Fox ESS - Inverter Reviews

About Fox ESS

Fox ESS is a Chinese manufacturer of solar inverters, batteries, and EV chargers.  It was created as a subsidiary of a large metallurgical company in 2019 and has made significant inroads into the Australian inverter and home battery markets since then. This review page is on their solar inverters.

Australian Contact Details

Fox ESS has an Australian office in Melbourne:

Address: 53 Willow Avenue, Springvale VIC 3171
Telephone: 1300 377 369
Email: [email protected] 
Australian website

Company Info

Fox ESS hasn't been around that long, only being founded in 2019, but its parent company -- Tsingshan Holding Company -- was founded in 1988 and is a giant stainless steel producer with annual revenue in the tens of billions. This gives Fox ESS solid financial backing, but it's not a guarantee of financial stability, as Tsingshan Holdings itself was on the ropes for a while after losing around US$1 billion when the price of nickel went nuts for a few days in March 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

After being founded in 2019, Fox ESS began production of solar inverters in Wenzhou City in Zhejiang Province. In 2021 they opened a factory with the ability to produce 12GW of solar inverters per year. They claim it produces one every 25 seconds. The company also has an advanced R&D centre in Wuxi.

Fox ESS Inverters In Australia

Fox ESS offers a solar energy ecosystem that includes a range of AC and hybrid single- and three-phase inverters with capacities of 0.7 to 25 kilowatts; suitable for residential and small to medium-sized commercial plants. Here's a brief look at some of the units available in Australia, approved by the Clean Energy Council for installation here.

F, G And T Series

The dual-MPPT F Series range in single-phase offers 3.0 - 6.0kW models. The F Series is IP65 rated and "battery ready" when paired with a Fox ESS charge controller. These inverters, with an operating temperature range of -25 °C to 60 °C, measure 402 x 476.5 x 148 mm and weigh 15.5 kilograms. Their maximum efficiency is 97.4%.

The single-phase G series is available in 7,8,9,10, and 10.5kW capacities. Also IP65 rated and the same operating temperature range as the F, these units have a maximum efficiency of 97.8%. All G-Series inverters measure 440 x 380 x 167mm and weigh in at 19 kilograms

FoxESS also offers a three-phase range, the T-Series (G3), with capacities ranging from 3kW to 25kW. The T-Series boasts a low start-up voltage, wide voltage range and up to 98.6% maximum efficiency.

Hybrid H1/AC1 And H3/AC3

The single-phase H1/AC1 is available in 3kW, 3.7kW, 4.6kW, 5kW and 6kW capacities, all with 2 MPPTs. These units measure 434 x 418 x 185mm and weigh 22 kilograms. They have an operating temperature range of -25 ~ 60C. 

Offering a switching time of <20 milliseconds, the H1/AC1 series can handle battery voltages of 80 ~ 480V. But the only batteries these hybrid inverters can work with appear to be FoxESS batteries.

In three-phase hybrid inverters is the H3/AC3 in 5 - 12 kW capacities. These are compatible with the Fox ESS range of high-voltage batteries, enabling a storage capacity of up to 33.24 kWh. Furthermore, up to 10 H3/AC3 inverters can be connected in parallel.

Monitoring of Fox ESS inverters can be carried out in real-time via a smartphone app or web portal using the company's cloud platform.

Warranty Information

The standard product warranty is 10 years from the date of installation, but no more than one hundred and thirty-two months from the date of manufacture - whichever comes first.

But if an F series inverter is registered via the Fox ESS website within 36 months from the date of manufacture of the Product, an additional 2 years of warranty will be provided. This "FoxPlus" warranty covers the cost of repairing the inverter only.

Full warranty coverage beyond ten years is available for an added fee. It can extend the warranty to up to 20 years - which is a very long time for an inverter; even very good quality ones. But like any company, whether Fox ESS will be around to honour it remains to be seen.