Fronius Primo Gen24 Plus Review - Is It Worth The Hype?

Pick any list of the top inverter brands, and you will find the Austrian giant Fronius on it. When it comes to reliability and efficiency, most installers swear by it. And we are here to discuss one of the latest, most important additions by the brand - the Fronius Primo Gen24 Plus.

The Primo is Fronius’ first single-phase hybrid inverter with demand-oriented backup power. It comes with power categories between 3 and 6 kW, and boasts some exciting features such as the PV Point, Multi-flow technology, and an innovative cooling system. Let’s dive into some more details in this comprehensive Fronius Primo Gen24 Plus Review.

Key Features

1. PV Point

The inverter comes with a list of features, many of them unique to the brand, but the most impressive one is the PV Point - an integrated socket supplied with electricity when backup power is needed.

Ask any installer about their most awkward moment in business, and they’ll tell you it’s the one where they are explaining islanding protection and the customer says “What? It doesn’t power my home when grid power goes down? What sense does it make then?!”

In most countries, islanding protection is an important norm wherein if there is a power outage, all solar power systems must stop supplying power in order to protect any technicians or equipment on the grid-side.

Though necessary, this means your solar power system is essentially useless in a power outage unless you have a battery system. This isn’t always convenient, especially in areas where blackouts are a bit common. The PV Point allows the inverter to supply up to 3000W of solar power to the house without battery backup, when grid power goes down.

2. Hybrid Tech

Most inverters so far were either grid-tied or off-grid, but the Primo Gen24 Plus has hybrid technology that allows you to use it for both on or off-grid applications. The device allows parallel operation with the modular BYD Battery-Box Premium HVS/HVM in combination - enabling storage capacity of up to a striking 57.96 kWh!

3. Active Cooling and SuperFlex Design

If you check the designs of a few different inverters, you will find the air vents and the cooling fan in one of the farther corners of the unit. Fronius does a bold take on this by placing the fan right in the front and centre of the unit. The air is drawn in and flows over a thoughtfully designed layout of fins.

According to the company, this ensures that the Primo always keeps a cool head and guarantees the full yield, even at high temperatures. The heart of the inverter, the sensitive power electronics, is thereby protected against so-called hot spots and the service life is extended.

Thanks to active cooling, Fronius is able to offer what they call the SuperFlex design, which means the unit can be installed in a variety of ways - from wall-mounted to just sitting on the ground, indoor or outdoor.

4. Connectivity

The Primo comes with WLAN connection as standard and easy Ethernet connectivity. This allows effortless integration of third-party components such as home automation systems. It also comes with energy management functions so customers can always stay on top of their energy consumption.

Among other features of the Primo Gen24 Plus is its Multi Flow Technology, which smartly manages power flow from various sources in both directions, optimizing for maximum savings. Fronius also makes a point to mention its service concept, whereby individual parts can be replaced, guaranteeing easy repair and therefore contributing to the product’s sustainability credentials.

Lastly, the shading-tolerant algorithm of the Dynamic Peak Manager also ensures that the maximum yield is always generated.

Key Specs

At its 3-6 kW output, the Primo is aimed mainly at private households. Its DC input voltage range starts at 65 V and goes up to 600 V, allowing strings to be implemented from just three PV modules. Here’s a list of the most important specifications of the device.

Drawbacks

The Primo is an almost perfect inverter with very few flaws. The first in this exceptionally short list is its compatibility with batteries. The device is compatible only with a BYD battery box. Although BYD makes excellent batteries, it would have been great to have the flexibility of choosing your own make and model for a battery bank.

Another apparent drawback of the Primo is its higher than average cost. However, this is a subjective point and most can argue that for the brand and the features offered, the price is justified.

Conclusion: Should You Buy the Fronius Primo Gen24 Plus?

With an unbearably large number of options available in the market, choosing the perfect inverter for your solar power system is almost as hard as finding a life partner. Obviously, like any other commodity, there is no single perfect product that will suit everyone’s needs.

The Fronius Primo Gen24 Plus, however, does come close to being the superhero inverter we always needed. Its signature Fronius quality coupled with a stellar set of unique features, make it a highly attractive option for home solar systems.

The unit is light and compact and yet manages to fit in quite a bit of smartness in it. The incredible PV Point, Multi flow and active cooling features make the product stand apart from other available choices. It has countless open interfaces for linking together the energy, storage, mobility, heating and cooling sectors.

Fronius proudly claims to have built this model keeping in mind their vision toward ‘24 hours of sun’ - a world powered 100% with renewables. The company’s solar unit’s global director Martin Hackl quotes - “We’ve packed it (Fronius Primo Fen24 Plus) full of future-proof technology to make it possible to get the most out of the photovoltaic system over the decades.” 

And with that, we hardly disagree!