SMA Knowledge Base

For the convenient access to all publications on SMA technologies or the use of SMA products.

These articles were originally published 2017 or before. The information may be outdated.

Reducing Noise in PV Power Plants

Comprehensive testing points the way to significantly reducing noise from central inverters

Typically, PV power plants are spread out over several acres of land far from residences, towns or cities. Up until now, central inverter manufacturers have not had to deal with noise emissions from the central inverters in and near such large industrial PV farms. In collaboration with the Rheinisch-Westfälischen Technischen Hochschule Aachen (RWTH University Aachen), SMA Solar Technology AG carried out comprehensive and complex testing to identify the sources of noise and ways to reduce it. We found that because noise emissions behave logarithmically, a 10dB reduction will cut the central inverter’s noise emissions by half.

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[Translate to English:]  PV-Kraftwerke: Schalldämpfer im Einsatz

Commercial self-consumption of solar power

Information for plant designers

Since July 1, 2010, the self-consumption of solar energy has become an attractive proposition for commercial consumers as well. Yet what level of self-consumption can be achieved in a commercial context? And what are the factors that can influence?

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[Translate to English:]  PV-Kraftwerke: Schalldämpfer im Einsatz

Simple and efficient directly into the grid

Reliable connection to medium voltage for trouble-free feed-in

Today, up to 99 % of the power genrated by PV power plants flows into the medium voltage grids all around the globe.

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The self-consumption bonus

Information and details regarding the self-consumption of solar energy

What does self-consumption mean? How much self-consumption can an average home achieve without taking any additional measures? Are there ways to increase the self-consumption rate?

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[Translate to English:] Informationen und Hintergründe zum Solarstrom-Eigenverbrauch

A matter of attitude (1)

Practical knowledge about SMA system communications

SMA's system communications open up a multitude of possibilities for you. With our three-part series we can help you to use them optimally.

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[Translate to English:] Eine Frage der Einstellung (1)

A matter of attitude (2)

Practical knowledge of SMA plant communication

Essential for the manifold functions of the Sunny WebBox: the correct configuration - from the IP address to date and time. For this reason, the second part of our series deals exclusively with the configuration of the SMA data logger.

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[Translate to English:] Praxiswissen zur SMA Anlagenkommunikation

Feed-in and grid security management

Information on the SMA Power Reducer Box

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[Translate to English:] Informationen zur SMA Power Reducer Box

OptiTrac Global Peak

Good yields despite partial shading

The animation shows how the new MPP Tracking from SMA can increase the yield of partially shaded solar plants.

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[Translate to English:] OptiTrac Global Peak - Guter Ertrag trotz Teilverschattung

SMA shifts the phase

Why reactive power is important - and no problem with SMA technology

What is reactive power? What is it good for? What are the requirements for PV systems? Most important realization: reactive power is no problem at all. It is actually a solution for some problems.

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[Translate to English:] SMA verschiebt die Phase - Warum Blindleistung wichtig und richtig ist - und mit SMA Technik kein Problem

SMA inverters as grid managers

Overview of the grid management functions of SMA inverters

All about grid management: Background information, demands and technical solutions by SMA.

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[Translate to English:] SMA Wechselrichter als Netzmanager - Die Netzmanagement-Funktionen der SMA Wechselrichter im Überblick

PV Inverters - Basic Facts for Planning PV Systems

The inverter is the heart of every PV plant

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[Translate to English:]  Solar-Wechselrichter - Grundwissen für die Planung von PV-Anlagen - Der Wechselrichter ist das Herzstück jeder Solarstromanlage

Inverters: power electronics for a clean power supply

What actually are inverters? What does one need them for, how did they function previously and how today? Which requirements are place on PV inverters today? And which in the future?

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[Translate to English:] Wechselrichter: Leistungselektronik für eine saubere Energieversorgung

Which inverter is the right one?

The choice of PV modules is virtually endless

The choice of PV modules is virtually endless. Fortunately, there is a right inverter for every module technology.

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[Translate to English:] Welcher Wechselrichter passt? Für jede Modultechnologie gibt es den passenden Wechselrichter

Back to the Future

With its Sunny Boy HF, SMA has reinvented the transformer inverter

The new Sunny Boy HF is more efficient, more flexible, and easier to install than comparable models on the market, primarily because it combines a concept SMA developed 19 years ago and state-of-the-art technology.

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[Translate to English:] Zurück in die Zukunft - Mit dem Sunny Boy HF hat SMA den Trafo-Wechselrichter neu erfunden