Fronius International GmbH is an Austrian company with headquarters in Pettenbach. With 3,817 employees worldwide, the company is active in the fields of welding technology, photovoltaics and battery charging technology. Around 89% of its products are exported through 28 international Fronius subsidiaries and sales partners/representatives in over 60 countries. With its innovative products and services and 1,242 granted patents, Fronius is the global innovation leader and will join the 14th Energy Efficency and Renewables Exhibition in Sofia, 27-29 March. Don’t miss to visit their stand!
Interview with Ms. Verena Huber, regional Sales Manager at Fronius International
Tell us about your battery charging technology and PV from a single source, as the production of solar energy for self-consumption is becoming more and more attractive to industrial enterprises and logistics companies
Energy prices are rising − a fact that is reflected in consumers’ monthly energy bills. In the intralogistics sector, this is especially true for operators of electrically powered forklift truck fleets; after all, forklift trucks consume a significant amount of energy. The solution: become your own electricity supplier and protect your business against rising electricity prices over the long term. With a photovoltaic system, you can produce your own energy at a fixed price, meaning that you purchase as little electricity from the public grid as possible. This reduces your operating costs while protecting the environment.
The production of solar energy for self-consumption is becoming more and more attractive to industrial enterprises and logistics companies. For example, an electric forklift truck fleet powered by its own photovoltaic system and combined with modern battery charging technology can be used independently and cost-effectively. Efficiency is therefore of crucial importance, as the cheapest energy is energy that is not used at all. This works best with a partner who offers every solution from a single source and responds flexibly to the individual needs of the operator.
With its Perfect Charging and Solar Energy Divisions, Fronius specialises in both innovative battery charging technology and modern photovoltaics. We can combine solutions from both business areas to accommodate customer requests and provide customised complete systems from a single source – from collectors and inverters to energy storage systems and battery charging systems. Our Selectiva chargers significantly reduce energy consumption during charging thanks to the new Ri charging process, while you are granted independence from the clutches of energy suppliers and electricity prices with our intelligent solar energy solutions. The end result is an efficient, reliable and sustainable intralogistics operation.
The price of self-generated solar power is already often cheaper than the cost of purchasing electricity from the grid. In addition, new energy efficiency laws are in force in many countries, which not only require businesses to continuously demonstrate that they are taking measures to reduce their energy consumption, but also provide funding for such improvements. Efficient self-consumption ensures that your photovoltaic system pays for itself quickly, as the less energy you require from the grid, the quicker your investment pays off. In many places, you also receive a feed-in tariff for feeding surplus energy into the grid.
Purchasing a photovoltaic system in conjunction with efficient battery charging technology makes sense for operators of forklift trucks for two reasons: you can sustainably reduce your total cost of ownership, whilst also taking an important step towards environmentally friendly “green” logistics. Not only is this a responsible choice, but it is also an advantage for your company image that should not be underestimated. Fronius is your central and competent point of contact for all energy supply-related enquiries – a synergy that many users around the world are already successfully exploiting.
Very interesting is the Fronius storage solution, which makes possible to store the surplus energy of a photovoltaic system in a battery between - where do you apply it?
The Fronius Energy Package allows any unused energy produced by a photovoltaic system to be temporarily stored in a battery. The result: maximum self-consumption of the available power and maximum energy independence. Excess solar power can thus be used at times when generating conditions are poor or non-existent. With the optional emergency power function, the household can enjoy an electricity supply even during power outages. The Fronius Symo Hybrid inverter also enables DC or AC coupling of battery storage. In the case of AC coupling, it is also possible to retrofit an existing PV system with a storage unit without having to connect a PV generator to the Fronius Symo Hybrid inverter. The Fronius Energy Package is therefore suitable both for new installations and when retrofitting storage devices into existing PV systems. With the Fronius Energy Package, Fronius offers a comprehensive and highly efficient complete package for maximum independence, which can also be adapted to the owner’s individual needs.
Can you present the Fronius Ohmpilot for using solar energy for heat generation?
The Ohmpilot uses surplus energy specifically to heat water. Its ability to provide continuous regulation from almost 0 to 9 kW enables surplus energy to be fed efficiently to the consumers in the household, allowing owners to use all the electricity they generate. The main application areas of the Ohmpilot are heating elements in boilers and buffer storage tanks, although it can also be used with infrared heaters or towel radiators. It can control two heating elements. Another impressive feature is its ease of installation: communications are handled using the universal WLAN, LAN or Modbus RTU interfaces. The consumption regulator is incredibly easy to install and is commissioned online via the installed web interface. The clean and reliable activation of the consumers protects the grid and extends the service life of the heating system.
Tell us how to use your Solar.web for PV system analysis
With the Fronius Solar.web online portal, photovoltaic systems can easily and conveniently be monitored, analysed and compared with one another. The portal is very user-friendly and a comprehensive range of analysis functions is included. Photovoltaic system operators have two versions of Fronius Solar.web to choose from: Fronius Solar.web or Fronius Solar.web Premium. Fronius Solar.web is a free tool that provides you with an overview of all the current and archive data for your photovoltaic system. For recording more detailed system data over a longer time period, Fronius Solar.web Premium contains several additional functions. Using the free Fronius Solar.TV online portal, these PV system values can be transmitted onto a standard commercial display and effectively presented in public spaces.
