SolarEdge Vs Fronius:
Aussie Favorites, Is There A Winner?
So basically we’ve taken two of the best solar inverters in Australia and I’m going to be comparing them to find out which one is best for your home.
Now, let me get this straight from the get go, I’m not going to be telling you which one is better than the other. It’s kinda obvious in terms of the specifications and price tag…
However, what I will be doing is explaining to you which one is going to work best for your home and budget because it’s tailored around your budget, goals for going solar and your roof.
Let’s all agree, Fronius and SolarEdge are easily two of the best and most popular solar inverters in Australia at this current time.
Straight from the get go, I can tell you that SolarEdge is the better inverter on paper. However, depending on your roof, system and budget I would advise you that Fronius is going to be the better option for you.
What’s the point in investing all that money into a SolarEdge system if you don’t need one. Fronius could do the job that you require to a high standard. It’s all about finding the inverter that’s going to work the hardest for your budget.
Anyway, let’s jump straight into this comparison between SolarEdge vs Fronius and see which one suits your home best.
If you’re interested in SolarEdge or a Fronius system, don’t hesitate to chat to one of my solar design engineers who will be able to craft a solar proposal for the best system for your home here (tailored around your budget, goals and roof).
I’ve got my full SolarEdge review here, and if you want to compare more inverters I’ve got my Fronius vs Sungrow vs Growatt review here.
SolarEdge Is More Efficient Than Fronius, But Does That Matter?
That’s correct. In terms of specifications, SolarEdge has the highest efficiency rating in Australia. This is better than Sungrow’s residential inverter as well.
Solaredge boasts a whopping 99.2% inverter efficiency compared to Fronius which comes in at 97.9%. Inverter efficiency is essentially when the energy reaches the inverter it uses a small amount of energy to convert from DC to AC and then back out.
However, if you look at the bigger picture, there is only a difference of around 1.3%. Now, unless you’re looking for a long lasting system of around 25+ years, this is such a small percentage it really isn’t enough to consider.
Like I said, for this to become important you would need to be looking at high end systems with a guarantee of 25+ year warranty and performance. And in that case, SolarEdge would be the best option either way.
Fronius Is More Affordable Than SolarEdge…
Something to consider for a lot of homeowners, if the investment you need to make into these products. Fronius is a more affordable option than SolarEdge. This is because SolarEdge uses much more advanced technology and SMART features.
So, if you’re looking into getting any solar panel rebates or home battery rebates then maybe Fronius would be a better option for you. This is because SolarEdge is certainly more high end and has a lot of features you might not need.
As we can all appreciate, solar is a large investment for some people. Even though it provides a fantastic return, you might need to be careful going for the best of the best because it could leave you a little out of pocket.
To summarise, Fronius is a better option for homeowners who are on a budget. If you’re looking for a system with a fast return on investment then I’d suggest looking into Sungrow…
But yeah, Fronius is going to give you a much faster return on investment because it’s more affordable. SolarEdge is going to give you a bigger and longer return however it will be much slower.
SolarEdge Provides A Fully Optimised System
SolarEdge uses seriously impressive technology. They have created the opportunity for homeowners to get a fully optimised system which includes panel optimisers, energy hub inverter (smart charging) and fully visibility over your system.
Fronius doesn’t offer this at all. It’s more like a very good inverter without the visibility, system monitoring, EV charging or panel optimisers.
To quickly run through more details, Fronius still uses string systems which means each panel works on strings. If one panel in the string goes down, gets dirty or shaded the whole string will go down with it.
Whereas SolarEdge uses panel optimisers meaning each panel works independently. This means that if your system has an issue with a panel, it will only affect that single panel and not the others. In turn this generates you more energy and better ROI.
Not only that, but SolarEdge provides full visibility over your system meaning you can’t see exactly which panel is underperforming and get some data as to why this is happening. You can also feed this data back to SolarEdge and they will come and fix it.
Fronius Might Suit Bigger Roofs, SolarEdge Offers Flexible Design
String systems that work with Fronius inverters are best suited for larger roofs. This is where you have enough space to fit a full system without having to break up any of the solar panels.
This is more like your conventional system where you see them in rows above or below each other. This is done because of the cables for each string being run in a simple line with each other.
If you have enough space, Fronius is a fantastic option for you. Feel free to speak to my Fronius design experts and see what we can do!
However, if you are limited in space, or have an awkward roof shape you might need to consider using SolarEdge for its flexible design features. As experienced solar design engineers, we strategically place solar panels in locations that might generate you more energy.
For example, if you use more energy in the late arvo, we might place panels to capture the large arvo sun if you catch my drift.
So to quickly clarify, SolarEdge is amazing for utilising the space on your roof. However, if you have a large roof then Fronius is great for using that space and getting a good system to capture sunlight for you.
SolarEdge Will Suit Harder Roofs With Shading
To go into a bit more detail regarding what I’ve mentioned above, SolarEdge has fantastic features to combat shading issues. Therefore, if your home has shading issues that you are concerned about I’d definitely advise a SolarEdge system.
However, if you do have shading, it’s always best to speak to a design engineer as they will be able to tell you if it’s a big issue and needs SolarEdge or they can work around it using something like Fronius.
Moving back to SolarEdge, if you do have short roofs with limited spaces or some areas where your roof tilts or goes flat I’d suggest looking into a SolarEdge system to really maximise the energy you can get from your system.
This latest technology really allows anyone to maximise on the energy they can get from the roof size and design. It also allows us as solar design engineers to create a system tailored around your energy consumption.
Something to consider if you know that you use more energy at a certain time of day.
SolarEdge Is Much Safer Than Fronius
Now, this isn’t to say that Fronius isn’t safe. To be honest, all solar systems are safe if they have been installed correctly.
When things get unsafe is when volume based solar companies sell cheap and outsource the installation to sub contractors who want to get through as many installs as they can… This results in bad solar panel installation and higher risk of something going wrong.
Essentially, DC is the current that is responsible for rooftop fires. When you install a Fronius inverter you are running DC current from your panel through your house and down into the inverter to get converted into (safe) AC current.
With SolarEdge, the panel optimisers control the DC voltage so if (in the rare case) there is an arc, the system can get quickly shut down. This means that you will be much safer with less risk of a fire.
So for anyone who is concerned about the safety of solar systems, I’d recommend a SolarEdge system for you. If you aren’t overly worried, then I’d suggest Fronius, however get a good panel installation!! 😆
Example Of When SolarEdge Is Best...
Here’s the examples of when SolarEdge is going to work best for your home and goals:
- You want a long lasting return of above 25+ years
- Have a high end budget
- You have a small, unique shape roof
- Looking to maximise your savings
- Want to design a system around your energy usage
- Concerned about the safety of solar systems
- Want full visibility over your systems
- No plans to move home in the future
- Interested in a solar battery
Examples Of When Fronius Is Best…
And here’s the examples of when a Fronius inverter system will be best for your home and goals:
- You want a fast return on investment
- Average sized budget
- You have a large roof
- You have plans to move home in the future
- You don’t have any shading issues
- You’re interested in getting the solar rebate
- Use most of your energy during the day
- Not interested in a solar battery
- Happy with string PV systems
Conclusion
So there you have it SolarEdge Vs Fronius… It all really comes down to what you are wanting to move to solar for and based around your roof and budget.
Each one of these solar inverters are fantastic and they will both work extremely hard for your budget and home. I would happily recommend either of these solar inverters to my friends.
If you’re interested in high end and advanced technology then SolarEdge is for you. If you’re interested in a fast ROI and slashing your bills quickly, Fronius is best suited for you.
Let me know your thoughts on these European inverters and which one you think is best. Have you had any issue with either of these inverters? Share your thoughts in the comments below for everyone to see 😁.
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Written By:
Luke Cove
Managing Director
Lightning Solar & Electrical
4 thoughts on “SolarEdge Vs Fronius”
Why do you not recommend fronius with battery, an ac battery like powerwall?
Fronius hybrid inverters are only compatible with BYD B-Box
AC coupled batteries like Tesla work well with fronius.
Hi Luke, Will the same theory apply if you have a 3Phase & meter box ? And as far as return credits per phase. These days systems shut down if there is to much supply in the 240v grid.
Will Fronius or SolarEdge work better on a 3Phase system?