To help us investigate any issues with your Fortress Power & Sol-Ark system, we kindly ask you to share the Sol-Ark monitoring data with us. This will allow us to analyze the historical performance and settings. Please follow the steps below:

1.) Open the MySolArk app and navigate to the Plants list.

2.) Locate the plant in question, then click the three dots (...) to the right of the plant name.

3.) Select Share from the menu.

4.) Input our shared account: techsupport@fortresspower.com.

5.) Change the permission level to Manager.

6.) Click Done to complete the sharing process.

7.) Provide us with the Plant name so we can locate it on our end.

1. Unpack the batteries and turn each battery on by itself.
   
2. Note the voltage of each battery and serial number. The serial numbers are useful during warranty submittal.
   
3. The batteries must be within +/-0.5V of each other before commissioning.
4. Turn off the batteries and install them in parallel.
   

Note 1: If the batteries are below 51V, keep charging amperages below 10A per battery. When charging one battery by itself, adjust the inverter charging amperage to ensure the battery is not charged with a higher amperage than its maximum rating.

Note 2: Use of the Fortress CANtool will improve installation time and accuracy. Fortress installers should request a tool via support ticket at https://support.fortresspower.com

1. Install the battery to battery communication cables. Do not over tighten the IP65 weatherproof caps that cover the Ethernet ports.
2. After daisy-chaining the battery to battery communication cables, one empty Ethernet port remains on each side of the battery bank.
3. Use one (either) of the empty ports for the battery to inverter communication as described further.
4. Connect an unmodified Ethernet cable to the empty port. The other end of the unmodified Ethernet cable is plugged into a pinout converter (coupler resistor). Connect the modified cable to the inverter's Battery CAN port and the pinout converter.
5. If you have not received a modified Ethernet cable, you can make your own. You may use the yellow ethernet cable included with the inverter. Simply disable pins 1-5 (cut them, so no signal can pass through), having pins 6, 7, and 8 active. Tape the Ethernet jacket back up when finished.
6. Connect the CANbus terminator to the other (remaining) empty port of the battery bank.
7. Refer to the diagram below for a visual insight.

eFlex CANbus Communication

Sol-Ark 8k   SolArk 12k SolArk 12k Outdoor	Sol-Ark Side      1. Pins 4/5 (CAN_H/CAN_L) are used by the SolArk for battery CAN communication.      2. Pin 6 (logic ground) should also be connected.      3. This bus runs at 500kbps internally.
	eFlex Side      4. Pins 4/5 (CAN_H/CAN_L) from the eFlex      5. Pin 6 (logic ground) should also be connected
	Cable diagram for SolArk to eFlex communication cable. Can be made from standard ethernet cable by cutting wires 1-3, 7-8 and keeping wires 4-6. See below for additional details.

Visit https://www.fortresspower.com/firmware for the latest eFlex firmware update instructions.

The BMS software and driver "CANtool Driver" should be used for all eFlex models but the firmware versions differ depending upon the BMS revisions.

1. Change the Sol-Ark Batt Setup to match the following     2. Use Batt % Charged     3. BMS Lithium Batt should be set to: 00     4. Activate Battery Checked

Checking Sol-Ark Data Display

Program the Inverter

1. To program the inverter using the Sol-Ark inverter screen, go to battery setup menu:

2. Program the 'Batt' tab first. Enter the settings as shown below and tap on 'OK' in the bottom of the menu afterwards:

Note:
a) If closed loop communication is set up correctly, enabling 'BMS Lithium Batt 00' will adjust some values automatically. In this tab, those would be 'Batt Capacity' and 'Tempco'.

b) If total charge/discharge current capacity of the batteries exceeds the inverter's capabilities, use the maximum current settings of the inverter.

For example, if you have four eFlexes and one Sol-Ark 12K inverter, based on the size of the battery bank, 'Max A Charge' and 'Max A discharge' should be 240A each. But, Sol-Ark 12K can only carry 185A DC going to or coming from the battery. So, in this case, both 'Max A Charge' and 'Max A Discharge' would be set to 185A.

c) If recovering a deeply discharged battery, adjust the above charge amps to 10A.

3. Next, program the 'Charge' tab in the 'Battery Setup' menu:

Note:

a) The settings shown in the latter screenshot are the most conventional ones, hence, adjustments may be required (please see the table below).

The approach described in the note "2b" applies while programing this tab as well. Additionally, current set point (A) must not exceed the generators capability.

b) Larger generators are commonly tied into the grid side of the inverter rather than the dedicated generator input. Make check-marks and current adjustments accordingly. This fact was kept in mind while creating the last two rows of the table above.

c) Fortress batteries may be discharged to its full rated capacity without voiding the warranty, but for best overall experience and battery life, limit the discharge to 80% except for very rare occasions. Here is a list of our suggested triggers:

d) It is acceptable to raise the grid or generator start triggers to increase the reserve capacity of the system.

4. Program the Discharge tab:

Note:

a) At 'Shutdown' state of charge (battery bank charge percentage), inverter prevents battery from powering the loads. The battery(s) will renew/continue providing power to the loads when the battery bank is recharged to 'Restart' state of charge. 'Shutdown' and 'Restart' state of charge set-points can be increased to increase the "reserve capacity" of the system, but that will cause less battery charge usage. The correct shutdown level is specific to the project site.

b) Low battery is an alarm also specific to the project site, integrated with the Sol-Ark monitoring app. We suggest a 20% state of charge as a low battery alarm level. But it is a good idea to increase it if the 'Shutdown' and 'Restart' set-points are increased.

c) The battery empty voltage should not be lower than 48V. The last statement from the previous note applies to the 'Batt Empty V'. Usually this set-point does not exceed 50V.

The instructions given above must be followed precisely to establish a closed-loop communication.

This article shows how to program the inverter in open-loop communication mode.

1. To program the inverter using the Sol-Ark inverter screen, go to the 'Battery Setup' menu:

2. Program the 'Batt' tab first. Enter the settings as demonstrated below and tap on 'OK' at the bottom of the screen. After tapping 'OK' you are returned to the previous menu. Go to the battery Setup again and then to the 'Charge' tab.

Notes:

a) Total charge/discharge current delivered to/requested from the battery(ies) should never exceed 60A per battery.

b) If working with multiple batteries and/or multiple inverters, multiply the inverter quantity by the maximum current that one inverter can handle (for example 185A for Sol-Ark 12k and 275A for Sol-Ark 15k) and divide the product by the amount of the batteries in the system. If the resulting number is greater than 60A, multiply 60 by the amount of the batteries and divide the product by the amount of inverters in the system and enter that number for 'Max A Charge' and 'Max A Discharge' into the "Master" Sol-Ark. otherwise, use the maximum current capacity of a single inverter both for 'Max A Charge' and 'Max A Discharge' into the "Master" Sol-Ark.

c) If recovering a deeply discharged battery, adjust the 'Max A Charge' to 10A.

3. Program the 'Charge' tab in the 'Batt Setup'. Enter the settings as demonstrated below and tap on 'OK' at the bottom of the screen. After tapping 'OK' you are returned to the previous menu. Go to the battery Setup again and then to the 'Discharge' tab.

Notes:

a) The settings shown in the next screenshot are the most conventional ones, hence, adjustments may be required (please see the table below).

b) The approach described in the note "2b" applies while programing this tab as well. Furthermore, the current set-point ('A') must not exceed the generators capability.

c) Larger generators are commonly tied in to the grid side of the inverter rather than the dedicated generator input. Make check-marks and current adjustments accordingly. This fact was kept in mind while creating the last two rows of the table above.

d) Fortress batteries may be discharged using their full charge capacity. Yet, for the best overall experience and battery longevity , limit the depth of discharge to 85%. By doing so, the risk of deeply discharging the batteries is drastically reduced.

e) It is acceptable to raise the grid or generator start triggers to increase the reserve capacity of the system.

Notes:

a) The settings shown in the latter screenshot are the most conventional ones, hence, adjustments may be required (please see the table below).

b) The approach described in the note "2a" applies while programing this tab as well. Additionally, current set-point ('A') must not exceed the generators capability.

b) Larger generators are commonly tied into the grid side of the inverter rather than the dedicated generator input. Make check-marks and current adjustments accordingly. This fact was kept in mind while creating the last two rows of the table above.

d) It is acceptable to raise the grid or generator start triggers to increase the reserve capacity of the system.

Notes:

a) At 'Shutdown' state of charge (battery bank charge percentage), inverter prevents battery from powering the loads. The battery(ies) will renew/continue providing power to the loads when the battery bank is recharged to the 'Restart' state of charge. 'Shutdown' and 'Restart' state of charge set-points can be increased to increase the "reserve capacity" of the system, but that will cause less battery charge usage. The correct shutdown level is specific to the project site.

b) Low battery is an alarm also specific to the project site, integrated with the Sol-Ark monitoring app. We suggest a 20% state of charge as a low battery alarm level. But it is a good idea to increase it if the 'Shutdown' and 'Restart' set-points are increased.

c) The battery empty voltage should not be lower than 48V. The last statement from the previous note applies to the 'Batt Empty V'. Usually this set-point does not exceed 50V.

After programing this tab, tap 'OK' and then use the 'Esc' button to go to the home screen of the inverter. Now the system is configured.

Important!

eVault Max batteries have four Ethernet ports: two COM Parallel Ports, a CAN port, and an RS485 port. The latter two are used for battery to inverter communication purposes, whereas the COM Parallel ports are bi-directional and used to establish battery to battery communication. CAN Bus terminators are built into the communication board and are applied as needed using a switch. To set up an eVault Max to Sol-Ark CAN communication, please follow the instructions and refer to the graphic below.

·     While having the batteries turned off and having their DC breakers in the off position, daisy-chain the battery to battery communication cables using the bi-directional COM Parallel ports (IN/OUT).

·      Make sure that the USB port is empty and remains empty at all times.

·     Turn on one battery at a time, enter the correct battery IDs and set the
to '6' on all batteries using the battery touchscreen. Starting with the battery that will be connected to the inverter via the battery-inverter communication cable, the battery IDs are to be entered in an ascending order (1 for the first battery, 2 for the second etc.). In systems with one eVault Max battery, its battery ID must be set to zero

·     Battery to inverter communication cable must be plugged in to the CAN port of the first eVault max in the sequence and the other end of this cable must be plugged in to the Battery CAN Bus port on the Sol-Ark (if you need to make a modified cable for battery to inverter communication, refer to the diagram given in the graphic below).

·     CAN Bus terminator switch must be in the "120Ω" position on the first and the last batteries in the sequence, having the switch in the "OFF" position on all other batteries. In systems with one eVault Max battery, CAN Bus terminator switch must be in the "120Ω" position.

·     Refer to the diagram below for visual insights.

Programing the inverter

*If using multiple Sol-Arks in the system, establish communication between them and program the master inverter only.

2. Program the 'Batt' tab first. Enter the settings as demonstrated below and tap on 'OK' at the bottom of the screen. After tapping 'OK' you are returned to the previous menu. Go to the battery Setup again and then to the 'Charge' tab.

Notes:

a) Total charge/discharge current delivered to/received from the battery(ies) ('Max A Charge and Max A Discharge, respectively) must never exceed 185A per battery.

b) If working with multiple batteries and/or multiple inverters, multiply the inverter quantity by the maximum current that one inverter can handle (for example 185A for Sol-Ark 12k and 275A for Sol-Ark 15k) and divide the product by the amount of the batteries in the system. If the resulting number is equal to or less than 185A, use it for both 'Max A Charge' and 'Max A Discharge'. Otherwise, enter 185A for both 'Max A Charge' and 'Max A Discharge'.

c) If recovering a deeply discharged battery, adjust the 'Max A Charge' to 10A.

After programing this tab, tap 'OK' at the bottom of the screen. After tapping 'OK' you are returned to the previous menu. On the screen, one of the menu items will be 'Li-Batt info', go ahead and tap on it (see below).

After the communication is established, please use the 'Esc' button to go back to the previous screen and then tap the 'Battery Setup' and go to the 'Charge' tab.

Notes:

a) If everything was connected correctly and the previous, 'Batt' tab, was also correctly configured, the float absorption and equalization voltages would be automatically set to 56V each.

b) The settings shown in the next screenshot are the most conventional ones, hence, adjustments may be required (please see the table below).

c) The approach described in the note "2b" applies while programing this tab as well. Furthermore, the current set-point ('A') must not exceed the generators capability.

d) Larger generators are commonly tied in to the grid side of the inverter rather than the dedicated generator input. If you are using this method as well, make check-marks and current adjustments accordingly. This fact was kept in mind while creating the last two rows of the table above.

e) Fortress batteries may be discharged using their full charge capacity. Yet, for the best overall experience and the battery longevity , limit the depth of discharge to 85%. By doing so, the risk of deeply discharging the batteries is drastically reduced.

f) It is acceptable to raise the grid or generator start triggers to increase the reserve capacity of the system.

Notes:

a) At 'Shutdown' state of charge (battery bank charge percentage), inverter prevents battery from powering the loads. The battery(ies) will renew/continue providing power to the loads when the battery bank is recharged to the 'Restart' state of charge. 'Shutdown' and 'Restart' state of charge set-points can be increased to increase the "reserve capacity" of the system, but that will cause less battery charge usage. The correct shutdown level is specific to the project site.

b) Low battery is also an alarm specific to the project site, integrated with the Sol-Ark monitoring app. We suggest a 20% state of charge as a low battery alarm level. But, it is a good idea to increase it if the 'Shutdown' and 'Restart' set-points are increased.

c) The battery empty voltage should not be lower than 48V. The last statement from the previous note applies to the 'Batt Empty V'. Usually the set-point for the latter does not exceed 50V.

1. To program the inverter using the Sol-Ark inverter screen, go to the 'Battery Setup' menu:

2. Program the 'Batt' tab first. Enter the settings as demonstrated below. After the tab is configured, tap 'OK' at the bottom of the screen. After tapping 'OK' you are returned to the previous menu. Go to the battery Setup again and then to the 'Charge' tab.

Notes:

a) Total charge/discharge current delivered to/requested from the battery(ies) must never exceed 185A per battery.

b) If working with multiple batteries and/or multiple inverters, multiply the inverter quantity by the maximum current that one inverter can handle (for example 185A for Sol-Ark 12k and 275A for Sol-Ark 15k) and divide the product by the amount of the batteries in the system. If the resulting number is equal to or less than 185A, use it for both 'Max A Charge' and 'Max A Discharge'. Otherwise, enter 185A for both 'Max A Charge' and 'Max A Discharge'.

c) If recovering a deeply discharged battery, adjust the 'Max A Charge' to 10A.

After the tab is configured, tap 'OK' at the bottom of the screen. After tapping 'OK' you are returned to the previous menu. Go to the battery Setup again and then to the 'Charge' tab.

3. Program the 'Charge' tab in the 'Batt Setup'. Enter the settings as demonstrated below and tap on 'OK' at the bottom of the screen. After tapping 'OK' you are returned to the previous menu. Go to the battery Setup again and then to the 'Discharge' tab.

Notes:

a) The settings shown in the next screenshot are the most conventional ones, hence, adjustments may be required (please see the table below).

b) The approach described in the note "2b" applies while programing this tab as well. Furthermore, the current set-point ('A') must not exceed the generators capability.

c) Larger generators are commonly tied in to the grid side of the inverter rather than the dedicated generator input. Make check-marks and current adjustments accordingly. This fact was kept in mind while creating the last two rows of the table above.

d) Fortress batteries may be discharged using their full charge capacity. Yet, for the best overall experience and battery longevity , limit the depth of discharge to 85%. By doing so, the risk of deeply discharging the batteries is drastically reduced.

e) It is acceptable to raise the grid or generator start triggers to increase the reserve capacity of the system.

4. Program the 'Discharge' tab in the 'Batt Setup'.

Notes:

a) At 'Shutdown' state of charge (battery bank charge percentage), inverter prevents battery from powering the loads. The battery(ies) will renew/continue providing power to the loads when the battery bank is recharged to the 'Restart' voltage. 'Shutdown' and 'Restart' voltage set-points can be increased to increase the "reserve capacity" of the system, but that will cause less battery charge usage. The correct shutdown level is specific to the project site.

b) Low battery is an alarm also specific to the project site, integrated with the Sol-Ark monitoring app. We suggest a 20% state of charge as a low battery alarm level. But it is a good idea to increase it if the 'Shutdown' and 'Restart' set-points are increased.

c) The battery empty voltage should not be lower than 48V. The last statement from the previous note applies to the 'Batt Empty V'. Usually the set-point for the latter does not exceed 50V.

eVault batteries have a touch screen. The bottom corners of the eVaults are touch interactive.

Please adjust both "M-Set" and "ParallelNum" to "Master" and "1" respectively, regardless of the number of the batteries in the system. Also, please do not use any communication cables.

1. To program the inverter using the Sol-Ark inverter screen, go to battery setup menu:

2. Program the 'Batt' tab first. Enter the settings as shown below and tap on 'OK' in the bottom of the menu afterwards:

Notes:

a) If total charge/discharge current capacity of the batteries exceeds the inverter's capabilities, use the maximum current settings for the inverter. For example, if you have two eVaul batteries and one Sol-Ark 12K inverter, based on the size of the battery bank, 'Max A Charge' and 'Max A discharge' should be 370A each. But, Sol-Ark 12K can only carry 185A DC going to or coming from the battery. So, in this case, both 'Max A Charge' and 'Max A Discharge' would be set to 185A.

b) If recovering a deeply discharged battery, adjust the above charge amps to 10A.

3. Next, program the 'Charge' tab in the 'Battery Setup' menu:

Notes:

a) The settings shown in the latter screenshot are the most conventional ones, hence, adjustments may be required (please see the table below).

b) The approach described in the note "2a" applies while programing this tab as well. Additionally, current set-point ('A') must not exceed the generators capability.

b) Larger generators are commonly tied into the grid side of the inverter rather than the dedicated generator input. Make check-marks and current adjustments accordingly. This fact was kept in mind while creating the last two rows of the table above.

d) It is acceptable to raise the grid or generator start triggers to increase the reserve capacity of the system.

4. Program the Discharge tab:

Notes

a) At 'Shutdown' voltage, inverter prevents battery from powering the loads. The battery(s) will renew/continue providing power to the loads when the battery bank is recharged to 'Restart' voltage. 'Shutdown' and 'Restart' voltage set-points can be increased to increase the "reserve capacity" of the system, but that will cause less battery charge usage. The correct 'Shutdown' level is specific to the project site.

b) Low battery is an alarm also specific to the project site, integrated with the Sol-Ark monitoring app. We suggest a 51.4V as a low battery alarm level. But it is a good idea to increase it if the 'Shutdown' and 'Restart' set-points are increased.

c) The battery empty voltage should not be lower than 48V. The last statement from the previous note applies to the 'Batt Empty V'. Usually this set-point does not exceed 50V.

Time-of-use settings are specific to each end user but also important to having system behavior meeting customer expectations. system to behave as the end user wants it to behave. There are a few important things to know when programming Sol-Ark's time-of-use settings:

1) Checking the "charge" column boxes will force a grid charge to that battery.

2) Leaving the "charge" column boxes unchecked will act as a low battery cut-off.
3) Enabling "grid-sell" will allow the battery to sell back to the grid when it is otherwise 100% full.

4) Solar will charge the battery to 100% if there is enough sunlight available and all the loads are otherwise met.

5) Additional settings worth exploring in the Grid Setup Menu are the frequency ranges and grid profile settings useful for generator compatibility.

Back-up Only Customers:

Batteries work better and last longer if they are used, rather than staying 100% full. Our recommendation is to allow the battery to drop to 70% during the early morning hours and then have it go to 100% during the day. You do not need to enable a grid-charge for this functionality. You may want to increase the grid start % or voltage in the battery setup menu.

Time-of-use Customers:

1) To maintain solar tax credit compliance, you will want to prioritize battery charging in the hours before the time-of-use period so that the battery is 100% going into the time frame.

2) You may also want to enable a grid charge the hour before the time-of-use period to ensure the battery reaches 100%

3) You may not want to discharge the battery too aggressively. Sticking to no more than 9kW per eVault or 3.3kW per eFlex is optimal for maximizing battery life under time-of-use grid sell-back. Likewise, selling back at less than the full rated value of the inverter is healthy for inverter life. So for example, if you can identify that the battery and inverter will be fully utilized over the time of use rate period by discharging at 5kW rate instead of the full rated capacity of the inverter, it will extend battery life.

4) That said, the mantra is "use it or lose it" - it is more economically advantageous for the end user to use the battery when it is financially advantageous to do so, rather than to keep the battery at 100% always.

Bad Utility Buyback Rates aka "no net-metering" aka "bad net-metering":

Allow the battery to discharge to a 20% state-of-charge over night, so that it can absorb as much solar power as possible during the day rather than having that energy sold back to the grid. Staggering the step down percentages throughout the night so that the battery so that the battery hits 20% right in the early morning will mitigate the risk of power outage between sun up and sun down. Maintain the final 20% time-of-use step with a grid charge to make sure the battery does not go below 20% (which would trigger a full grid recharge at 15% per prior steps). During the day, it does not matter if you prioritize the grid or the battery first when recharging with solar power.

Note: Change the programming from Percentage to Voltage in the Battery setup menu. (Use Batt % Charge / Use Batt V charge)
Here are more aggressive settings for minimizing sell-back to the grid (but allowing grid-sellback when the batteries are full).

Calibrating the battery literally means charging the battery 100% full and confirming the battery resting voltage is above 54V. This can be done onsite or remotely.

Calibration is not a regular task. Good times to calibration are:

1. ·          System commissioning
2. ·          occasionally when batteries are kept 80-100% full
3. ·           deep discharge recovery
4. ·           extended periods of overcast / low production days
5. ·              anytime when the % state-of-charge says 100% but battery voltage is below 54V

Performing a calibration charge onsite:

1) Go to the battery setup menu.
2) Check "Use Batt V charged" (Use Batt % Charge will unselect).

3) Uncheck "BMS Lithium Batt"
4) Switch back to "Use Batt % Charged" and "BMS Lithium Batt" after battery climbs above 55V. The Sol-Ark should read 100% at above >54V after switching back over.

Onsite:

1. Complete steps 1-3 in the previous step.

2. Go into the Grid Setup menu and enable time-of-use settings.

3. Find the current time zone and set the voltage to 55.5V. Then check the "grid charge" box in the adjacent column.3. Once the battery reaches 55.5V, the battery should displays 100% and the original settings can be restored.

Firmware updates are rarely needed. Most firmware updates solve a minor issue - major firmware updates typically are adding compatibility with new-to-market hardware or to accommodate developments in battery-inverter communication.

Most of our installers use the firmware update tool to confirm proper system commissioning or unlock batteries from their protective modes during a deep discharge.

To update the battery firmware, please visit https://www.fortresspower.com/firmware.

Solar contractors should visit https://www.fortresspower.com/support and request a firmware update tool.

If you cannot determine the instructions, we are happy to assist you with a remotely - there are things we can do before you visit site to make your site visit much easier, and we can also assist you onsite (preferably scheduled in advance).

The voltage curve of lithium is very flat from the bottom 20% of the battery to the top 80% of the battery, at which point is becomes rather steep at both ends. It is very easy to tell when a battery is moving towards the bottom or top of its range - the middle bit is hard to guess because it will fluctuate with load. Here is a very loose approximation of Fortress battery voltage and state-of-charge: