Why Is My Fronius Inverter Offline

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One of the aspects of solar power that many people don’t realize when they first start researching it is that the power generated from photovoltaic cells in solar panels comes as direct current (DC).

Therefore, to be able to use solar power for most applications, an inverter is necessary.

Fronius inverters can experience overvoltage and other problems that cause them to go offline or stop producing data and statistics for viewing through applications.

Keep reading to learn more about some of the most common causes for an offline Fronius inverter and possible fixes.

Does it Mean It’s Not Working Anymore?

An offline inverter does not necessarily mean that the unit has become damaged or won’t work anymore. Because of regulations put in place by governments and safety standards, inverters can regularly turn themselves off to prevent issues with compliance and hardware.

In many cases, a Fronius inverter that has unexpectedly gone offline is just a temporary inconvenience. Depending on how “smart” your inverter is, it may turn itself back on when it senses the issue that caused it to shut down in the first place has passed.

There is, however, the possibility that the unit has some sort of manufacturing flaw or has simply reached the end of its lifespan and will no longer work.

Therefore, we recommend assuming that the unit still works and trying to fix the issue before reaching out about warranties and replacements.

 

Why Does this Happen?

The most common issue that many inverters, including the ones made and distributed by Fronius, go offline is when they experience photovoltaic overvoltage.

What happens is grid-tied solar systems that generate more electricity than their household demands attempt to push the excess back to the grid, earning homeowners some money in the process.

The problem is that everyone’s inverters in a given area are likely trying to do the same thing. So each time an inverter tries to push excess back to the grid, they increase the voltage slightly to do so.

Many inverters are doing this to create dangerous voltage levels, so inverters automatically shut off when they sit at 255V for ten consecutive minutes or if they reach 260V.

 

Is This Common?

If an overvoltage is a reason why your Fronius inverter has gone offline, this will be an unfortunate and relatively common issue.

Luckily, the most common time for overvoltage issues is during the early morning, especially in spring and fall. This is when solar systems are most efficient, thanks to plentiful sunlight and cool ambient temperatures.

What this means as a Fronius inverter owner (or owner of any inverter for that matter) is that this inconvenience is likely to only occur when you are still asleep or just waking up, so it shouldn’t be a tangible issue.

 

Can You Reconnect it On Your Own?

Solar, if your Fronius inverter is no longer producing data for you to view through Fronius’ service. web, it may still be working and just not pushing new information for you to see.

In instances like these, you can reconnect your smart WiFi device to the Fronius inverter, and that will hopefully reboot the system so you can view data through the Solar.web portal again. To do this, you will need to:

• Plug in or restart a WiFi access point like a router
• Connect your Fronius inverter and smart device of choice to the same WiFi network
• Open the setup assistant from your smart device
• Finish setting up the network

 

Suppose you suspect there is a loose wire or disconnect somewhere within the hardware of your Fronius inverter.

In that case, we strongly recommend against trying to reconnect it yourself to prevent bodily injury as an amateur electrician and voiding any warranties you may have.

 

Should You Reset it?

One of the first steps that many technicians and those involved in electronic devices use to troubleshoot issues is to simply turn off the affected item and turn it back on.

So, for example, if your Fronius inverter is offline and you don’t think it is because of an overvoltage, you can attempt to reset it.

The front of the Fronius inverter installation should contain the necessary instructions for shutting down the unit and starting it back up. Be sure to wait a few minutes before attempting to start up the inverter whenever you shut it down.

 

Final Thoughts on Why Is My Fronius Inverter Offline

Fronius is an established international brand and company that has been around for decades, specializing in solar energy. Their products are typically seen as high-quality and worthwhile, but that doesn’t mean they are problem-free all the time.

An offline inverter is not necessarily causing concern. Between automatic overvoltage shutdowns and simply not pushing data for your viewing, there are myriad reasons why your Fronius inverter might be offline.

While you can attempt to diagnose and fix the problem yourself, we recommend reaching out to whoever installed your solar system for professional troubleshooting in case it is something serious.

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