FoxESS inverter and battery review
Company Background
Compared to most of the well established battery and inverter companies, Fox is very new player with very big plans. Established in early 2019, Fox is a subsidiary of Tsingshan Holdings, the worlds largest stainless steel producer and owner of the worlds largest Nickel mine. This is an interesting combination as Nickel is not only a critical component for producing stainless steel but also a key ingredient in lithium-ion battery manufacturing, in particular the powerful lithium NMC batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
The company FoxESS focuses on R&D, production and sales of inverters and lithium batteries; providing energy storage products and smart energy management solutions for residential properties, industrial buildings and commercial enterprises. The current Fox R&D and manufacturing center is located in Wuxi, China with a monthly production capacity of 10k inverters, and 3000 lithium battery systems however, Fox is constructing a massive new advanced manufacturing facility in Wenzhou with an impressive production volume of 1 million inverters and 300,000 battery systems annually.
Fox Solar and Hybrid Inverters
Fox has a wide range of solar inverters including grid tie solar and hybrid varieties for single and three-phase applications. Below is the full list of Fox inverters currently listed with the CEC, plus the upcoming models.
E series : Single-phase grid tie 3kW and 3.6kW
F series : Single-phase grid tie 4.6kW to 6kW
T series : Three-phase grid tie 3kW to 25kW
H1 series : Single-Phase Hybrid inverter from size 3kW to 6kW.
AC1 series : Single-Phase AC charger from size 3kW to 6kW
All in One : Single-phase All in One Hybrid & AC charger 3 kW to 6 kW
F series solar inverters
The flagship model from Fox is the slick-looking F series inverters which are available in 4.6kW to 6kW sizes and feature a low startup voltage and 2 x MPPTs with a wide operating voltage range from 80V to 550V, plus an input current rating of 12.5A and a maximum of 15A making them suitable for the larger, more powerful panels on the market.
Fox solar inverters about built with some very high quality electronic components
The unique inverter heat sink design to improve passive cooling
For a new inverter manufacturer, Fox has some impressive and innovative features including a clever rear heat sink design which is claimed to increase the surface area by around 30% thus improving the reliability and performance, especially in warmer climates. The build quality and component selection are also commendable with some of the best quality Nippon Chem-con capacitors and power conversion electronic components.
Good heat dissipation is critical to the performance and life of any electrical device, especially solar inverters which are often located in extreme environments including high humidity and direct sunlight.
Fox Batteries
FoxESS have a range of battery options designed for residential and small commercial applications built around the high performance lithium NMC cells. The high-voltage H series battery modules are designed in the common rack mount format enabling easy installation and expansion if required.
To cater for those with an existing solar system, FoxESS has also developed a retro-fit, all-in-one storage system, also known as an AC-coupled BESS. This works using a simple energy meter to measure the energy flow and stores excess solar to be used when required. It also works as a backup power system in the event of a blackout.
Summary
FoxESS surged into the solar and energy storage market with a range of new inverters and batteries aimed at the growing residential solar sector. The focus appears to be quality at an affordable price, which is of course everyone’s favourite combination and backed by a huge multi-national company with a strong emphasis on research and development.
It’s early days and unfortunately we don’t yet have any substantial installer or customer feedback but we will be watching closely to see how the Fox products perform. In the absence of any real-world feedback, the emphasis the company places on using high-end electronic components does give some confidence that FoxESS inverters will perform well for many years.
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