In the world of renewable energy, collaboration between companies is often the key to success. With this memo, we want to address some recent rumors and misconceptions regarding Fortress Power and Sol-Ark and our products – specifically, the communication between Sol-Ark inverters and Fortress Power batteries.
The Modbus Challenge
Until this year(2023), Fortress Power and Sol-Ark utilized Modbus communication between our inverters and batteries, respectively. However, in Q4 2022, after a software update by Sol-Ark, communication issues between the equipment arose. These communication issues were investigated and identified both by Fortress Power and by Sol-Ark. Upon discovery, Fortress switched the battery set-up for Sol-Ark inverters to CAN communication. In Q1 2023, Sol-Ark investigated and confirmed the fact that a software update run in Q4 2022 indeed caused the communication disruption and reported the findings in a report on January 3rd.
The Transition to CAN Communication
CAN communication was both the immediate solution and is the long-term solution to ensuring reliable communication across devices. We continue to promote and install CAN communication between Fortress batteries and Sol-Ark inverters. In certain cases, the process for establishing CAN communication vs MODBUS communication involves updating the firmware of the battery with the help of a device called USBCAN. The whole process may take about a week depending on shipping and other factors. If immediate update is essential, Fortress Power strongly recommends configuring your system in “Voltage mode” AKA “Open Loop Communication” as a temporary solution until the battery firmware can be updated using the CAN tool. Open Loop Settings can be found in our Sol-Ark Inverter Guide.
Commitment to Service
The Fortress Power team is dedicated to supporting customers with the highest quality products and services. Our team is committed to continuing to support installations with Sol-Ark, Schnieder, Victron, and other energy equipment manufacturers. Fortress Power products are intended to be very flexible so that homeowner, commercial, and industrial clients can pair our equipment in any configuration or design to maximize resiliency and energy savings.
We value transparency, integrity, universal device compatibility, and providing an optimal experience with our energy storage solutions. When a customer chooses Fortress Power, they get a world class customer service experience and a reliable and universally compatible energy storage solution.
Thank you for choosing Fortress Power, and we look forward to continuing to serve you and support your energy storage needs.
