The Sol-Ark Essentials 12K-2P is a residential all-in-one hybrid inverter built as a cost-effective home backup solution. It combines a solar inverter, MPPT charge controllers, a 48V battery charger/inverter and an automatic transfer switch in one outdoor-rated enclosure, so you can back up your essential circuits, cut your utility bill with solar and time-of-use control, or run completely off-grid.
Because it connects on the load side, the 12K-2P typically avoids a costly main service panel upgrade and needs no external transfer switch. When the grid fails, it switches to backup in 4 milliseconds, fast enough that computers and electronics keep running.
Highlights
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9,000W max continuous AC output (12,000W total system power rating)
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16,000VA surge for 10 seconds (25,000VA for 100ms) to start well pumps, refrigerators and AC compressors off-grid
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13,000W of solar input on 2 MPPTs with 2 strings each
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63A grid pass-through for partial-home / critical-load backup
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185A battery charge/discharge on a 48V lithium or lead-acid bank
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4ms automatic transfer with a built-in transfer switch
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Stackable: up to 9 units in parallel
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IP65 / NEMA 3R outdoor enclosure, 10-year standard warranty
Backup Power & Grid Connection
- Partial-home backup keeps essential circuits and appliances running during outages
- Works with any AC power source; 120/240V split phase, 120/208V or 220V configurable, 50/60Hz
- Adjustable power factor (±0.9) and listings for UL 1741 SB, CA Rule 21 and HECO Rule 14H for grid-interactive systems
Solar Input
- Up to 13,000W of PV (STC) across 2 MPPT trackers, 2 strings per tracker
- MPPT range 150–500V (175–425V rated), 125V start-up, 500V max input, 20A per MPPT
- Up to 9,600W of AC-coupled input to retrofit an existing grid-tie solar system
- Integrated rapid shutdown (NEC 690.12), arc-fault detection (NEC 690.11), ground-fault detection and PV DC disconnect
Battery Compatibility
- 48V nominal (43–63V operating range), 50–9,900Ah bank capacity
- Battery-agnostic: works with nearly any 48V lithium or lead-acid battery, with closed-loop CANBus and RS485 Modbus BMS communication
- 3-stage charging with equalization, 96% grid-to-battery charging efficiency, external battery temperature sensor included
- Integrated 250A battery breaker/disconnect
Sol-Ark lists Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions, Discover Energy Systems, Pytes USA and Renon Power as certified battery partners, and offers UL 9540 battery upgrade options.
Generator Integration
- Dedicated generator (GEN) input with integrated 2-wire automatic generator start
- Single-circuit Smart Load output
- Can also power and charge EVs from your solar and battery system
Monitoring & Smart Energy Control
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Wi-Fi and LAN hardware included for remote monitoring through the MySolArk app and installer platform, hosted on US-based servers
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On-inverter LCD touchscreen for programming without a laptop
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Built-in Time-of-Use (TOU) control with multi-season, day-of-week and time-of-day schedules to store solar and avoid peak-rate grid power
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NEM 3.0 ready and Virtual Power Plant (VPP) ready for utility demand-response programs
EMP Hardened Option
Select EMP Hardened: Yes for Sol-Ark's 2X military-grade EMP option, a factory-hardened version of the 12K-2P designed to keep operating after electromagnetic pulse events such as severe solar storms and lightning strikes. Ratings and specifications are otherwise the same as the standard model.
Full Specifications
| PV Input |
|---|
| Max PV power (STC) |
13,000W |
| MPPT voltage range |
150–500V (175–425V rated) |
| Start-up voltage |
125V |
| Max DC input voltage |
500V |
| Max operating current per MPPT |
20A (self-limiting) |
| MPP trackers / strings |
2 trackers, 2 strings each |
| Max AC-coupled input |
9,600W |
| AC Output |
|---|
| Nominal voltage |
120/240V, 120/208V, 220V |
| Frequency |
50/60Hz |
| Max continuous power |
9,000W (12,000W total system power) |
| Max output current |
37.5A |
| Peak power (off-grid, 240V) |
16,000VA for 10s / 25,000VA for 100ms |
| Max output fault current |
104A (100ms) |
| Max grid pass-through |
63A |
| Power factor |
±0.9 adjustable |
| Backup transfer time |
4ms |
| Design |
Transformerless DC-to-AC |
| Parallel |
Up to 9 units |
| Battery (DC) |
|---|
| Battery types |
Lithium, lead-acid |
| Nominal voltage |
48V (43–63V range) |
| Capacity |
50–9,900Ah |
| Max charge/discharge current |
185A |
| Charging |
3-stage with equalization |
| Grid-to-battery efficiency |
96.0% |
| Battery temp sensor |
Included |
| Generator auto-start |
2-wire, integrated |
| BMS communication |
CANBus & RS485 Modbus |
| Efficiency |
|---|
| CEC efficiency |
96.5% |
| Max efficiency |
97.5% |
| General |
|---|
| Dimensions (H×W×D) |
29.5 × 17.7 × 10 in (750 × 450 × 254 mm) |
| Weight |
78 lb (35.4 kg) |
| Enclosure |
IP65 / NEMA 3R |
| Operating temperature |
-13°F to 131°F (-25°C to 55°C), derating above 113°F |
| Noise |
<30 dB |
| Idle consumption |
60W |
| Communication |
Wi-Fi & LAN hardware included |
| Warranty |
10 years standard |
| Protection & Certifications |
|---|
| Certifications |
UL 1741-2010/2018, UL 1741 SB, IEEE 1547a-2003/2014, FCC 15 Class B, CA Rule 21, HECO Rule 14H |
| PV DC disconnect (NEC 240.15) |
Integrated |
| Ground fault detection (NEC 690.5) |
Integrated |
| Rapid shutdown (NEC 690.12) |
Integrated |
| Arc fault detection (NEC 690.11) |
Integrated |
| PV lightning protection |
Integrated |
| PV reverse polarity protection |
Integrated |
| AC output breaker |
63A, integrated |
| Battery breaker/disconnect |
250A, integrated |
| Surge protection |
DC Type II / AC Type II |
Downloads
files/12K-opt-e1719432485164-651x1024_d1749702-847d-42ef-b524-567a2fd130da.webp
files/12K-opt-e1719432485164-651x1024_b7441ba1-467b-4997-8b73-be9f30d56812.webp
files/12K-opt-e1719432485164-651x1024_b7441ba1-467b-4997-8b73-be9f30d56812_1.webp
files/15K-whole-home_a724d917-d77d-4fe0-aa94-439eaa11afc7.webp
