Sunny. The SMA Corporate Blog

Shaken, not Stirred: Environmental and EMC Testing

David Redelberger — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:30:46 +0000

What legislation does the inverter need to comply with? Development engineers at SMA face this question with every launch into a new market. Since these requirements frequently are related to electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), the team at the EMC and environmental laboratory is the first contact partner. Inverters and other SMA products need to meet ...

Sparking the Social Web

Leonie Blume — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:04:13 +0000

Jannis Rudzki-Weise wrote his bachelor’s thesis on the potential of the social web for corporate communication in the renewable energy industry. He conducted interviews at four international companies in this sector for his thesis. Jannis shares his insights on the value of entering the social web, factors businesses should consider, and concrete recommendations for action. ...

How to get a Sunny Central to the 11th floor

Leonie Blume — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:55:24 +0000

SMA India recently placed a Sunny Central 630 CP in the Solar Academy. Now, that -per se- does not seem like a really big news. But consider this – the office is located on the 11th floor, the elevators are for persons only and the weight of the Sunny Central is 1800 kg. Crazy idea – one ...

BRE – the UK’s best kept sustainable secret

Leonie Blume — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 08:23:05 +0000

After a recent inspirational visit to the BRE Innovation Park in Watford, UK, I thought that the PV industry would welcome a little explanation about who the BRE are and what they do. First a little history lesson The Building Research Establishment (BRE) first launched in the UK as the Building Research Station in 1917, ...

PV Farms Instead of Power Outages

Anja Jasper — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 07:52:58 +0000

In January, Norbert Röttgen (Federal Minister for the Environment) remarked that “the more solar energy there is, the greater the load to the power distribution grid is.” This notion is cropping up more and more often in the media, despite the fact that it is a straight-out misconception. This is the general line of argumentation ...

What Does an Off-grid System Actually Do?

Catrin Nähr — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 08:43:20 +0000

Dry red earth. The sun is shining. PV modules are gleaming in the light. The PV plant is operating at full capacity. We’re in Mali. An off-grid system was just recently commissioned here in this western African country. And now it’s supplying electric current to private homes, a school, several workshops, a hotel, and a ...

Mr. Urbon Gives Forecast for 2012

Leonie Blume — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 05:42:33 +0000

In the light of the annual report publication for the year 2011, we asked Pierre-Pascal Urbon, Speaker of the SMA Managing Board and Chief Financial Officer, what he expects for the year 2012. Here you will find his answers on the prospects for the photovoltaic markets, SMA’s strategy and further business development.

Mr. Urbon Comments on Annual Report 2011

Leonie Blume — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 05:37:36 +0000

In the light of the annual report publication, Pierre-Pascal Urbon, Speaker of the Managing Board and Chief Financial Officer, presents the backgrounds of the business development for the year 2011.

Photovoltaics in the Crosshairs – The Real Reasons behind the Planned Cuts in Germany

Felix Kever — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:44:14 +0000

The air is getting thinner for the major players of the conventional energy industry in Germany – their once stable business model has eroded over the years and, along with it, their influence over the highest echelons of political power. If they could have predicted eleven years ago that photovoltaics and wind energy would become ...

Service Tip #1: Setting the System Time

Sarah Römsch — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:59:56 +0000

We would like to support your daily work. Therefore, we start a new series: Service Tips. Amongst others, we give you answers on frequently asked questions. Today’s tip deals with commissioning: Remember to connect the inverter* to an SMA communication product on the same day as you commission your PV plant. There are several ...