Active Cooling Technology

Active Cooling - a plus for every Photovoltaic system

As temperatures rise, the challenges for inverters and PV systems in general increase. High ambient temperatures have a direct influence on the yield and service life of a PV system and can impact it negatively. This is why Fronius relies on active cooling technology, which keeps the inverter’s power electronics at a constantly low temperature, thus providing numerous advantages from the planning of a PV system to ongoing operation.

THE ADVANTAGES OF ACTIVE COOLING TECHNOLOGY AT A GLANCE

Thanks to their active cooling systems, Fronius inverters offer greater flexibility in terms of design and installation from the planning stage onwards. Costs are also reduced in the operating phase as little or no maintenance is required. However, the main advantages of an active cooling system are the longer service life and higher yield due to better performance:

Longer service life
Higher yield
Flexibility in system design
Simple and flexible installation
Low maintenance costs

How active cooling works

20 MW PV System with Fronius Eco in Tarlac City, Philippines

Active cooling technology explained simply

The electronic components inside inverters react very sensitively to high temperatures. Inverters need to be cooled to prevent these components from overheating. In the case of Fronius inverters, active cooling technology is used as standard in all devices. Its aim is to proactively avoid heat fields by using interior fans and to remove warm air in a controlled manner. One or more fans ensure that the air inside the inverter circulates and keeps the temperature low.

By contrast, passive cooling technology – as used in many inverters on the market – relies on natural convection. Large heat sinks are used to keep the internal temperature down.

Innovative cooling technology used in GEN24

With the new Fronius GEN24 inverter generation, the challenge was to optimise cooling capacity still further, within a particularly space-saving and compact design. The result is a highly efficient cooling system consisting of a heat sink and a fan that optimally cools the power electronic components inside the inverter.

The heart of the cooling system is an innovative fan housing, which is integrated into a recess of a die-cast aluminium heat sink with specially arranged cooling fins. The fan housing ensures ideal pressure conditions, allowing optimal intake of ambient air and air flow through the system.

The purpose of the fan is to keep the power electronics at a low temperature
Heat is dissipated via the cooling fins
The fan ensures that air circulates inside the inverter and hot spots are avoided

Advantages of active cooling technology

Longer service life

The performance of the inverter’s electronic components is highly temperature-dependent. The higher the temperature and the more the components are subject to temperature fluctuations, the higher the probability of failure.

Studies show that a temperature increase of only 10 degrees Celsius in the higher temperature range halves the service life of power electronics. With active cooling, the temperature in the interior is kept constantly low. Fronius inverters therefore have a longer service life than inverters with passive cooling.

Higher yields

To prevent electronic components from overheating, an inverter is always power derated, i.e. the output power is reduced. Inverters with active cooling technology have a clear advantage here, especially in the higher temperature ranges.

Since the inverters are significantly cooler inside, they only start to reduce their output power at higher ambient temperatures. This has a positive effect on the yield. The inverters deliver higher yields, thereby reducing the payback period of the investment.

*1 passive cooling

*2 active cooling

Roof-top PV installation with different angles in France

Flexibility in system design

Thanks to active cooling technology, Fronius inverters are also highly flexible in terms of system design. Since more heat can be dissipated, higher amperages are allowed, so that more parallel strings can be connected. This means that significantly more asymmetrical system designs can be realised.

Simple and flexible installation

Thanks to active cooling, the inverters are also extremely flexible with regard to installation. Fronius inverters can be mounted vertically, horizontally and even flat on the roof. The intelligent active airflow also makes it possible to mount the inverters side by side.

With the GEN24, cool air is drawn in centrally and warm air is discharged via the cooling fins. Moreover, since no heat sinks are required, the inverters are very easy to transport and install due to their low weight.

PV roof-top installation in Vietnam - Fronius Eco inverters

Low maintenance costs

In contrast to inverters with passive cooling, Fronius inverters are basically maintenance-free. As a result, running costs are very low and maintenance costs can be kept low throughout the entire life of the inverter.

Active cooling in action

These systems rely on the active cooling technology. To our references

Active Cooling Technology in these Fronius solutions

Active cooling technology is integrated as standard in all Fronius inverters, both in the SnapINverter series and in the Fronius Tauro and Fronius GEN24 product family.

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