Fronius continues to expand resilience
In 2023, Fronius invested a total of 230 million euros in its production site in Austria and in the competence center for inductive components in the Czech Republic. In addition, the entire supply chain was strategically expanded and relationships with suppliers were further strengthened. “This has given us a major boost and further secured the availability of our products. We can now secure production capacities of up to 70,000 inverters per month,” emphasizes Martin Hackl, Global Director Marketing and Sales at Fronius Solar Energy. “Worldwide, the number of PV systems is increasing every day. In view of the fight against climate change, this in itself is very encouraging. As a renowned European company, we want to continue to support this trend with safe and sustainable products,” explains Hackl, looking ahead.
Clean Energy, Secure Data
Be it for increased sustainability, financial independence, or security of supply, the following principle applies worldwide: “Inverters are the heart and brains of every photovoltaic system.” Hackl continues by saying, “high-quality components and many years of experience play a key role in ensuring that our devices fulfill this task perfectly. The sustainable product design of our Fronius GEN24, Fronius GEN24 Plus, and Fronius Tauro inverters has been proven several times in our own life cycle analyses. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) team will expand its work to other Fronius products in the future. With growing integration into smart grids, energy and data security are increasingly coming into focus. Fronius made a number of key decisions in this area some time ago. We use our own servers in Austria and European clouds, guaranteeing the highest standards in terms of data security. Customer data and system data are always stored separately. The high quality measures that we take continuously ensure the highest level of safety which is confirmed by our ISO 27001 certification.”
Working Together to Provide the Best Service
Fronius also continues to set new standards in service and support. Currently, the company works with 85,000 installers and over 5,000 of them are certified as Fronius Solutions Partners and offer excellent service and support in over 100 countries. “Our system partners benefit from a comprehensive training program,” explains Hackl. As a result, they are able to repair defective devices on site using a set of spare parts and the knowledge they have acquired. A global network of repair centers is also on hand. If a device needs to be replaced, the customer receives a refurbished device from one of these centers, which minimizes downtime.
Broad Portfolio with Comprehensive Solution Packages
A look at the product portfolio clearly illustrates that Fronius is prepared to play its part in supplying the markets with high-quality products. “In terms of energy management, we are already using various interfaces to supply loads with PV surplus. In combination with specialized devices such as the Fronius Ohmpilot or the Fronius Wattpilot, we provide exciting solution packages to perfectly cater for the areas of electricity, heating, cooling, and e-mobility in a sustainable way. In addition, we are planning new developments in the section of hybrid inverters and emergency power supply,” explains Bernhard Kossak, Head of Solution Management, Fronius International GmbH, Business Unit Solar Energy.
Flexibility and Security from a Single Source
The tried-and-tested Fronius GEN24 Plus is at the center of several innovations. With the newly available Fronius GEN24, customers can purchase a premium PV inverter. This can later be updated to the Fronius GEN24 Plus hybrid inverter via the Fronius UP.storage software upgrade. The new PV Point Comfort is available for both versions. This is an optimized emergency power solution because a socket can be supplied with electricity from the grid or, in the event of a grid failure, directly from the PV system. Fronius is also expanding its portfolio of batteries. In addition to the already compatible devices from BYD and LG, the LG enblock E will also be compatible with the Fronius GEN24 Plus inverters. For the latter, the Fronius GEN24 SC version has been announced. This is an inverter with higher input currents on the DC side, which allows the connection of new, more powerful modules.
New Inverters and a Growing Digital Landscape
The Fronius Verto inverter is also a completely new product in the portfolio which is planned for the 25 kW to 33.3 kW power categories. The software section is also set to see some exciting releases. The digital applications landscape, which supports both customers and installers in the planning, commissioning, maintenance, and monitoring of a system, is continuously being enhanced.