PV SEC in Hamburg: SMA exceeds the 99-percent mark for efficiency

Niestetal/Hamburg, Germany August 22, 2011 – For SMA Solar Technology AG, this year’s PV SEC in Hamburg is all about increasing efficiency. The core message of the world’s leading inverter manufacturer is this: Innovative technologies can make a crucial contribution to reducing system costs—if you have the right expertise. At PV SEC, SMA persuasively demonstrates its innovative solutions for the crucial future topics of photovoltaics, in all business areas and power classes. The new Sunny Tripower 20000TL High Efficiency provides one of the highlights at the SMA booth (B7/A15). With it, SMA becomes the first manufacturer to reach 99 percent maximum efficiency for standard equipment.

The new 20-kVA device is persuasive for more than its outstanding efficiency: A focus on the essentials (mono-string design without a step-up converter, optional DC disconnector) makes it ideal for setting up high-efficiency, medium to very high power PV plants.
In addition, SMA will be introducing the principle behind the new TL Grounding Solution in the Power Plant Solutions segment. “An add-on solution based on this patented circuit makes it possible to operate decentralized large-scale PV plants on the basis of any thin-film PV module with highly efficient transformerless inverters, such as the Sunny Tripower. This increases the yield by two to more than three percent,” says Chief Technology Officer Roland Grebe, explaining the background behind the SMA innovation.
Another new item for the large-scale PV plant business area is SMA Utility Grade—an integrated concept for the realization of PV power plants worldwide. It combines SMA system technology and services for power plants projects. “All products and services carrying this label meet the intensive, complex requirements placed on state-of-the-art, competitive power plants. We offer all system components from central and off-grid inverters and PV plant monitoring to medium voltage technology as a building set. Customers choose individual components or pre-configured and coordinated packages, either for centralized or decentralized plant designs. This streamlines the project business enormously,” according to Jürgen Reinert, Executive Vice President Technology for the Power Plant Solutions division.
The utility grade version of Sunny Central 800CP will be introduced as well, featuring the Optiprotect option. Optiprotect combines the central string-monitoring plan with an innovative algorithm that reliably detects string errors in the field and can differentiate them from numerous temporary events. Launch of a high-performance communication platform for the CP family represents an important step toward stabilizing the grids in conjunction with large PV power plants using Sunny Central inverters. In combination with the new platform, the new SMA Power Plant Controller guarantees rapid collection and adjustment of grid parameters.

The Medium Power Solutions segment addresses such future-oriented topics as solar energy self-consumption, smart grids and grid integration. In addition to the reactive power capable Sunny Boy family, SB 5000TL-21, SMA is introducing the Sunny Boy HF. All devices meet the requirements of the VDE AR4105 code of practice and immediately benefit from OptiTrac Global Peak, taking advantage of SMA’s expanded MPP tracking algorithm to ensure outstanding yields, even with partially shaded PV arrays.
Sunny Beam’s successor, Sunny View highlights user convenience with a color touch screen displaying all plant data. SMA developers have been thinking creatively for Sunny Home Manager as well. It will soon be able to directly control Miele household appliances that are smart grid (SG) ready, integrating them optimally into intelligent load management. Users will benefit from household appliances operating normally while the direct data exchange (selected program, running time, energy demand) with the Sunny Home Manager contributes to more precise self-consumption planning. In addition, engineers are working on expanding participation in grid management cost-effectively, a 2012 requirement of the German Renewable Energy Act for PV plants between 30 and 100 kW peak power. Sunny WebBox and SMA Power Reducer Box continue to provide product solutions for larger PV plants.

The Off-Grid Solutions segment focuses on SMA multicluster technology for building off-grid power supplies of up to 300 kW system output and the Sunny Backup system with new energy management functions. The Sunny Backup system, available since August, forms an independent product solution when combined with the Meter Box for Sunny Backup, which increases the self-consumption rate by automatically storing excess solar energy for later use. The secure power supply provides outage protection as before. Starting in fall, Sunny Backup system models S and M will also be compatible with lithium-ion batteries from various manufacturers. This battery technology significantly outpaces previous technologies in terms of efficiency and cycle stability. Users will be able to select the optimal battery technology for their application.

About SMA
SMA Solar Technology AG (SMA/FWB: S92) is the worldwide market leader for photovoltaic inverters, a leading supplier of transformers and chokes, and a provider of innovative energy supply solutions for mass transit and main-line rail transportation. The SMA Group generated sales of €1.9 billion in 2010. It is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, and is represented in 18 countries on four different continents. The Group employs a staff of over 6,500 worldwide (including temporary employees). The multi award-winning product range covers solar inverters for roof systems, major solar projects and off-grid systems, enabling SMA to provide a technically optimized inverter solution for all size categories and system types. Its range of services is complemented by a worldwide service network. The highly flexible manufacturing plants for solar inverters in Germany and North America have a capacity of approximately 11.5 GW a year. The SMA Group also operates a manufacturing plant for electromagnetic core components in Poland. Since 2008, SMA has been listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and also in the TecDAX index. In recent years, SMA has received numerous awards for its excellence as an employer and achieved first place in 2011 in the federal “Great Place to Work” competition.

Pressekontakt:
SMA Solar Technology AG
Sonnenallee
34266 Niestetal
Germany

Anja Jasper
Leitung Unternehmenskommunikation
Tel. +49 561 9522-2805
Fax +49 561 9522-4567
Anja.Jasper@SMA.de