Fronius solar inverters in Melbourne

Fronius Primo, Symo and GEN24 Plus: which is which?

The Primo and Symo string inverters convert solar power and nothing else. The GEN24 is the hybrid, and its Plus versions add a separate battery input, so a battery can connect now or later without a second inverter.

Your supply decides the family. On a single phase home every Victorian network pre-approves up to 10 kW of inverter, so a Primo or Primo GEN24 fits. A three phase home can go to 30 kW across the three phases, which is where a Symo or Symo GEN24 earns its place.

Single vs three phase power

Fronius vs Sungrow: when does Fronius make sense?

Sungrow’s SH-RS is the natural comparison: a single phase hybrid of similar sizes.

Fronius suits you when

• You already have a Fronius. A Fronius replacement keeps you on Solar.web, the app you know.
• You want a BYD or Fronius Reserva battery. Fronius lists both for the GEN24 Plus.
• You want some power in a daytime blackout without a battery. PV Point gives that from the panels alone.
• The inverter sits somewhere exposed. The GEN24 is rated IP66, a step above IP65.

Sungrow suits you when

• You want more panels per inverter. The SH8.0RS and SH10RS take more panels for their size than a GEN24 (see the table).
• You want backup that switches almost instantly. The SH-RS switches in milliseconds, and the SH8.0RS and SH10RS can back up the whole home. Fronius’s Full Backup can take up to 10 seconds, and PV Point up to 20.
• You want a Sungrow battery. It runs only with a Sungrow hybrid.

Sungrow inverters

Compare inverter brands

Which batteries work with a Fronius GEN24?

Only a GEN24 Plus takes a battery. Fronius names the Fronius Reserva, BYD Battery-Box Premium HVS/HVM and LG RESU FLEX for it, and the sizes differ between the single phase Primo and the three phase Symo. Fronius doesn’t list Sungrow or Alpha ESS batteries.

Fronius Australia can be narrower: its Symo GEN24 10.0 Plustechnical data leaves out the BYD Battery-Box Premium HVS 12.8 and HVM 8.3, so the exact model decides it.

A Primo or Symo string inverter has no battery input. Adding a battery there means a battery with its own inverter, wired on the AC side, or replacing the inverter with a GEN24 Plus. Either way, the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program pays only for a battery included on the Clean Energy Council (CEC) approved battery list, so we check the exact model before we quote it.

AC vs DC coupled batteries

Fronius Reserva battery: sizes, warranty and rebate

The Reserva is Fronius’s own battery for the GEN24 Plus: a DC-coupled high-voltage battery built from 2 to 5 lithium iron phosphate (LFP) modules, and up to 4 can run in parallel. It is rated IP65 once installed, but Fronius’s instructions rule out unprotected outdoor installation: it goes indoors, or outside in a protected spot such as under an overhanging roof. Fronius gives an ambient range of −20 to 55 °C and says charge and discharge power can be limited depending on the temperature. Fronius says the inverter should always run the latest software update in Solar.web, so updates matter once a battery is connected.

Fronius gives the Reserva a 10-year warranty (Fronius’s Reserva release, 27 February 2025). How much capacity it guarantees at the end of that term is set in Fronius’s conditions for each country, which the operating instructions point to, so ask for the Australian terms with your quote and register the battery with Fronius. As with any battery, the rebate needs the exact Reserva model on the approved list, so we check it before we quote. Solar Victoria’s interest-free battery loan is closed to new applications.

Compare home batteries

How the battery rebate works

Fronius backup power: PV Point and Full Backup

Every grid-connected inverter shuts down when the grid fails, so line workers are safe. What happens next depends on the model:

• Primo and Symo string inverters: no backup. The solar stops until the grid returns.
• GEN24 PV Point: up to 3 kVA from the panels during a blackout, with no battery needed. It can take up to 20 seconds to switch over and works only while the panels make power, so it suits a few essentials, not the whole home.
• GEN24 Plus Full Backup: with a battery and the Fronius Backup Controller, the inverter switches the whole home to backup power automatically, in up to 10 seconds. The battery keeps the home running after dark.

Which circuits the backup covers is a design choice made at the switchboard, and your quote should say it in writing.

Home battery backup

Monitoring a Fronius with Solar.web

Fronius inverters report to Fronius Solar.web, in a browser or the app; the Primo, Symo and GEN24 have the datalogger and web server built in. It shows what the panels make and any state codes, and with an energy meter at the switchboard, what the home uses and what goes to the grid. Solar.web is also where the inverter is registered for the longer warranty and where its software updates come from.

Keep it online. Since 1 October 2024, new and replacement solar systems in Victoria must meet the emergency backstop rules, which need a reliable internet connection. If the inverter loses its connection, exports are automatically reduced until it reconnects.

Reconnect a Fronius to Wi-Fi

Fronius inverter warranty: how long, and registering it

Fronius gives 5 years Fronius Warranty Plus as standard. Register the inverter on Solar.web within 30 months of delivery and the cover extends to 10 years at no cost. Fronius Warranty Plus covers materials, servicing and transport costs. Inverters commissioned from 1 June 2026 must be registered on Solar.web to get the extension.

1. At installation: ask your installer to set up Solar.web for your system and give you the login.
2. Register it: register the inverter in Solar.web, well inside the 30 months.
3. Keep the proof: the warranty certificate appears in Fronius Solar.web, under Product registration. Keep it with your invoice.
4. Want longer? A paid extension to 15 years can be bought within 6 months of the warranty starting.

Solar warranties explained

Makers’ Australian support contacts

Fronius repair and replacement

A Fronius tells you what is wrong with a state code on its display and in Solar.web, and some clear by themselves. On a Primo or Symo, states 306 and 509 (PV power low; no feed-in for 24 hours) can mean dirty or covered panels, or a DC switch that is off. States 475 and 502 (insulation resistance too low) point to the panels or their cabling and need an electrician. Note the code, never open the inverter, and call us if it stays.

When an older Primo or Symo fails out of warranty, the choice is like for like or a GEN24 Plus that can take a battery later. A replacement must be a compatible (CSIP-AUS certified) inverter on the CEC approved list; only a like-for-like replacement on a system approved before 1 October 2024 can skip the emergency backstop. Swapping only the inverter earns no small-scale certificates, so there is no rebate on it.

Fronius state codes explained

Fronius inverters: your questions