Fronius Inverters Overview

Initially founded in Austria in 1945, Fronius was at first a manufacturer of battery chargers, transformers and welding equipment but has started manufacturing solar inverters in recent years.

Since making this addition to their lineup of products they have enjoyed great success, winning numerous awards and gaining a reputation within the industry as a gold standard manufacturer. Their products are renowned for quality and reliability and their approach to customer service is often lauded.

In 2010 Fronius established a subsidiary company in Australia after realising the potential of our burgeoning solar industry. This includes a repair center as well as technical support infrastructure and distribution warehouse and serves as a hub for Australia and New Zealand which makes dealing with them extremely easy. All manufacturing of their products is still done in Austria which means you get the best in manufacturing quality while also having access to local customer service and delivery schedules.

The reason so much emphasis is placed on the quality of Fronius’s inverters is because the inverter is the most complex component of your solar power setup. As the inverter controls the conversion of energy created by your panels and the supply of it to your residence, having an inverter fail will result in the entire system no longer producing power to your home. This makes the quality of an inverter the most important aspect when it comes to choosing one for your new solar power system.

Their quality manufacturing combined with incredible innovations has meant Fronius has become the top choice among installers and customers alike for both residential and commercial solar. So much so that their most commonly used inverter, the Fronius Primo, has experienced such demand for residential installs that there has been occasional supply issues. While this hasn’t caused any significant issues aside from extended waiting periods it goes to show why their position in the market is by no accident.

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SnapINverter Innovation For Easy Installation

A major development in the Fronius inverter line came with the creation of their snap-in inverter innovation which they call SnapINverter. This straightforward and safe mounting system makes installation easier than ever and further highlights their commitment to intelligent design, incredible flexibility and outstanding ease of use. The SnapINverter range is intuitive in its function and makes support much easier should a component need repair or replacement.

Mounting:

Some inverters can be quite heavy due to the mass of electrical components they contain but the SnapINverter range makes the mounting process very easy by having all the connections already integrated into a lightweight anodised aluminium bracket. Once the bracket has been secured to the wall the inverter can then be placed into the bracket and swivelled into position. No specialist tools are required and the lightweight design of Fronius units means the inverter can be installed in a variety of locations that others simply couldn’t such as pillars.

Easy Maintenance:

A key reason why they are such a popular choice is the level of service quality you can enjoy with a Fronius inverter.A USB drive can be used to perform updates to firmware even while the system is running and several data interfaces allow for the connection of external components used to monitor and determine the cause of any issues. If servicing is needed the modular design means PC boards can be swapped out easily and the SnapINverter mounting system means most if not all issues can be resolved in the one visit from a support technician.

Ease of Use:

While the SnapINverter mounting system makes installation a breeze the operation of Fronius inverters once installed is also incredibly easy. With a robust suite of monitoring tools such as Datalogger, WLAN connectivity and even a web server you are always able to access important information relating to your home or businesses power consumption. Access can be gained either through the Fronius Solar.web portal at home or on the move with the Fronius Solar.web App. This gives you vital insights into what is using the most power and lets you make better decisions regarding the distribution of your solar power.

Future Proofing:

No one likes the idea of purchasing a piece of technology only to have it become outdated almost immediately but the reality is we are living in a time of great innovation for the solar industry. All of the inverters made by Fronius are manufactured with expansion slots which means they can be retrofitted with hardware upgrades and additional modules that add additional functions as time goes on. This means you can enjoy peace of mind in knowing you are future-proof for the system’s entire service life.

Flexible:

The SnapINverter innovation is used in a wide range of Fronius inverters including residential, commercial and hybrid models which vary in output from 1.5 to 27kW. This means no matter what the situation is, whether it’s commercial, residential or even industrial, you can enjoy the benefits SnapINverter brings. System design has never been more flexible.

SuperFlex Design

Another innovation of Fronius, the SuperFlex design means more options than ever when it comes to getting the most out of your solar panels. It is a very clever combination of technical performance attributes and features that allows flexible system design. Some of the benefits from an inverter featuring SuperFlex design are:

A high system voltage
A wide input voltage range
Two DC inputs, both of which can take up the entire AC nominal output of the inverter at the same time
Two SuperFlex MPP trackers with optimised shade management, the Dynamic Peak Manager

These features mean the system can perform no matter the orientation of the panels which is incredibly important. When looking to install solar panels we look to avoid shaded areas, roof structures and prioritise placement in certain directions to get the most performance possible. SuperFlex makes this almost a thing of the past and they can be overdimensioned up to 200% of the nominal output of the inverter.

With fully loadable MPP trackers that are easy to implement on the most complicated of roof structures the SuperFlex Design makes it possible to implement any string distribution setup from symmetrical to asymmetrical which gives you unparalleled flexibility no matter the use. The 2 most popular Fornius inverters, the Primo and the Symo, feature SuperFlex Design which means you can enjoy these benefits regardless of being a residential or commercial solar power user.

Active Cooling

Most of the inverters available on the market today use natural convection or passive cooling to remove heat from the module during use. While this will typically perform just fine it can present issues in areas with low air circulation or high temperatures. As Australia roleplays as an oven for a good chunk of the year the need to address overheating is certainly something to consider. All of the inverters Fronius manufactures are designed with active or fan forced cooling.

While not having to deal with moving parts is often viewed as a big plus when it comes to electronics, the quality of components used means this will rarely if ever be an issue. When weighed up against having to replace key components due to overheating the idea of potentially replacing a fan seems much better.

Active cooling removes heat from the device at a constant rate which means the device will last longer in exposed areas where it gets direct sunlight. This increases the flexibility of install options alongside the SnapINverter mounting system

Fronius Primo Inverter

The Primo inverter is Fronius’s most popular choice for residential use. It features the incredible build quality they are known for and have found to be incredibly reliable. The easy to mount SnapINverter system makes installing them a simple task and the on-module interface makes interacting with them clear and straightforward. They are available in a range of outputs from 3.0 to 8.2kW and are a single-phase, transformerless device. The SuperFlex Design means they can perform in any system configuration to get the most out of your panels.

Monitoring is made simple by a robust communication package that features WLAN, energy management and USB interface for easy updating. All Primo inverters feature active cooling which increases performance and extends lifespan. They have a high input current on 18A per MPPT and feature CEC certified integrated DC isolators. Their input current means multiple strings of panels can be connected which further boosts the flexibility of this unit.

Fronius Symo Inverter

The Symo inverter is a three phase system available in a wide range of outputs from 3.0 to 20kW which makes them a great choice for residential or commercial applications. The SuperFlex Design means they are perfect for irregularly shaped roofs or those with different roof orientations. Easy connection of third party components means you can add features as you need them and the feedback given by monitoring tools makes it the most communicative inverter on the market.

As a commercial space can have more restrictions on placement the SnapINverter mounting system makes it easy to find the best place to install the unit. It features the same active cooling technology found in all Fronius inverters which again makes it a superstar in the commercial space due to so many installations being placed outside with the inverter exposed directly to the sun and the loads being higher than residential.

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After taking in all of the above information it becomes clear why Fonius is ranked among the top solar inverter manufacturers. It comes down to quality for the most part with both the components used and the manufacturing process being second to none across the industry and the results show. Over our time using Fronius inverters we have only been impressed by their ability to perform when others would shy away. Their high demand in a market full of options demonstrates this reliability.

The innovations they have developed only further push them to the top with the SnapINverter mounting system making installing the inverter easier than ever and the SuperFlex technology gives you more flexibility when it comes to system design. The active cooling system featured across their range is perfectly suited to Australia’s extreme heat during summer. The extras such as monitoring software, advanced communications, string fusing and future-proofing means the decision to install a Fronius inverter is never a bad one.

If you would like more information regarding the Fronius range of inverters or would like to get a quote for the purchase and installation of a solar power system that features a Fonius inverter give Global Solar Solutions a call today on 1800 255 474 or contact us online.