AURORA ( ABB ) INVERTER REVIEW
This inverter was initially called an Aurora inverter, then ABB inverter, and now a FIMER solar inverter. Read more below to learn about it.
2020 AURORA UPDATE – Did yours just break?
We are still here and still replacing dead Aurora inverters. You can see the inverter replacement prices here.
The Error 31 code on the Aurora is probably the most common solar inverter fault that we get.
If you have a faulty Aurora or ABB inverter, get in touch with us. We will have you up and running in no time with a shiny new inverter, with a great new warranty!
ABB inverters are now called FIMER
ABB have now been renamed as FIMER inverters. They are very good inverters these days, with all the issues that they first had 6+ years ago, all solidly ironed out.
The recent transition of FIMER inverters from ABB, that were also once AURORA, happened in March this year. They have worked hard over the years to make sure they can offer one of the best inverters on the market. They have kept tweaking and tweaking the inverter to make it bullet-proof. Many of us in the industry used to laugh at this inverter. Now we recognise it as one of the best you can buy. Definitely an inverter for anyone to consider, residential or commercial!
Buy ABB Inverters at our shop.
The Aurora inverter is now known as the ABB inverter, since the ABB takeover a couple of years ago.
Ahhh, The Aurora Inverter… Yes, the solar inverter is made in europe, Italy in fact. I suppose with this being the case, you would assume it is great? Well, we think it’s the worst inverter going. So terrible in fact, we wont even use it!
We tell our customers we will not sell them an Aurora Inverter – We Just wont!
My quarterly electricity bill is only around $525 per Quarter, Do I really need a 6kw solar system?
ABB talk Aurora and Uno inverter in June 2016 – And how SMA have dropped the ball.
We think you may not EVEN GET AN ITALIAN MADE ONE… It appears many are coming out of USA now. This could explain the poor performance and reliability we have seen from our previous installs of Aurora inverters lately. There now appears to be USA made Aurora inverters.
Chinese Made Aurora inverters. please see here. These are not the STRING INVERTERS going on your house. Power-one is now ABB
This ‘premium inverter’ costs nearly as much as a German SMA Sunnyboy. (Unanimously considered the best inverter you can buy)
The Aurora, which we have found to be not-so-impressive costs over $1000 dollars more than a cheap Chinese inverter, which works the same.
We have seen so many failures from these Aurora Inverters! – Loud, humming, LCD stops displaying, failures. We have had them all e.t.c
We are also not enjoying replacing these inverters (an annoying and embarrassing job we are doing far too often)
ABB is just too slow at hooking us up with replacement inverters. Hearing of stories, where it has taken other installers in the industry near 12 weeks to get a replacement out – so much for shelling out that bit extra for a ‘European upgrade’
We believe, Power ONE Aurora really need to lift their game with the solar inverters. It is in our opinion, that for a long time they have piggybacked off the obsession with consumers wanting European gear for their solar fit-out. We hope this attitude has not proved to have dire consequences for the bloke opting for the Italian made Aurora.
The wireless capabilities on these inverters are something that we have found to be really behind the eight ball. We find the Aurora wireless additional purchase hard to work with.
If you want one, we will not sell you one. Sorry. We don’t want to go backwards installing something, only to come back to your home or business at a later date, only to replace the failed inverter! However, we will happily recommend you to look at the ever-impressive SMA Sunnyboy.
We would like to say if you do go and get one… Best of luck. There have been many people happy with their Aurora inverter, perhaps you could be one too. You can find many other Aurora Inverter Review on the internet with some very happy buyers and users.
We hope you have enjoyed this Aurora Inverter Review.
www.power-one.com/renewable-energy
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we are Dissapointed with our Aurora 5kw inverter. Had it installed in Feb’12 and two days ago it gave us a reading of Int. Error E031. I have been advised that this means our inverter has major internal faults & needs replacing. Is this correct as at present I have not been able to put my hands on the manual I was left at time of installation. Feeling ripped off.
Yes, We have found that many Sales people in the industry try and pull the wool over a potential solar consumers eyes by simply saying these are better, just because they come from Italy – Not China. Funny logic that. I cannot understand how people think that the geographic location of where a product is manufactured is the ‘be all and end all’ Apple Iphones and Ipads are seen to be known universally as absoulute HIGH QUALITY products – However these are MADE IN CHINA by the thousands. Germany made the Hindenburg… It’s all relative to nothing. The failure rates on Auroras that we have installed in the past is the only reason why we do not use them. You are best to replace them with a JFY inverter, B & B Power Inverter, or if you must spend big money again, an SMA inverter.
Please keep us up to date with your dealings with Aurora – Please contact ABB Aurora in Australia here;
Name Australia Contact Center
Phone 1800 222 435 (24×7 within Australia)
+61 2 9738 2277 (outside Australia)
Fax + 61 3 8577 7001
I hope QLD Solar and Lighting has been of assistance to you!
Also got error E031 after 3 years on my aurora 3.6 …
where are you located, these inverters are really beginning to fall over like flys!
we also have error E031 and system not even 2 years old. Company we purchased from is now in administration and unable to get anyone to assist us. Located Recliffe area and is a 5 kW 22 panel system
I have an Aurora (Power One) 4.2 inverter installed Feb 2011. Salesman extolled virtues of “Italian” workmanship and preference over others. System failed a month ago (4 years almost to the day) with error message E031. Given the run around by company that supplied original. Took them approx three weeks to submit warranty claim to Power One. Power One tells me that it is two weeks for dispatch of replacement part to original supplier….and god only knows how long it will take them to do the refit. In the meantime loss of at least six weeks worth of production which will give me a bill and no cash to pay off loan for the original installation. Not good. Unimpressed by service from an industry under the gun from the stupidity of government. The words ‘self-defeating’come to mind!
Hey Dick,
I cannot believe that the Italian Aurora that everyone in the industry have been talking up for so long, has proved to be a complete failure. I have heard that they are struggling when it comes to replacement in an adequate time frame. This is why we now only sell JFY and SMA inverters. There is no problem at all with some Chinese inverters, especially when a PREMIUM EUROPEAN inverter that you pay over $1000 for an ‘upgrade’ for continues to give great customers like you so much grief. Best of luck, and let me know how it goes!
I have a 6kW Aurora inverter and it’s never missed a beat!
It’s quiet, wirelessly connects to my PC and it’s reliable. I have saved hundreds of dollars on my electricity bill and I never have never had a problem with the Aurora – recommend it to anyone.
Daniel,
I have an Aurora inverter that I purchased from Ingenero (who are now in administration).
Just noticed an E031 error today which I gather is very serious.
Would you be able to give me some help in working out who to contact to get some help?
David
Hi David,
Sorry to hear that you have also experienced an Aurora inverter failure. Please contact ABB to see if they can arrange a replacement for you!
Best of luck with it!
I have a Aurora 5 kw for the past 3-4 years , it has been a night mare trying to figure out why it keeps stopping and starting every few minutes, I hate it and when I can get some money I will rip it off the wall and get one that does what it’s suppose to do.. the firm went broke years ago ..
Hi Robb,
yes Aurora inverters seem to be a problem. Try contcting ABB!
This is a bit old but, My Aurora 5Kw Inverter was also doing this recently and if you look at the display check the grid voltage. The grid was at arround 263V wich is away above the inverter trip parameter. I contacted Ergon Energy who said nothing wrong with their grid supply. It wasnt until my installer rang Ergon they sent a crew out to check and fount a faulty Voltage reg nearby and repaired it,and now grid voltage is 240v as it should be and inverter connects ok. Just hope it stays working after reading this forum.
Thanks for the heads up on the Aurora inverters! We are planning our system right now and preparing our site for our ground mounted system. We were offered an Aurora inverter with Avancis solar panels and told they were very good inverters and panels! We will now purchase a different inverter! Still looking at panels made in America. Thanks and we will probably go with an SMA reading these reviews! Sincerely, Larry
Just had issues with my Aurora 2Kw PVI-2000-OUTD-AU model. Error Code 001 – input OC.
What a monumental waste of money that Aurora was. I bought it as the “upgrade” when NuEnergy (now unreachable!) did the install in 2010. It took 7 months to get the thing when first ordered and it lasted less than 50 days past the 5 year warranty.
When we chased ABB to see if they’d still honour the warranty they were lighning-fast in saying “nope”, but they would be happy to sell me a new one! What kind of genetic throwback would I have to be to pay good money for another Aurora lol!
Looking at other posts and speaking to three service companies it seems unanimous – Aurora inverters make great paperweights, and that’s pretty much the extent of their usefulness.
If you are reading this and wondering whether or not to buy the Aurora, don’t do it. The product line is lousy, the service non existent and ABB are one of the least customer-focused companies around. That ticks every box for the “Best product to avoid at all costs” award if you ask me.
Excellent review.
I am installer and agree that the ABB inverter since being made in China does not have the same quality. Failure rates are very 5 times worse than when PowerOne owned the company and made the inverter in Europe.
Consumers be careful that you arent duped into buying something that’s European made when it clearly comes from china now..
Thanks Peter?
So the residentail inverters are made in China now? They have really proved to be a dud solar inverter in recent years.
I have recently noticed our 4.5 kw inverter showing the error code E031 as well – the young chap that attended was excellent but the product is obviously faulty and it appears the company knew this a long time ago and has failed to advise consumers or do a recall on the product. ours was installed in 2012 and according to the power bill has been un operational for the last 3 months at least. reported fault in January 2015 and they are saying a new inverter can not be installed till possibly the end of February. No reset on warrenty and no compensation for power bill. Looks like a visit to the ombudsman might be the order of the day. IF YOUR THINKING OF BUYING I suggest getting an alternative other than this one.
Hi Kim,
very unfortunate situation you are in because you bought an Aurora ABB inverter. Inverter is still within Warranty period, please contact ABB and they should arrange to have a replacement inverter sent out.
Just had my 2nd failed Aurora 4.2kw inverter in 4 yrs. This time with error E031. awaiting a “refurbished” one now
yeah mate, good to see ABB are replacing the inverter though. Next time you might want to give SMA a crack – but keep mind, they all fail. Props to ABB for replacing.
Hi, our Aurora 2kw Inverter is showing a fault (Orange Light)after getting the installer to take a look it blew up.It is still in warranty,How can I contact the maker for a replacement.
When you say contact ABB who are they and what is their email or phone number.
Thanking you
Mary & Allen.
Phone: 1800 222 435 (24×7 within Australia)
Hello, my Aurora Power One inverter display panel and LEDs are no longer lit up. It is making ticking noises. Saw a swarm of ants in one of the PV array DC isolators on the day I discovered the ticking noise. Any idea what it may be please?
Hi Mark,
Best to contact ABB or your installer in this case, could have something to do with the ants, also could be something entirely different.
Future Sustainability have closed down and all warranty claims are to be sent to ABB Solar
Thanks for that Miles Davies.
my 5kw aurora invertor failed with the e031 error after 4 years had to wait 2 weeks and was,nt told it would be a refurbished one also i had all 20 panels replaced due to yellowing this is not a cosmetic issue like they will try and tell you dig your heels in and mention the office of fair trading
Hi Mick, what company did your install?
Horan and bird townsville
I have just had a my 5KW Aurora Inverter show up with error… E031
after 3and a bit years…
Hi Daniel, we have a power one Aurora inverter 4 years this month, the display is reading ‘missing grid’.
Please contact ABB Australia. Yet another dead ABB Aurora inverter…
Hi Sean, I had the same problem with my Aurora inverter just recently. This is probably coming too late for you but others might benefit. …. but I fixed it by exposing the main insulated wire going to the grid and giving it a little pull up and down… and it all started up again !! My guess is that main 240V wire is connected with a spring-type connection inside the unit, which had became too loose, and I tightened it ! How clever am I ?
ps Auroras are frustrating crap. This is my third one in 5 years.
Perth here.
We have the Aurora PVI-3600 (ID) which was installed 29/11/2011 and up until recently has been quite good. Noticed a larger than normal power bill this week and checked and found a “clock fail” fault message. Reset the time/date but same fault comes up when the minute clicks over. Do these have a battery back up? I wont open it until a receive an answer from Infinity Home Energy re warranty who we initially purchased our setup from. They were very good to deal with and the installers they used were pretty neat with no clean up required.
My second Aurora inverter has recently gone the way of the first with the display reading E-Total 0, Time grid 0, E-today 0kWh whilst everything else appears to be working? The first time this happened me supplier replaced the inverter. Let’s see what happens this time…
Our Aurora PVI-5000-OUTD failed after 4 years and ABB refused to honour warranty due to some corrosion on a 3rd party component. They look for any reason to void warranty – beware! If still deciding, don’t buy Aurora…
My Aurora PVI-3600 died at the end of August. Sent the details to the supplier Eviren for replacement and have been told this takes around 4 weeks? I’ve also spoken with ABB a week ago to find out how long I will be waiting and they said maybe another 2 weeks….
yes. I think its best to steer clear of ABB inverters obviously.
I think you’ll find that Aurora inverters on average fair no worse than any others. For the type of electronics required to convert the relatively low voltage high current power to 230V, you simply can’t get a reliable inverter for the money consumers would be willing to pay. The cost of replacement inverters is one of those things solar companies (and the government and media) fail to take into account when they are spruking the benefits of solar.
I believe they are one of the worst inverters.
We purchased an Aurora inverter in 2012. Just noticed the E301 message. It will take about 4 weeks to replace with a reconditioned Aurora model which means the warranty will expire in about 8 months. What are the chances that a reconditioned unit will last long? Not good clearly. So the warranty is useless. I definitely won’t purchase another Aurora. Time to research other brands and investigate warranty details and value for money.
meh, I would just get the replacement Aurora in as you are entitled to, and purchase one when that ones dies. No benefit at all in purchasing a new one now. What if the replacement AURORA lives on for 10+ years? Truth is you could install a German SMA, and have it die a the 5.5 yr mark
Hi Daniel
We have an Aurora Power One. With he change in solar rebate scheme they suggest we find out about our meter. Do you know if they are a net or digital meter? Solar was already installed in the house we bought.
Thanks
You would have to have anelectrician look at your metering, or ask Energy supplier.
We installed a Aurora inverter in 2011 and in 2014 inverter failed with EO 31 fault.New inverter installed which failed 3 years later,Jan17.There was a clicking noise in the inverter.Rang ABB and they said put in a claim form.But this was rejected because it was 6 years since first installation.You had to ring them to find out what was happening with the claim and when they said they would ring back, they didnt.So much for customer service and goodwill.
yes, they are making good use of the 5 year inverter warranty.
Our Auroa has packed a sad, installed in 2011. Trying to contact ABB is impossible, they should be taken out of business.
Have a Aurora 3.6 PVI OD Model. One day in March, it suddenly stopped production and displayed the E031 error code (I have an Energy monitor in the house, so I knew straight away something was wrong with solar production). So, rang Energy Matters (the retailer) straight away and they raised the case with ABB as it had 5 year warranty. The inverter had been running 3 years 9 months. Two months later, ABB finally sent a service agent out and replaced with it a new 3.6 PVI OD model (heat sink design has changed a little). So, I lost about 600kWH+ solar production waiting 2 months for ABB to replace the faulty unit. Not good, if they want advocate solar energy. I hope the new unit will give many years of service as it will run out of warranty in July 2018!
Have acquired an Aurora PVI-3.0-TL-OUTD inverter.
Firstly are they worth installing and secondly I hear they are no longer legal in Victoria, is this correct.
I wouldn’t install it. If it is 2nd hand I wouldn’t imagine you could.
Aurora 4.2kw system, joining the throng of error 31’s. Biggest mistake of my life. Diamond cell solar out of business and 5yrs and 2 mths since installation. No warranty with ABB.
what is the best inverter
Fronius is the best, and if you want a good cheap inverter, we recommend Zeversolar, owned by German company SMA
Six years of Aurora inverter PVI-2000-UK (Ying Li 12 panels) Aurora highly rated here in the UK no trouble with mine. when we had our system installed you had to take what the supplier could get due to a then shortage. Feed in tariff means system cost repaid in 9 years,the inverter guaranteed ten years,company fortunately still in business ( unlike many!)
mate, fantastic. We here experience many troubles with ABB inverters in Australia
I have a Aurora PVI3600 installed in 2010.
Yesterday I noted a ‘clock fail’ message. I reset the date and time and today the same message has appeared.
Any ideas on the issue.
Thanks heaps.
Meaghan (Melbourne)
Re[lace the battery inside the unit (coin cell)
There is a battery in my PVI6000 . There is probably one in your PVI3600 also. Check your manual or look on line for manual.
I recently looked up manual as had W003 error which was a
” GRID FAILURE”.
The system had to be reset as the AC breaker open circuited.
Have since replaced AC breaker as it appeared to be getting reasonably hot. All OK at present.
Other readings when fault occurred was
V Grid 252 volt
T Inverter 52 degrees C
Anyone know if these readings are in normal range
Installed the Aurora PVI3.0 in June 2012. Recently received an usual power bill from Ergon. Was told system has not been feeding the grid for a while. Checked the inverter and found E031 message.
Installer has checked it and said that it is out of warranty and has packed it! He has quoted me $1990 to remove and install a Fronius.
That’s about right
we also have a 5kw aurora invertor with an E031 error,a year after we had all 20 solar panels replaced because they were also faulty lucky they were still covered under warranty not so lucky with the aurora inverter though.
Yeah, the Aurora inverter is Trash. Italian Trash
Aurora sorry I used
I have a Aurora 3.6 it’s just out of warranty
Got error 031 message which means it’s terminal
ABB would not come to the party