output power did not change, my inverter for the 8kw setting adopts a different algorithm and shows inconsistent I made the whole measurement today between 11 and 12 perfect sun zero clouds so measurements on individual settings were made in similar conditions.
  • #1050 19810834
    jarczydło
    Level 15  
    Take the same measurement as there will be about 6 kWp from the panels, then it will be reliable.
    3.8 kW after changing the jumpers, it should also give 3.8 kW, the jumpers themselves do not do electricity :) :) .

Topic summary

The discussion centers on experiences with Sofar inverters in approximately 8kW photovoltaic (PV) installations, focusing on technical issues, durability, and configuration challenges. Users report generally stable operation with models like Sofar 6.6KTL-X and 5.5KTL-X over extended periods, though some face connectivity problems, especially with Wi-Fi and software availability. A recurring technical problem involves input voltage exceeding the maximum allowed 600V DC for single-phase Sofar inverters (notably the 4KTLM-G2), causing errors such as PVOVP and BusOPV and inverter shutdowns. This is often due to too many PV panels connected in series on a single string, with 15 Q.CELLS Q.PEAK G4.1 305W panels sometimes exceeding voltage limits, especially in cold conditions where voltage rises. Solutions include splitting panels into two strings (e.g., 8 and 7 panels) connected to separate MPPT inputs, though some users report this does not fully resolve the issue. The maximum recommended panels per MPPT input is around 9 to avoid surpassing power and voltage limits. Users also discuss the need for three-phase inverters for larger installations above 7kW on a single phase due to grid operator restrictions. Software and firmware updates are sought after but not easily accessible, with some users lacking Polish language support. Comparisons with other brands like SMA and Fronius highlight Sofar's cost advantage but raise concerns about long-term reliability and service support, which is still developing in some regions. Network-related errors such as Grid OFP (over-frequency) have been reported, with troubleshooting involving network frequency checks and inverter restarts. Overall, Sofar inverters are considered a cost-effective option with some technical caveats related to system design, installation quality, and support infrastructure.
Summary generated by the language model.
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