Fronius: Generating solar power at 2,300 metres above sea level

Fronius Solar Energy supports solar energy plants across the world. Their varied portfolio means the solar technology specialists always have the right solution to hand – perfectly tailored to country and user-specific requirements.

Fronius recently installed an inverter for the photovoltaic system of an Iranian cement manufacturer – at 2,300 metres above sea level. The operator is able to monitor the system using the Fronius Solar.web analysis tool and it is incredibly easy to update the software through remote inverter software updates.

The company also benefits from the unique Fronius Service Partner programme, the fastest service partner programme on the market, allowing Fronius to be on the ground with specially trained partners when needed.

“With its vision of 24 hours of sun and a future in which global energy requirements are supplied solely through renewable resources, Fronius Solar Energy is furthering the use of photovoltaic systems in all parts of the world”, explains Martin Hackl, head of Solar Energy at Fronius International GmbH.

Iran as a future market

The situation regarding solar energy plants is very positive in Iran right now: the country’s government is supporting the construction of photovoltaic systems with a generous, long-term feed-in tariff. This provides an attractive incentive for companies and private households to invest in renewable energy.

Fronius has recognised the potential in the Iranian market: “With the help of our service partners, we have been providing private and commercial system operators with high-quality, easy-to-install inverters since 2016”, reports Benjamin Fischer, Area Sales Manager at Fronius Solar Energy.

Customers in Iran benefit from the unique Fronius PC board replacement concept. “It is a simple job for our service partners to replace a PC board on site where required and, so rectify the fault there and then. This means we offer the fastest inverter service on the market”, continues Fischer. To date in Iran, Fronius has equipped hundreds of 5 to 20 kilowatt systems, a few 100 kilowatt systems and even a 1.2 and 1.5-megawatt system, with their technology.

Fronius Symo inverter: robust, powerful and reliable 

“The latter project was not only unique due to the large output generated”, according to Fischer. The Shahrekord Cement Company site is 2,300 meters above sea level in the city of Shahrekord, also known as the “Roof of Iran”.

The region is prone to hot summers and cold winters, with ambient temperatures varying between - 10 and + 50 degrees Celsius – conditions that could complicate this type of project right from the outset.

Fronius supplied the Fronius Symo 76 to achieve the best results at this extreme altitude. These inverters are particularly robust, working powerfully and reliably at temperatures between -40 and +60 degrees Celsius.

Using this system, the cement manufacturer has achieved a total yield of 2,953 megawatt hours per year, which it feeds back to the grid. It is very easy for the operator to monitor and analyse the system using the Fronius Solar.web monitoring tool.

Remote inverter software updates mean software updates can be installed quickly and efficiently with just a click of the mouse, without going near the system. Additionally, the cement manufacturer benefits from having access to a comprehensive after-sales service through Fronius, plus a five-year warranty on materials. 

“Through our inverters, we provide solutions to users all over the world that can be deployed extremely flexibly to suit different installation sites and individual requirements”, concludes Fischer.