Exploring Excellence: A Comprehensive Overview of Fronius Solar Inverters in Australia
Fronius inverter specifications
Fronius is a European company that was established by founder Gunter Fronius in Austria in 1945. The company grew over time from being a welding and battery charger manufacturer to becoming one of the most prominent European players in the solar market. Its solar division has been operating in this field since 1992, so they have decades of experience – and this shows in Fronius inverter products. In late 2010, Fronius opened its Australian office based in Melbourne where it not only provides customer service and technical assistance but also offers product demonstrations and training courses. Fronius make some of the best inverters in the world. They used to be playing catch up with SMA in terms of industry reputation and quality, but I would argue they have well and truly caught up in recent years. I would happily have one of these inverters on my house. The inverters are easy to ‘export limit’ if your local network insists on this as part of your solar connection agreement. But you do have to buy the ‘Fronius Smart Meter (FSM)’ accessory to do this (about $500 extra). The FSM also allows full consumption monitoring (over and above solar monitoring) although I am not a fan of the Fronius SolarWeb monitoring software. Personally, I prefer Solar Analytics and always recommend adding Solar Analytics to your Fronius inverter and using that for monitoring instead.
Fronius solar inverters usually come with 2 solar inputs (or MPPTs). Their MPPT efficiency is legendary. And if you have a symmetrical east/west facing roof you can often put both the east and the west array into one input – leaving the second inverter input free for a third roof area.
The only downside with the Fronius hardware that I am aware of is their inverters are fan-cooled and can be rather noisy. Keep them away from living areas.
Fronius Galvo
The Fronius Galvo is perfect for household self-consumption systems, with power categories ranging from 1.5 to 3.1kW. It includes the following advanced features.
- Automatic High-Frequency Transformer Switchover
- Integrated Data Communication
- Smart Grid Ready
- Zero Feed-In
Fronius Primo
The Fronius Primo is a transformerless single-phase inverter with power categories ranging from 3.0 to 8.2kW, making it an ideal option for a residential household inverter. It includes the following advanced features.
- Integrated Data Communication
- Superflex Design
- Dynamic Peak Manager
- Smart Grid Ready
- Zero Feed-In Capability
Fronius Symo
The Fronius Symo is a transformerless three-phase inverter with power categories ranging from 3.0 to 20.0kW. This power range enables the Fronius Symo inverter to be applicable to the majority of residential solar systems. It includes the following advanced features.
- Integrated Data Communication
- Superflex Design
- Dynamic Peak Manager
- Smart Grid Ready
- Zero Feed-In
Fronius Eco
The Fronius Eco is a transformerless three-phase inverter designed for large-scale installations. The commercially used inverter comes in 25 or 27kW power categories. The Fronius Eco inverter holds an Ingress Protection Rating (IP Rating) of 66, this means it’s dust-tight and able to withstand heavy seas or powerful jets of water. Both power categories hold an efficiency rating of over 98%, and due to the integrated double fuse holders and optional overvoltage protection, string collection boxes aren’t required.
It includes the following advanced features.
- Integrated Data Communication
- Dynamic Peak Manager
- Smart Grid Ready
- Zero Feed-In Capability
All of Fronius’ inverters are manufactured in Austria and come with CE certification. The CE mark lets the purchaser know that the product in question has met the legislated EU requirements for that type of product. The idea is that the legislated standards should be sufficient to protect consumers from sub-standard products. This quality assurance is part of the reason why Fronius is one of the industry-leading manufacturers of inverters.
A Full Range of Fronius Inverters Available in Australia
The majority of Fronius’s Inverters are approved by the Clean Energy Council for the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, which is Australia’s home solar rebate program. A notable exclusion is the Fronius Symo Hybrid, this system combines a battery charging system, battery inverter, hybrid inverter, controller, and system monitoring solution in one 3-5kW device.
Fronius inverter Costs
As Fronius inverters are manufactured in Europe this higher quality product comes with a higher price tag in comparison to the inverters that are manufactured in China.
Keep in mind that inverter costs generally only run between 10-20% of your total system, so often it is worth investing in a high-quality inverter given this will have a large impact on the efficiency and performance of your entire system.
Fronius Solar Inverter Warranty
All Fronius string inverters are accompanied by 5 years Fronius Warranty Plus. However, by registering at http://solarworldpower.com.au/, customers can receive an additional 5 years warranty free of charge.
If you should experience what you believe to be a warranty-related issue with your Fronius inverter, you should first contact the original installer of the unit. However, if that installer is no longer around, don’t panic.
Fronius advise that in this situation they first require the customer to find a qualified solar installer to verify the issue with the inverter – but this needs to be paid for by the customer. Once the issue has been confirmed, the installer will then contact the company on your behalf. Fronius will then work with the installer to arrange for the replacement of the inverter. If a customer needs help in finding an installer, the company is able to make a recommendation.
