The inverter is a central component of the photovoltaic system. It interfaces the photovoltaic modules with the electrical grid, acts to protect the system and monitors the energy produced by the solar s, among other functions. Despite the advanced technological stage reached by the world's leading manufacturers, the inverter is an electronic equipment subject to failure.
What to do when it fails? There are dozens of brands of inverters being distributed in the Brazilian market. INMETRO certification, which is compulsory for inverters with power up to 10 kW, certifies that the equipment meets the grid connection requirements, but does not guarantee anything about the quality of the equipment or its longevity.
To maximize the return on investment in the photovoltaic system, it is important to choose equipment from well-known manufacturers, which have a long history and an important market share. This choice provides greater guarantee regarding the durability of the equipment. Furthermore, it is important to check whether the manufacturer offers technical in the country, a detail that is often forgotten by consumers.
Offering local technical minimizes risks and reduces generation losses when equipment failures occur. The wait for an inverter to be replaced or repaired can last weeks in some situations, if the manufacturer does not have a technical structure. In addition to the lack of structure, claiming the warranty and requesting repairs can become a headache for the owner of the photovoltaic system.
Thinking about all the difficulties that the photovoltaic market may encounter, the manufacturer Fronius do Brasil invested in building a technical infrastructure for the national market, with a testing and repair laboratory located in São Bernardo do Campo (SP). Defective equipment, when the problem cannot be resolved on site, can be sent to the laboratory and promptly evaluated by a specialized technical team.
Fronius service is not limited to inverter repairs. The company also set up a call center for technical queries, capable of offering the the market needs. The company's objective was to create a space dedicated to maintenance and resolving technical queries regarding its products in Brazil, which speeds up service to installers, distributors and end customers, ensuring greater security for those who purchase their equipment.
“First, the screening is carried out by our call center, where we receive around 300 calls per day. Afterwards, the technicians make remote adjustments and answer any questions. Assuming that there is a problem, we ask that you send the inverter to our headquarters to carry out the repair. We have equipment that reproduces all the tests carried out at the Fronius factory in Austria. After all the repairs, the inverter will be completely new”, explains Alexandre Borin, photovoltaic energy manager at Fronius do Brasil.
According to lawyer Cássio Ribeiro Avila Júnior, a specialist in consumer law, If any equipment presents a manufacturing defect within the warranty period, it is always important to look for whoever installed or sold the product to see if they have any suggestions, as they are responsible for delivering and preparing the product 100% as it was sold. If there is no solution, the next step is to seek the help of a lawyer specializing in consumer law to determine the best path to follow.
Fronius inverter repair center in São Bernardo do Campo (SP)
Fronius Solutions Partner
Alexandre Borin also highlights that the company has had, since last year, the Fronius Solutions Partner program, which trains partners so that they can repair inverters at the installation site, especially in more remote regions, where it takes longer, for For example, send the inverter to São Bernardo do Campo.
Fronius offers its customers a multi-level training program. Customers who reach the maximum level of training become Solutions Partners – partners for solutions, in direct translation – which are companies capable of carrying out local diagnoses and repairs, when possible, on the brand's equipment. Therefore, in addition to the laboratory located in São Bernardo do Campo, Fronius has a wide technical assistance network throughout Brazil.
“This installer, who is a Fronius partner, goes to the end customer where the system is installed and tries to repair the inverter on site, without removing it from its location. He will eventually be able to perform some replacements of the electronic boards that make up the inverter and some tests. If the inverter starts working again, the case is closed and in three or four days, at most, the customer will have the inverter working again. Today, we already have 20 companies in Brazil accredited in this program, and our intention for the coming years is to have at least 20 more companies”, comments Borin.
The expert also highlighted that both the end customer and the installer or distributor can use the services that Fronius offers. “We want to act quickly, effectively and always striving for the best service”, he concludes.
Fronius Perfect Charging celebrates ten years in Brazil
Fronius Perfect Charging, a business unit of the Austrian headquarters that develops technologies and intelligent alternatives for charging batteries, celebrates, this July, ten years of activities in Brazil.
“We arrive with complete solutions and a new look at innovation, operations layout and logistics optimizations – with a focus on sustainability – allowing a much deeper narrative about energy saving, CO2 reduction and fast loads”, said Mariana Kroker, manager commercial of the Perfect Charging division of Fronius do Brasil.
Fronius Perfect Charging celebrates ten years in Brazil with growth of 25% per year
To celebrate ten years of operations, the company, which has shown average growth of 25% per year, will launch in 2020 the Selectiva 4.0 and Logística 4.0 lines, which are solutions for battery chargers. The first units should arrive in the country next August.
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