Fronius Smart Meter 63A-3 Operating instructions

Warnings are intended to warn people of possible injuries and to avoid personal injury and damage to the product. They relate to individual actions with and on the product.

DANGER!

Indicates an immediately dangerous situation.

Serious injury or death will result if the danger is not avoided.

Action step to escape the situation.

WARNING!

Indicates a potentially dangerous situation.

Serious injury or death may result if the danger is not avoided.

Action step to escape the situation.

CAUTION!

Indicates a potentially dangerous situation.

Minor or moderate injury may result if the danger is not avoided.

Action step to escape the situation.

NOTE!

Indicates a situation that may result in property damage.

If the situation is not avoided, impaired work results, material damage to the product or other property are the possible consequences.

Action step to avoid the situation.

Safety instructions are designed to ensure safe product use. They are preventive and help to inform users about the fundamental risks involved when dealing with the product. They do not refer specifically to individual actions with and on the product.

Warnings are intended to warn people of possible injuries and to avoid personal injury and damage to the product. They relate to individual actions with and on the product.

DANGER!

Indicates an immediately dangerous situation.

Serious injury or death will result if the danger is not avoided.

Action step to escape the situation.

WARNING!

Indicates a potentially dangerous situation.

Serious injury or death may result if the danger is not avoided.

Action step to escape the situation.

CAUTION!

Indicates a potentially dangerous situation.

Minor or moderate injury may result if the danger is not avoided.

Action step to escape the situation.

NOTE!

Indicates a situation that may result in property damage.

If the situation is not avoided, impaired work results, material damage to the product or other property are the possible consequences.

Action step to avoid the situation.

Safety instructions are designed to ensure safe product use. They are preventive and help to inform users about the fundamental risks involved when dealing with the product. They do not refer specifically to individual actions with and on the product.

Warnings are intended to warn people of possible injuries and to avoid personal injury and damage to the product. They relate to individual actions with and on the product.

DANGER!

Indicates an immediately dangerous situation.

Serious injury or death will result if the danger is not avoided.

Action step to escape the situation.

WARNING!

Indicates a potentially dangerous situation.

Serious injury or death may result if the danger is not avoided.

Action step to escape the situation.

CAUTION!

Indicates a potentially dangerous situation.

Minor or moderate injury may result if the danger is not avoided.

Action step to escape the situation.

NOTE!

Indicates a situation that may result in property damage.

If the situation is not avoided, impaired work results, material damage to the product or other property are the possible consequences.

Action step to avoid the situation.

Safety instructions are designed to ensure safe product use. They are preventive and help to inform users about the fundamental risks involved when dealing with the product. They do not refer specifically to individual actions with and on the product.

The device has been manufactured in line with the state of the art and according to recognized safety standards.

WARNING!

Incorrect operation or misuse

Serious to fatal injuries to the operator or third parties as well as damage to the device and other property of the operator may result.

All persons involved in the commissioning, maintenance, and servicing of the device must be appropriately qualified and have knowledge of working with electrical installations.

Read these operating instructions in full and follow them carefully and precisely.

The operating instructions must always be kept to hand wherever the device is being used.

IMPORTANT!
In addition to the operating instructions, observe the following general and local rules:

Accident prevention
Fire protection
Environmental protection

IMPORTANT!
Labels, warning notices, and safety symbols are located on the device. A description can be found in these operating instructions.

IMPORTANT!

All safety and danger notices on the device:

Must be kept in a legible state
Must not be damaged/marked
Must not be removed
Must not be covered, have anything stuck on them, or painted over

WARNING!

Tampered-with and non-functioning protection devices

Serious to fatal injuries as well as damage to the device and other property of the operator may result.

Never bypass or disable protection devices.

Any protection devices that are not fully functional must be repaired by an authorized specialist before the device is switched on.

WARNING!

Loose, damaged, or under-dimensioned cables

An electric shock can be fatal.

Use undamaged, insulated, and adequately dimensioned cables.

Fasten the cables according to the specifications in the operating instructions.

Loose, damaged, or under-dimensioned cables must be repaired or replaced immediately by an authorized specialist.

NOTE!

Installations or modifications to the device

The device may be damaged

Do not carry out any alterations, installations, or modifications to the device without first obtaining the manufacturer's permission.

Damaged components must be replaced.

Only use original spare parts.

Operation or storage of the machine outside the stipulated area will be deemed as not in accordance with the intended purpose.

For exact information on permitted environmental conditions, please refer to the technical data.

The Fronius Smart Meter is a bidirectional electricity meter for optimizing self-consumption and recording a household's load characteristic curve. Together with a Fronius inverter or Fronius Datamanager 2.0 and a Fronius data interface, the Fronius Smart Meter allows you to view your own power consumption. The meter measures the energy flow to the loads or to the public grid and forwards the information to the Fronius inverter or Fronius Datamanager 2.0 via the Modbus RTU/RS485 interface.

CAUTION!

Danger due to non-compliance with the safety instructions

Risk of injury and damage to the device as a result.

Follow all safety instructions.

Switch off the power supply before establishing the mains connection.

The Fronius Smart Meter is a bidirectional electricity meter for optimizing self-consumption and recording a household's load characteristic curve. Together with a Fronius inverter or Fronius Datamanager 2.0 and a Fronius data interface, the Fronius Smart Meter allows you to view your own power consumption. The meter measures the energy flow to the loads or to the public grid and forwards the information to the Fronius inverter or Fronius Datamanager 2.0 via the Modbus RTU/RS485 interface.

CAUTION!

Danger due to non-compliance with the safety instructions

Risk of injury and damage to the device as a result.

Follow all safety instructions.

Switch off the power supply before establishing the mains connection.

Technical data, labels, and safety symbols are located on the Fronius Smart Meter. This information must be kept in a legible condition and must not be removed, covered, painted over, or concealed by stickers or labels. The notices and symbols warn against incorrect operation that may result in serious injury and damage.

Symbols on the rating plate:
	CE label The equipment complies with all the requisite and relevant standards and directives that form part of the relevant EU directive, and therefore is permitted to display the CE label.
	RCM (Regulatory Compliance Mark) All relevant regulatory requirements in Australia and New Zealand are complied with in terms of safety and electromagnetic compatibility, as well as special requirements for radio equipment.
	WEEE label To comply with European Directive 2012/19/EU on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and its implementation as national law, electrical equipment that has reached the end of its life must be collected separately and returned to an approved recycling facility. Any device that you no longer require must be returned to your distributor, or you must locate the approved collection and recycling facilities in your area. Ignoring this European Directive may have potentially adverse effects on the environment and your health.

The conventions regarding how information is presented in the document, which are set out below, have been defined in order to increase the readability and comprehensibility of the document.

Application notes

IMPORTANT! Indicates application notes and other useful information. It does not indicate a harmful or dangerous situation.

Software

Software functions and elements of a graphical user interface (e.g., buttons, menu items) are highlighted in the text with this mark up.

Example: Click Save.

Instructions for action

1Action steps are displayed with consecutive numbering.

✓This symbol indicates the result of the action step or the entire instruction.

This document provides detailed information and instructions to ensure that people can use the machine safely and efficiently.

The information is intended for the following groups of people:

Technical specialists: People with appropriate qualifications and fundamental knowledge of electronics and mechanics. The activities of a technical specialist include installation, operation, maintenance, and service work.
User: People that use the machine in daily operation and want to understand its basic functions.

Regardless of any qualifications, only perform the activities listed in this document.

The definition of professional qualifications and their applicability are subject to national law.

With regard to data security, the user is responsible for:

Backing up any changes made to the factory settings
Saving and storing personal settings

NOTE!

Data security for network and Internet connection

Unsecured networks and a lack of safeguards can result in data loss and unauthorized access. Observe the following points for safe operation:

Operate inverters and system components on a private, secure network. A WiFi network is considered secure if security standard WPA 2 is satisfied as a minimum.

Keep the network devices (e.g., WiFi routers) up to date with the latest technology.

Keep the software and/or firmware updated.

Use a wired network to ensure a stable data connection.

For security reasons, do not make inverters and system components accessible from the Internet via port forwarding or Port Address Translation (PAT).

Use the solutions provided by Fronius for monitoring and remote configuration.

The optional communication protocol Modbus TCP/IP¹⁾ is an unsecured interface. Only use Modbus TCP/IP if no other secured data communication protocol (MQTT²⁾) is possible (e.g., compatibility with older Smart Meters).

¹⁾ TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
²⁾ MQTT - Message Queuing Telemetry Protocol

When you connect your device (and any associated devices) to the internet, the following device and operating data (device ID/identifier, device IP address, device time, configuration settings, hardware and software information, device status log files, serial number) is sent automatically to

Fronius International GmbH, Froniusstraße 1, 4643 Pettenbach, Austria, telephone +43(0) 7242241-0, email: contact@fronius.com (controller)

and stored.

The processing of this device and operating data is carried out for the purpose of ensuring the operational safety of the device (time synchronization, provision of updates). This processing is therefore necessary for the functionality of the device and thus for the fulfillment of the contract (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR).

If you do not wish to have such data processed, you must manually disable the device's internet connection.

In addition, the device and operating data is also processed for the purpose of providing services as part of a supplementary digital service for your device (such as solar.web or similar) as soon as you have registered your device with such a digital service (identification). This data is processed to provide the requested digital services and is therefore necessary for the fulfillment of the contract (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR).

Furthermore, this data processing is also carried out for maintenance and support purposes and for handling customer concerns as well as in warranty and guarantee cases (only in individual cases and given connection between device and internet). In this context, the device and operating data may also be passed on to our cooperation partners (third-party providers and suppliers). The processing of this data is necessary for maintenance and support purposes or for processing warranty and guarantee cases and thus for the fulfillment of the contract (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR).

Device and operating data are also processed for analysis and diagnostic purposes in order to gain insights into the functionality of the devices and improve them accordingly. This data processing is based on our legitimate interest (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

We store this data for as long as it is necessary to fulfill the existing contract with you. Any storage beyond this is carried out for legal reasons or if we have a legitimate interest in doing so. For more information on data processing for the solar.web-digital service, as well as our general privacy policy and your rights as a data subject, please visit https://www.fronius.com.

Fronius International GmbH retains the copyrights of these operating instructions.

Text, illustrations, and other media correspond to the technical state of the art at the time of publication. Fronius reserves the right to make changes. If you have any suggestions for improvement or have found a mistake in this document, we would be most grateful for your comments.

The Fronius Smart Meter can be installed at two possible locations in the system, at the feed-in point and at the consumption point.

Positioning at the feed-in point
The positioning of the Fronius Smart Meter at the feed-in point.

Positioning at the consumption point
The positioning of the Fronius Smart Meter at the consumption point.

The Fronius Smart Meter can be installed at two possible locations in the system, at the feed-in point and at the consumption point.

Positioning at the feed-in point
The positioning of the Fronius Smart Meter at the feed-in point.

Positioning at the consumption point
The positioning of the Fronius Smart Meter at the consumption point.

For installation information, see the following chapters:

1Switch off the power supply before establishing a grid connection.

2Mount the Fronius Smart Meter (see Installation on page (→)).

3Connect automatic circuit breakers or automatic circuit breakers and disconnectors (see Protective circuit on page (→)).

4Connect the mains cable to the Fronius Smart Meter (see Cabling on page (→)).

5Connect the output terminals of the Fronius Smart Meter to the Fronius inverter (see Connecting the data communication cable to the inverter on page (→)).

6If necessary, set terminating resistors (see Terminating resistors on page (→)).

7Tug on each wire and plug to make sure that they are securely connected to the terminal blocks.

8Switch on the power supply to the Fronius Smart Meter.

9Check the firmware version of the Fronius inverter. To ensure compatibility between the inverter and the Fronius Smart Meter, the software must always be kept up to date. The update can be started via the inverter web page or using Solar.web.

10If several Fronius Smart Meters are installed in the system, set the address (see "Setting the address" under Setting the address of the Fronius Smart Meter on page (→)).

11Configure and commission the meter (see Commissioning on page (→)).

The Fronius Smart Meter can be mounted on a 35 mm DIN rail. The housing comprises 4 DUs (division units, max. 72 mm).

The Fronius Smart Meter is a hard-wired device and requires a disconnecting device (circuit breaker, switch, or disconnector) and overcurrent protection (automatic circuit breaker).

The Fronius Smart Meter consumes 10 - 30 mA. The nominal capacity of the disconnecting devices and the overcurrent protection is determined by the wire thickness, the mains voltage, and the required breaking capacity.

Disconnecting devices must be mounted within sight and as close as possible to the Fronius Smart Meter; they must also be easy to use.
The disconnecting devices must satisfy the requirements of IEC 60947-1 and IEC 60947-3, as well as all national and local regulations for electrical systems.
Use overcurrent protection rated for max. 63 A.
To monitor more than one mains voltage, use connected automatic circuit breakers.
The overcurrent protection must protect the grid terminals marked L1, L2, and L3. In rare cases, the neutral conductor has an overcurrent protection which must simultaneously interrupt neutral and ungrounded lines.

WARNING!

Danger from mains voltage.

An electric shock can be fatal.

Switch off the power supply before connecting the mains voltage inputs to the Fronius Smart Meter.

IMPORTANT!
Do not install more than one cable per screw terminal. If necessary, use terminal blocks. Rate fuse according to the cross-section of the line.

Current path connection cross-section:

Wire (rigid): min. 1 mm² / max. 16 mm²
Wire (flexible): min. 1 mm² / max. 10 mm²
Recommended torque: 1.2 Nm / max. 1.4 Nm

Data communication and neutral conductor connection cross-section:

Wire (rigid): min. 0.05 mm² / max. 4 mm²
Wire (flexible): min. 0.05 mm² / max. 2.5 mm²
Recommended torque: 0.5 Nm / max. 0.8 Nm

Connect each voltage cable to the terminal strip as shown in the graphic below.

Fronius SnapINverter:
Connect the data communication connections of the Fronius Smart Meter to the Fronius system monitoring in the inverter. Several Smart Meters can be installed in the system, see chapter Multi meter system—Fronius SnapINverter on page (→).

1Connect A to D+.

2Connect B to D-.

3ConnectC to -.

Fronius GEN24 inverter:
Connect the data communication connections of the Fronius Smart Meter to the Modbus interface of the Fronius GEN24 inverter. Several Smart Meters can be installed in the system, see chapter Multi meter system - Fronius GEN24 inverter on page (→).

1Connect A to M1+.

2Connect B to M1-.

3Connect C to GND.

NOTE!

More information on successful commissioning.

Note the following information about connecting the data communication cable to the inverter.

Use cables of type CAT5 or higher.

The maximum cable length between the Fronius inverter and Fronius Smart Meter is 300 meters.

Use a mutual twisted cable pair for data lines that belong together (D+, D- and M1+, M1-).

If the output cables are close to the grid cabling, use wires or cables that are designed for 300 V to 600 V (never less than the operating voltage).

Use double-insulated or sheathed output cables when they are close to bare conductors.

Use shielded twisted pair cables to avoid faults.

The outputs of the Fronius Smart Meter are electrically isolated from hazardous voltages.

	Inverter in the system z. e.g., Fronius Symo
	Meter - Fronius Smart Meter Terminating resistor R 120 Ohm is included in the scope of supply.
	Fronius or third-party device, connection via Modbus RTU e.g., Fronius Ohmpilot, battery, etc.
	Terminating resistor R 120 Ohm

Due to interference, the use of terminating resistors according to the following overview is recommended for flawless operation.

Option 1, inverter and Fronius Smart Meter

Option 2, third-party device Modbus RTU, Fronius Smart Meter and inverter, terminating resistor on the Smart Meter inactive

Option 3, third-party device Modbus RTU, inverter and Fronius Smart Meter, terminating resistor on the inverter active

Option 4, Fronius Smart Meter, third-party device Modbus RTU and inverter, terminating resistor on the third-party device inactive

* The terminating resistor on the Fronius Smart Meter is installed between A and B. The terminating resistor R 120 Ohm is included with the Fronius Smart Meter.

	Grid supplies the loads in the system if insufficient power is being generated by the PV modules or supplied by the battery.
	Inverter in the system e.g., Fronius Primo, Fronius Symo, etc.
	Fronius Smart Meter measures the metering data relevant for the billing of electricity quantities (grid consumption and grid feed-in). Based on the relevant billing data the electricity retailer will invoice for the energy sourced from the grid and the purchaser of the surplus energy will reimburse the energy fed into the grid.
	Primary meter records the load curve of the system and makes the measured data available for energy profiling in Fronius Solar.web. The primary meter controls the dynamic power of feeding in.
	Secondary meter records the load curve of individual generators and loads in the consumption branch and makes the measured data available for energy profiling in Fronius Solar.web.
	Modbus RTU, third-party device e.g., Fronius Ohmpilot, battery, etc.
	Loads in the system e.g., washing machine, lights, television, etc.
	Additional loads in the system e.g., heat pump
	Additional producers in the system e.g., wind power plant
	Terminating resistor R 120 Ohm

A maximum of 4 Modbus stations can be connected to the Modbus connection terminal.

IMPORTANT!
Only one primary meter, one battery and one Ohmpilot can be connected per inverter. Due to the high data transfer of the battery, the battery occupies 2 subscribers.

Example:

Input	Number of primary meters	Number of secondary meters
Modbus	1	0
	1	1
	1	2
	1	3

If several Fronius Smart Meters are installed, set a separate address for each Smart Meter. The primary meter always receives the address 1. Number all other meters consecutively in the address range from 2 to 14. Different Fronius Smart Meter power categories can be used together.

Multi meter system—Modbus RTU cabling

To avoid interference, install the terminating resistors as described in chapter Terminating resistors.

Three secondary meters with connected generators and loads, primary meter in the consumption branch

Position of the primary meter in the consumption branch. *Terminating resistor R 120 Ohm

Position of the primary meter at the feed-in point. *Terminating resistor R 120 Ohm

Observe the following in a multi meter system:

Each Modbus address is assigned only once.
Place the terminating resistors individually for each channel.

The inputs M0 and M1 can be freely selected. A maximum of 4 Modbus participants can be connected to the Modbus terminal on the inputs M0 and M1.

IMPORTANT!
Only one primary meter, one battery and one Ohmpilot can be connected per inverter. Due to the high data transfer of the battery, the battery occupies 2 subscribers.

Example 1:

Input	Number of primary meters	Number of secondary meters
Modbus 0 (M0)	0	4
	0	2
	0	1
Modbus 1 (M1)	1	3

Example 2:

Input	Number of primary meters	Number of secondary meters
Modbus 0 (M0)	1	3
Modbus 1 (M1)	0	4
	0	2
	0	1

If several Fronius Smart Meters are installed, a separate address must be set for each one (see Setting the address of the Fronius Smart Meter on page (→)). The primary meter always receives the address 1. All other meters are numbered consecutively in the address range from 2 to 14. Different Fronius Smart Meter power categories can be used together.

IMPORTANT!
Use no more than Use 7 secondary meters in the system. To avoid interference, it is recommended to install the terminating resistors according to the chapter Terminating resistors on page (→).

Position of the primary meter in the consumption branch. *Termination resistance R 120 Ohm

Position of the primary meter at the feed-in point. *Termination resistance R 120 Ohm

The following must be observed in a multi meter system:

Connect the primary meter and the battery to different channels (recommended).
Distribute the remaining Modbus participants evenly.
Each Modbus address is assigned only once.
Place the terminating resistors individually for each channel.

A graphic view of the menu structure can be found in the User Information that is supplied as standard.

Name	Event	Function
Prog	1 x	Increases the set value
Page	1 x	Moves the cursor
Enter	1 x	Confirms the entry

1Press "Prog" and "Page" at the same time to enter the code.

2Enter the password "2633". Increase the value with "Prog" and change to the next digit with "Page".

3Press "Prog" and "Page" at the same time again to switch to the menu item "Addr" (address).

4Set the relevant address.

Permissible values: 1 - 14

Symbol	Name	Event	Function
	Page	1 x	Continue to the next screen
	Page	2 seconds	Reset value / change menu

The following illustrations are symbolic representations. The values displayed vary for each individual unit.

Display	Description
	Total active energy consumed
	Total reactive energy
	Total active energy feed-in
	Maximum effective power average value Press arrow key for 2 seconds to reset the value
	Effective power average value
	Voltage and current menu Press the arrow key and wait 2 seconds until the next display (current phase L1) appears.
	Current phase L1
	Current phase L2
	Current phase L3
	Voltage phase L1
	Voltage phase L2
	Voltage phase L3
	Effective power
	Reactive power
	Apparent power
	Effective power phase L1
	Effective power phase L2
	Effective power phase L3
	Reactive power phase L1
	Reactive power phase L2
	Reactive power phase L3
	Power factor phase L1
	Power factor phase L2
	Power factor phase L3
	Frequency / power factor

IMPORTANT! Settings in the "Meter" menu item may only be entered by staff trained to do so!

The service password must be entered for the "Meter" menu item.

Three-phase or one-phase Fronius Smart Meters may be used. In both cases, selection is made via the "Fronius Smart Meter" item. The Fronius Datamanager automatically detects the meter type.

One primary meter and several secondary meters can be selected. The primary meter must be configured before a secondary meter can be chosen.