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

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  • #361 19158337
    hYP
    Level 11  
    Hello,

    First of all, thanks the user @ Grucha383 for sharing the firmware, I made the updates today and it went smoothly until 2.20 after rebooting English language to start.

    Sofar 8.8KTL-X V220 inverter
    Logger LSW3_15_FFFF_1.0.57

    Someone asked about Tigo, so I can confirm that it works well with Sofar, my conditions (tall trees at my neighbor) required the installation of optimizers, I also added Tigo Cloud Connect to have full statistics of all panels.

    I have 15 335W panels and I have just added 3 340W panels, Tigo compensates for these differences because I see in the panel statistics that the new ones produce more power than the old ones, of course the differences are very small.

    I would not be afraid of oversizing the Inverter at all, it gives the possibility of adding panels in the future without having to replace the inverter with a more powerful one.
    I remember that some representative told me that the stronger one will turn on later, which is nonsense, because from the Sofar brochure for 4.4-12KTL-X inverters you can see that all may start-up from 200V

    SOFAR 8kW PV Installation: Opinions, Durability, Failures & Experiences with Inverters
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  • #363 19199635
    toolpusher
    Level 23  
    I use the latter, ie solarmanpv.com
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  • #364 19199927
    prose
    Level 35  
    DEFENCE wrote:
    Which side are you using

    If you only have 1 installation, it's Solarman Smart or Pro.
  • #365 19225491
    RafalGo
    Level 12  
    Hello
    Since the panels collapsed, the inverter starts and goes out. I have an error in the log
    HwAuxPowerFault alarm details
    Suggested solution of turnOFFthe "DCswitch"
    From the last state I have:
    PV1 101.20V
    PV2 101.30V

    There is quite a lot of snow, about 20 cm on the panels.

    Is it normal ?

    Unfortunately, I cannot remove snow from the panels. Is it possible to get rid of this on / off when the panels give too little power for the inverter's operation?
  • #366 19225521
    lukasz-s
    Level 11  
    Hello
    today, it's a nice day, it loads better and the currents are equally even, probably ok SOFAR 8kW PV Installation: Opinions, Durability, Failures & Experiences with Inverters
  • #367 19225695
    Grucha383
    Level 12  
    [quote = "RafalGo"] Hello
    Since the panels collapsed, the inverter starts and goes out. I have an error in the log
    HwAuxPowerFault alarm details
    Suggested solution of turnOFFthe "DCswitch"
    / quote]

    I also had this error code recently on Jan. 19 so normal.
  • #368 19225893
    toolpusher
    Level 23  
    I have the same. I turned off the inverter until the snow came off the panels. Anyway, you have it written in the solution: Turn Off DC switch - turn off the inverter.
  • #369 19226230
    prose
    Level 35  
    And I cleared the snow and such a result with 6.8 kWp and there are no errors.
    SOFAR 8kW PV Installation: Opinions, Durability, Failures & Experiences with Inverters
  • #370 19226728
    DEFENCE
    Level 12  
    prose
    Nice with such power in February. I am today from 6.53 after clearing snow after hours. 12 only 10 kWh
  • #371 19227332
    RafalGo
    Level 12  
    toolpusher wrote:
    I have the same. I turned off the inverter until the snow came off the panels. Anyway, you have it written in the solution: Turn Off DC switch - turn off the inverter.


    No, I understand what they recommend to do there, but probably these inverters are not so technologically weak that they have to be manually operated. Maybe some firmware update or something I have not fully set up in the configuration so that the inverter does not try to start and cause errors like the panels fall into snow when it is not possible to get enough power from them for proper operation (e.g. raise the starting voltage limit). I also do not intend to climb onto the roof in such weather and remove snow from them. I expect a loss in yield for a few days until they clear themselves up.
  • #372 19227528
    starob
    Level 29  
    RafalGo wrote:
    No, I understand what they recommend doing there
    ..I recommend you to ignore it if it results from a known reason.
    This error occasionally also appears in the morning.
  • #373 19229498
    marucha79
    Level 15  
    Hello. I have a question for users or experts of Sofara hybrid inverters, my model is HYD 5000-ES. I am interested in how this inverter behaves during a remote shutdown by the power industry. Does its operation completely stop or does it switch to EPS emergency power mode, as in the event of a power outage? It would be best if only exports were stopped, but it's probably a beheaded dream. I am slowly connecting this inverter to the home network and at this stage I can still modify something, and I could not read this information in the manual.
  • #374 19229531
    3301
    Level 34  
    This remote shutdown applies SOFAR 8kW PV Installation: Opinions, Durability, Failures & Experiences with Inverters installations above 10 kW
  • #375 19229930
    marucha79
    Level 15  
    Maybe I was wrong. Is it not the case that every inverter connected to the grid must turn off when the frequency or voltage exceeds the limit value, which is used by the power industry when there is an undesirable overproduction of energy from PV installations, including small ones?
  • #376 19229972
    3301
    Level 34  
    The sofar itself limits the power when the frequency or voltage approaches the set values, and when it exceeds, the inverter automatically switches off and remote limitation or regulation for power below 10 kW has not yet been taken into account
  • #377 19229995
    marucha79
    Level 15  
    Thank you, it simplifies things a lot.
  • #378 19237007
    adamvfr
    Level 11  
    Hello, does anyone have any certificates from the Corab website, because now you have to register there with permissions to download something.
    Specifically, I need documents to report the Sofar Solar 3300TL-G3 for Energa Operator SA

    what documents are required for photovoltaic panels at Energa Operator SA

    I am asking because the application form has changed and I can see that they do not require, for example, a diagram as an attachment, but only a certificate for the equipment.
    Quote from the form
    IX. Attachments to the Application / Document
    1. Equipment certificate meeting the requirements of NC RfG and General Use Requirements developed on the basis of NC RfG regulations, issued by an authorized certifying entity or a report on a compliance test carried out in a simplified mode. In the transitional period from 04/27/2019 to 04/27/2021, the document confirming the above is a certificate of conformity or a declaration of conformity indicating the fulfillment of the NC RfG requirements and the General Use Requirements developed on the basis of the NC RfG regulations.
    2. Powers of attorney8) for persons authorized by the Applicant to act on his behalf.
    end of quote

    They do not want more attachments and the diagram should be certified in the form that it is.
    link to the form
    https://secure.sitebees.com/file/mediakit/179...szenia_dokument_instalacji_11_12_2020_int.pdf

    What papers should I send them to the panels, because I would like to buy stimulants, some cheap, but hard to have certificates for them.

    In the attachment, what I was able to find for the inverter and the application form to Energa Operator SA
    Attachments:
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  • #380 19237114
    adamvfr
    Level 11  
    Already downloaded, thanks :)

    and this ...
    adamvfr wrote:
    what documents are required for photovoltaic panels at Energa Operator SA
  • #382 19251970
    grzes601
    Level 14  
    I have an embarrassing situation;
    after uploading the BIN file named ESP8266_WiFiWebServer_65-1_RS485_SOLIS_GINLONG_UP_WWW_CON.bin to ESP8266-12E
    as part of the configuration at 192.168.4.1/config, I enabled communication with the home WiFi network
    The same action performed on ESP8266-01 does not allow communication from the local network even though ESP is visible in it.
    Could this situation be caused by reduced memory resources in ESP8266-01 (ESP8266EX)?
    In both situations, WiFi scanning works fine.
    SOFAR 8kW PV Installation: Opinions, Durability, Failures & Experiences with Inverters SOFAR 8kW PV Installation: Opinions, Durability, Failures & Experiences with Inverters SOFAR 8kW PV Installation: Opinions, Durability, Failures & Experiences with Inverters
  • #383 19254888
    DEFENCE
    Level 12  
    Hello,
    Does anyone know from which MPPT, if there are two, the inverter takes data regarding the temperature of the panels ??
  • #384 19255948
    Krzychooo
    Level 16  
    DEFENCE wrote:
    Hello,
    Does anyone know from which MPPT, if there are two, the inverter takes data regarding the temperature of the panels ??


    And on what do you base your knowledge (certainty) that it does it?

    For example, according to the RS485 communication protocol, only the temperature of the inverter is displayed
    (probably a sensor on the motherboard) - address 0x001B and the temperature inside the inverter - 0x001C.
    I have not found (or can not find) information about the temperature of the panels there.
    Anyway, how can it be combined with a whole bunch of different panels on the market if even inverters do not have somehow
    exactly (so far) standardized protocols?

    On my panels (ZNSHINE ZXM6-TLD60-310), I also don't see any thermocouple or other sensor.
    As far as I know / it seems, there is normally no information between the panel and the inverter about the temperature
    panel. Maybe it would be useful, but if it is not, apparently not.
    I'm wrong?

    I know about different panel cooling systems (water, air, passive), but this applies to rather large ones
    industrial installations, where a decrease in efficiency by a few percent (due to temperature) gives high values
    power and hence losses for investors.
    In small prosumer installations it seems to make no sense (economically).
    Attachments:
  • #385 19256126
    DEFENCE
    Level 12  
    I take from the Device ---> History -> function there is the temperature of the inverter and panels. Which looks right on frosty days. When there were huge frosts before the chart showed plus 7-8 frost started to pour out. And when the chart temperature did not have time to accelerate, the panels were frozen all the time on cloudy days.
  • #386 19257128
    Krzychooo
    Level 16  
    DEFENCE wrote:
    I take from the Device ---> History -> function there is the temperature of the inverter and panels. Which on frosty days looks right ...


    Well, that's right, but the question is "module / module" in this case really a panel?
    Check out the picture in the previous post where it specifically mentions about "inverter module temperature " .
    In my opinion, it is about some "module" of the inverter, more crucial and important, but of course I can be wrong.
    I also base my theory on my own observations. I have an inverter in my garage, where the temperature is now
    is fixed at 0-1 degrees (measured remotely with DS18B20) and from this very value every day
    starts my graph in SOLARMAN and then it is exactly correlated with the internal temperature of the inverter.
    It was like that a few days ago (09.02) when it was -23 degrees outside at night and in the morning during take-off
    of the inverter around -18 (there was no production then).
    Below you have a zero production chart from February 9, when the panels were covered with about 12 cm of snow,
    and the outside temperature ranged from -16 to -10.
    If the panels had these +2 degrees, as the "module" temperature graph says, all the snow would flow down to me in an hour.
    And it didn't move at all.
    I also attach today's chart (in English), which shows what is happening with clean panels,
    foggy weather and an air temperature of about -3 degrees at noon

    And how to explain it?
    Attachments:
  • #387 19257422
    DEFENCE
    Level 12  
    And probably logic, there is no additional cable for communication between the panel and the inverter. There is only a plus and minus. Also, it is probably not what I thought.
  • #388 19263418
    prose
    Level 35  
    What the sofar in solarman shows is the temperature of the inverter and logger.
  • #389 19264820
    SilverX
    Level 11  
    Only one MPPT input can be used in the Sofaer? I am thinking of 11ktl-xi at the beginning with one 5.5 kW string.
  • #390 19264867
    3301
    Level 34  
    After selecting the modules, you can calculate the parameters not to exceed 1000 V, but two strings of 5.5 each are 11 kW installed and a factor of 0.7
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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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