The Disconnect Unit provides maximum safety by disconnecting the direct current (DC) input and alternating current (AC) output from the inverter in case of maintenance or emergency. Load-break switches are mounted on a single switchboard, working under full load conditions and ampacity reserves required by NEC 2011. Lockable switch handles are located on the front of the cabinet, making it easy to identify switch status.

 By housing both the DC and AC disconnecting means in one enclosure, scheduled maintenance is easier and more efficient.

“In addition to the exceptional protection that it provides, the Disconnect Unit is specifically made for use with PV inverters,” said Jurgen Krehnke, president and general manager of SMA America and president of SMA Canada. “Its pre-engineered design eliminates the need for separate DC and AC disconnects intended for general electrical purposes.”

The SMA Disconnect Unit can be configured with Sunny Central inverters, including those from the High Efficiency and Compact Power lines. Applicable models include the Sunny Central 250-US and 500-US, 500HE-US/CA, 500CP/630CP/720CP/760CP and 800CP. A Sunny Central inverter and Disconnect Unit can be specified together for independent installation or as part of the SMA MV Power Platform pre-packaged solution.

The SMA Disconnect Unit is available with optional AC load-break-rated disconnect switches for use with the Sunny Central 250-US and 500-US, or with optional AC circuit breakers for use with the Sunny Central 500HE-US/CA and Compact Power line of inverters. 

Additional SMA Disconnect Unit attributes include a NEMA 3R-rated enclosure; operating temperatures of -25 C to 50 C; and a lock-out, tag-out safety system. It also is extendable to up to six switch-disconnectors and is available with or without AC disconnecting means.

About SMA
SMA Solar Technology AG is the global market leader for solar inverters. The SMA Group generated sales of €1.9 billion in 2010. It is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, and is represented in 19 countries on four different continents. The Group employs a staff of more than 5,300 worldwide, plus a number of temporary employees which varies on a seasonal basis. 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.
www.SMA-America.com / www.SMA-Canada.ca

“Designing and planning off-grid PV systems can be challenging and time consuming,” explained Jurgen Krehnke, president and general manager of SMA America and president of SMA Canada. “Whether it’s for a small residential system or a large hybrid plant, the new SMA Off-Grid Configurator helps solar professionals design off-grid and backup systems quickly and easily.”

The exact level of assistance provided by the Off-Grid Configurator is decided by the user. Project details (such as location data, consumption and AC/DC system components) can be manually defined or selected from the software’s comprehensive databases of location-specific climate information, prefabricated load profiles, PV modules, inverters and batteries. The intuitive software then presents an optimal system configuration, designs the generator operation, and determines the ideal combination of Sunny Island battery-based inverters. Using this data, a system simulation is performed and a financial analysis is prepared to calculate the system’s cost effectiveness. All results are displayed graphically and can be printed as Microsoft® Excel or Word documents or as a PDF.

The Off-Grid Configurator is the latest addition to SMA’s North American off-grid product line, which includes the US series of Sunny Island inverters and the recently introduced SMA Multicluster Box. The Sunny Island is equipped with best-in-class grid and battery management functions. As system manager, it collects real-time data and makes intelligent decisions based on battery state of charge, state of health, electrical loads and generation capacity. At times when the batteries are discharged and there is little generation capacity, it can activate a back-up energy source (such as a generator) or switch off designated loads. Furthermore, it extends overall battery life by implementing optimized charging strategies.

Ideal for systems up to 110 kW, the Multicluster Box is an off-grid AC distribution hub that offers simple connection of multiple renewable-energy sources, back-up combustion generator, and electrical loads into one battery-supported AC grid. It allows two, three or four three-phase clusters, each consisting of three Sunny Island inverters, to be connected in parallel. The Multicluster Box is pre-wired for operation and contains load shedding, Sunny Island and generator contactors and circuit breakers, as well as an additional circuit breaker for the PV, wind or hydro-electric system. Safety is enhanced due to its reverse current monitoring and emergency operation of the generator, while its NEMA 3-rated enclosure ensures all-weather durability.

SMA also offers Sunny Design software for grid-tied PV systems. 

About SMA
SMA Solar Technology AG is the global market leader for solar inverters. The SMA Group generated sales of €1.9 billion in 2010. It is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, and is represented in 19 countries on four different continents. The Group employs a staff of over 5,300 worldwide, plus a number of temporary employees which varies on a seasonal basis. 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.
www.SMA-America.com  / www.SMA-Canada.ca

Ideal for systems up to 110 kW, the Multicluster Box offers simple connection of multiple renewable-energy sources, back-up combustion generator, and electrical loads into one battery-supported AC grid. It allows two, three or four three-phase clusters, each consisting of three Sunny Island inverters, to be connected in parallel.

“By dividing the inverter capacity into clusters, the system becomes extremely flexible with respect to performance,” explained Jurgen Krehnke, president and general manager of SMA America and president of SMA Canada. “This design scheme is highly scalable, thanks to the parallel connection of multiple clusters. Subsequent expansion of the off-grid system is also easy to implement, making it ideal for rural electrification.”

The Multicluster Box is pre-wired for operation and can accommodate various generator, load and renewable energy generation plant sizes. It contains load shedding, Sunny Island and generator contactors and circuit breakers, as well as an additional circuit breaker for the PV, wind or hydro-electric system. Safety is enhanced due to the Multicluster Box’s reverse current monitoring and emergency operation of the generator, while its NEMA 3-rated enclosure ensures all-weather durability.

The Multicluster Box is paired with SMA’s US series of Sunny Island battery-based inverters. The Sunny Island is equipped with best-in-class grid and battery management functions, including monitoring. As system manager, it collects real-time data and makes intelligent decisions based on battery state of charge, state of health, electrical loads and generation capacity. At times when the batteries are discharged and there is little generation capacity, it can activate a back-up energy source (such as the generator) or switch off certain consumption loads. Furthermore, it extends overall battery life by implementing optimized charging strategies.  

The SMA Multicluster Box is assembled in SMA’s production facility in Denver.

About SMA
SMA Solar Technology AG is the global market leader for solar inverters. The SMA Group generated sales of €1.9 billion in 2010. It is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, and is represented in 19 countries on four different continents. The Group employs a staff of over 5,300 worldwide, plus a number of temporary employees which varies on a seasonal basis. 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.
www.SMA-America.com / www.SMA-Canada.ca 

Built by First Solar, Inc., Agua Caliente will generate enough clean solar energy to serve the needs of about 100,000 average homes per year when fully operational. In addition to First Solar’s advanced thin film PV modules, the 2,400-acre plant will feature more than 400 SMA Sunny Central 720CP inverters. The project already has been named Solar Project of the Year by Renewable Energy World and PV Project of the Year by Solar Power Generation USA.

“The challenging environmental conditions and high quality expectations of our partners made the Sunny Central 720CP an ideal choice for this groundbreaking solar project,” said Jurgen Krehnke, president and general manager of SMA America. “We are excited to witness the commissioning and start of clean power production.”

Sunny Central CP inverters are specially designed for use in large, open-field PV power plants such as Agua Caliente. With peak efficiencies more than 98 percent, they are among the most efficient central inverters on the market.

The Sunny Central CP series of inverters, which won the Intersolar Award 2010 in the photovoltaics category, is well-suited for the Arizona sun thanks to SMA’s OptiCool™ temperature management solution, which allows it to operate at full nominal power with ambient temperatures up to 50 C.

In continuous operation, the Sunny Central 720CP can feed 792 kVA to the grid at ambient temperatures of up to 25 C — 110 percent rated nominal power, resulting in increased power production.

With powerful grid management functions, operators are also perfectly prepared for today’s utility requirements, as well as those still to come.

NRG Energy acquired Agua Caliente in August 2011. First Solar will continue to build, operate and maintain the project. Power generated by the installation will be sold to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

This isn’t the first time groundbreaking projects have featured SMA technology at sites with challenging climates. SMA inverters have been used in desert installations in Gila Bend, Ariz., as well as Santa Teresa and Cimarron, N.M. They are also present at the current world’s largest PV installation in Sarnia, Ontario, where temperatures regularly present the opposite challenge.

About SMA
SMA Solar Technology AG is the global market leader for solar inverters. The SMA Group generated sales of €1.9 billion in 2010. It is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, and is represented in 19 countries on four different continents. The Group employs a staff of over 5,300 worldwide, plus a number of temporary employees which varies on a seasonal basis. 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. www.SMA-America.com

“The new Sunny Portal Android application allows even more PV system owners and operators to monitor their systems while on the go,” said Jurgen Krehnke, president and general manager of SMA America and president of SMA Canada. “This conserves both time and costs because they are able to instantly access system data to ensure peak production and discover unnoticed performance disturbances.”
 
Much like its companion, SunnyPortal.com, the Sunny Portal application provides a snapshot of any registered PV system, regardless of configuration or size. The application boasts a visual display of a system’s energy yield for the day, month, year and life-to-date of the system, in addition to listing its CO2 savings in tons per year. This data is uploaded daily via the SMA Sunny WebBox, a powerful communication hub that continuously collects data from the solar inverters.

Additional data displayed by the Sunny Portal application includes the system’s commission date, size, and properties and parameters of the modules, inverters and communications hardware used. And because a solar power system can be accessed anywhere in the world with the Sunny Portal application, it also provides the system’s location, including latitude, longitude and time zone. Meanwhile, the application’s Logbook offers an event history of the system.

Users can also record their own system data, from additional technical details to contact information for the PV planners and installers.

SMA’s system-planning iPhone application, the Solarchecker, allows users to determine the best placement of a solar power system and how much energy and revenue it could produce. After the iPhone’s GPS locator pinpoints the user’s location, the magnetic compass provides site orientation while the inclination sensor determines the roof pitch. Then, the Solarchecker automatically accesses a weather database to determine the solar radiation available at that spot. Finally, the application estimates a project’s return on investment and provides a list of qualified, local solar energy specialists to install the proposed system. 

About SMA
SMA Solar Technology AG is the global market leader for solar inverters. The SMA Group generated sales of €1.9 billion in 2010. It is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, and is represented in 19 countries on four different continents. The Group employs a staff of over 5,300 worldwide, plus a number of temporary employees which varies on a seasonal basis. 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.
www.SMA-America.com / www.SMA-Canada.ca 

Currently, the full Sunny Central Compact Power (CP) line—which includes 500-800 kilowatt inverters—and the Sunny Central 500HE-US assembled in SMA’s Denver, Colo. manufacturing facility meet the guidelines established under the Buy American clause. This site also provides SMA’s ARRA-compliant Sunny Boy inverters, which range from 3,000 to 8,000 watts.

Installers and project developers requiring these domestically assembled, ARRA-compliant central inverters should specify when ordering.

“The addition of the Sunny Central CP line and the Sunny Central 500HE-US completes our portfolio of ARRA-compliant inverters,” said Jurgen Krehnke, president and general manager of SMA America. “Now installers can specify the industry’s most durable, reliable and efficient inverters for all project sizes—residential, commercial and utility-scale—while satisfying ARRA’s Buy American Clause.”

The Sunny Central CP line includes the Sunny Central 500CP, 630CP, 720CP, 760CP and 800CP, which won the Intersolar Award 2010 in the photovoltaics category. The outdoor-rated Sunny Central CP inverters produce 110 percent of rated output at ambient temperatures below 25 C, resulting in increased yields and a lower levelized cost of energy. Meanwhile, the Sunny Central 500HE-US boasts an industry-leading maximum efficiency of 98.6 percent.

The UL-certified, ARRA-compliant Sunny Boy 3000-US, 4000-US, 5000-US, 6000-US, 7000-US and 8000-US offer efficiencies of up to 97 percent. Their longevity is enhanced via SMA’s patented OptiCool™ active temperature-management system and rugged cast-aluminum, outdoor-rated enclosure. Automatic grid-voltage detection and an integrated DC disconnect switch simplify installation, ensuring safety while saving time. These Sunny Boy models also feature galvanic isolation and can be used with all types of modules—crystalline as well as thin-film. They include a 10-year factory warranty, with the ability to extend up to 20 years.

About SMA
SMA Solar Technology AG is the global market leader for solar inverters. The SMA Group generated sales of €1.9 billion in 2010. It is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, and is represented in 19 countries on four different continents. The Group employs a staff of over 5,300 worldwide, plus a number of temporary employees which varies on a seasonal basis. 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. www.SMA-America.com

“Regional Forums allow Sunny PRO Club members and non-members to participate in exclusive educational opportunities from SMA,” said Ciara Wakefield, Sunny PRO Club manager for SMA America and SMA Canada. “In addition to learning more about SMA products and their uses in residential and commercial PV systems, Regional Forum attendees can also gather information about the technical and marketing resources available to Sunny PRO Club members.”

Each Regional Forum includes technical training sessions by the SMA Solar Academy. The Boost Your Profits: Best Practices for Residential Design training session provides an overview of tools—such as SMA’s Sunny Design and Solarchecker software—that help installers optimize their PV systems. Another training session, Grow Your Business: Commercial Systems Made Easy, explains how installers can apply their existing experience and knowledge in the residential market to expand into small commercial applications through decentralized PV system concepts. Monitoring Makes Cents: Increase Profitability and Performance through Communications introduces the SMA family of monitoring systems, with particular emphasis on how to set up and use the Sunny Portal to track multiple arrays. Information about island and battery-backup systems for residential and commercial applications is included in the session entitled The Gold Standard in Off-Grid and Battery Management Systems: Sunny Island Technical Overview. Finally, A New Standard in Residential Inverters: Sunny Boy HF is a hands-on workshop that now includes information about micro-string hybrid systems, as well as a sneak peek of SMA’s upcoming Sunny Boy 240 micro inverter.

Rounding out the Regional Forum schedule are presentations by the SMA Service and Sunny PRO Club teams. SMA Service offers priority technical support for Sunny PRO Club members. Regional Forum attendees can learn more about these services, as well as have exclusive access to SMA Service personnel. During the Sunny PRO Club presentation, attendees can learn how their market effectiveness and sales can improve through exclusive technical benefits and discounted custom marketing support materials.

There also is a panel discussion with SMA Sales, Service, Solar Academy and Sunny PRO Club representatives.

For more information about the Regional Forums and to register, please visit www.SMARegionalForums.com, email RegionalForums@SMA-America.com or call 877 506 1747. Space is limited and Sunny PRO Club members have first priority.

REGIONAL FORUM SCHEDULE
 
1/24/12, RALEIGH: Sheraton Raleigh Hotel, 421 S. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC  27601
      
1/26/12, TAMPA: Marriott Tampa Airport, Tampa International Airport, 4200 George J. Bean Parkway, Tampa FL  33607

2/9/12, HONOLULU: Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, 2552 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu, HI  95815

2/28/12, LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles Airport Marriott, 5855 West Century Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA  90045

3/13/12, DENVER: Renaissance Denver Hotel, 3801 Quebec Street, Denver CO  80207

3/22/12, BOSTON: Boston Marriott Copley Place, 110 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA  02116

3/27/12, TORONTO: Hilton Toronto Airport, 5875 Airport Road, Mississauga, ON  L4V 1N1

4/17/12, NEWARK: Location TBD

Additional cities scheduled for 2012: Long Island, NY; Santa Fe, NM; Austin, TX; Nashville, TN; Kansas City, MO; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; and Phoenix, AZ. More details about these events will follow. 

About SMA
SMA Solar Technology AG is the global market leader for solar inverters. The SMA Group generated sales of €1.9 billion in 2010. It is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, and is represented in 19 countries on four different continents. The Group employs a staff of over 5,300 worldwide, plus a number of temporary employees which varies on a seasonal basis. 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.
www.SMA-America.com / www.SMA-Canada.ca

The Key Role of the Inverter in Project Risk Management

Authored by:
Bates Marshall, Senior Manager,  Strategic Marketing, SMA  America
Jim Morgenson,  Senior Manager,  Utility Accounts, SMA America

Despite the hugely successful build-out of PV in Germany,  Italy, Spain  and the rest of Europe over the last 10 years, U.S. market investors continue to view PV as a higher-risk investment than other options for their capital. That opinion is held even though 242 MW of utility-scale solar was installed during 2010,  with an estimated 776 MW scheduled  for completion  this year (according to GTM  Research).

Various solar incentives—such as state and utility Renewable  Portfolio Standards  (RPS), the Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC), and the post-recession emergence  of financial  institutions with suitable tax appetites—have helped create an environment where solar project developers  and their equity and debt partners can get deals done. However, project financing remains a complex and costly task for many utility- scale PV system developers.

Binary Metric or Sliding Index?

To help facilitate these deals, suppliers have begun to focus on the bankability  of their products and technologies.  However,  despite this apparent flight to quality, project transaction costs remain high. Suppliers do themselves a disservice by presenting the term “bankability”  as a binary metric: either a product or supplier is bankable or not. In reality, bankability should be an index, with suppliers placed along a continuum of risk. Projects built with technologies  from lower-risk suppliers should be afforded a decreased cost of capital than those from higher-risk suppliers. Project developers  and their finance partners should benchmark these risks to create a bankability index.

The Key to Performance and Risk Mitigation

In utility-scale PV, all those megawatts of direct current must flow through inverters to ultimately reach the grid. Inverters, therefore, play  a central role in project risk mitigation. Many  of the well- known components of risk are directly linked to the PV inverter: energy production  (off-take), delivery schedule, operations, management, and grid integrity, to name a few. In PV, as with most investments, best practices dictate allocating these risks to the parties best capable  of managing them.

When developing a bankability index, financial strength and stability are foremost factors. Utility- scale PV investments typically  have a 20-year design life, if not longer. Developers and finance partners with output guarantees and liquidated damages  on the line look to inverter suppliers to back up these guarantees either with extended warrantees or careful due diligence  to provide  the assurance that the plant will still be operating  in year 10, 20 or 30. In this area, one trend in which solar PV can be expected  to follow  the wind industry’s lead is the decreased  reliance on extended warranties in favor of more stringent supplier selection and due diligence. Among others, project stakeholders should look to common financial  metrics, such as debt-to-capital ratio and cash flow per share, to properly understand the relative stabilities of inverter suppliers.

Technology Leadership

Developers  should also insist on technology leadership. Unlike solar modules, racking systems and other balance-of-system components, leading inverter suppliers can differentiate themselves by the dynamic performance of their technology, which directly affects energy yield and project returns. Although initial capital costs are quite close among leading inverter companies, energy harvest over the project lifetime can vary significantly. Developers, investors, utility off-takers and other stakeholders should rely on levelized cost of energy, PVsyst analysis and other long-term metrics in order to properly compare proposals from one supplier to another and reduce the risk of insufficient production to meet contractual obligations.

Global Reach

Another critical factor is whether inverter technology suppliers have global reach with sufficient local resources. One  of the key stories in 2010  was the diffusion of market demand. As the solar market moves rapidly  beyond  its reliance on Germany and other countries—like the US, China, Japan and UK—become meaningful consumption markets, developers themselves must continue  to go global in order to achieve  best-in-class cost structures. Engineers and plant designers who can rely on a single, stable set of products, regardless of project location, can reduce the risk of margin erosion as their businesses scale.

PV Industry Focus

Also, inverter suppliers  must have sufficient focus and critical  mass. As the solar market achieves  truly global scale, established energy and industrial corporations have entered the market through acquisitions of smaller inverter suppliers. Since power plant development is a capital-intensive endeavor, these new entrants can be viewed in a positive light. However, one should look carefully at the revenue and profit contribution of the inverter business relative to the overall size of the company. Will the parent company reinvest profits in the growth of the PV industry or will the inverter business suffer in contention for internal investment?

Experience Matters

Finally, developers should leverage the experience of their suppliers. Every PV project is unique, and small variations in module technology, site conditions  or utility interconnect requirements can affect the performance  of the inverter and, therefore, project returns. Developers should ask for detailed references from suppliers and be cautious of new entrants promising  oversized  returns with technology unproven over the long term.

As the utility-scale PV industry achieves true scale, accurate  risk assessment and mitigation in project financing is critical in enabling developers to deliver consistent returns. Developers who effectively benchmark suppliers using metrics like a bankability index can shorten the finance cycle, improve returns and increase project turnover.

Would  you like information about SMA’s  utility-scale solutions?
Contact  Jim Morgenson at +1 916 625 0870 or Jim.Morgenson@SMA-America.com

“This is a tremendous achievement for SMA,” said Scott Crabtree, general manager of North American operations for SMA America Production, LLC. “Passing the registration audits for both ISO standards, and with zero findings, is evidence of our industry-best manufacturing processes, resulting in a superior experience for our customers.”

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world’s largest developer and publisher of international standards. ISO 9001 addresses the fundamentals of quality management systems, while ISO 14001 focuses on environmental management systems.

Certification to both standards enables SMA to continue to provide the highest quality products and services to new and existing customers and helps make the company’s procedures more efficient.

TÜV USA, Inc. performed the certification audit and awarded SMA registration for ISO 9001:2008 and 14001:2004 based on SMA’s successful compliance to the standards. The Denver facility began its ISO certification process in January 2011 and spent the following months planning, organizing, creating and implementing procedures that make the development, manufacturing and supply of its products and services more efficient, safer and cleaner.

The ISO certification is current for three years, at which time the Denver facility will undergo a re-certification audit to renew the certification.

SMA’s Denver assembly site provides Sunny Boy and Sunny Central inverters for the U.S. market. Production began at this facility, SMA’s first manufacturing site outside of Germany, in early 2010. 

About SMA
SMA Solar Technology AG is the global market leader for solar inverters. The SMA Group generated sales of €1.9 billion in 2010. It is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, and is represented in 19 countries on four different continents. The Group employs a staff of over 5,300 worldwide, plus a number of temporary employees which varies on a seasonal basis. 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. www.SMA-America.com

Conference attendees will be able to view the micro inverter, which is scheduled for release in 2012 and boasts high reliability and performance.

“SMA is proud to tailor its products and services to meet the needs of Canadian solar installers,” said Jurgen Krehnke, president of SMA Canada. “Solar Canada 2011 attendees will be able to view the latest SMA has to offer, including outstanding new inverters designed for grid-tied and off-grid configurations.”

Also on display during Solar Canada 2011 will be the Sunny Boy HF-US line of high-frequency, residential inverters. These devices make installation even easier while offering improved advantages like higher efficiency, faster field configurability for positive ground modules and integrated wireless communication.

Expanding upon the proven technology of its predecessor, the Sunny Island 5048-US, the off-grid Sunny Island 6048-US offers increased efficiencies and 20 percent more power output.

Products and services that will be showcased at SMA's booth (No. 802) include:

• Sunny Boy 240:  Available next year, the SMA micro inverter is ideal for roofs with multiple orientations, starter systems and where shading is unavoidable.
• Sunny Boy -US series: Assembled in Ontario, SMA has recently released temperature-hardened versions of the Sunny Boy 5000-US, 6000-US, 7000-US and 8000-US models, featuring an extended operating temperature range to -40 Celsius. 
• Sunny Boy HF-US:  Now shipping, the highly anticipated Sunny Boy HF-US is SMA's most installer-friendly inverter to date. Ideal for 2-3 kW solar arrays, it features a slim enclosure, reduced weight, modern graphic display and industry-leading CEC efficiencies of up to 97 percent.
• Sunny Island 6048-US:  The new Sunny Island 6048-US boasts a maximum efficiency of 96 percent and CEC-weighted efficiency of 94 percent. It can be paired with SMA’s Multicluster Box, making it ideal for off-grid PV systems up to 100 kW.

SMA’s Solar Canada 2011 offerings extend beyond the booth. Visitors can enhance their experience at this year’s conference by meeting with representatives from the SMA Solar Academy and Sunny PRO Club.

• SMA Solar Academy: The Solar Academy’s Sunny Boy 1 course promotes the highest standards in safety, installation and design. SMA will provide Ontario-focused instruction Dec. 4 to help you successfully navigate the Canadian Electrical Code.
• Sunny PRO Club: The Sunny PRO Club, a professional partnership that combines SMA's marketing and technical resources with installers' experience, is offering a day-long Regional Forum on Dec. 7 tailored for the Ontario solar market.

About SMA
SMA Solar Technology AG (SMA/FWB: S92) is the global market leader for solar inverters, the 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 19 countries on four different continents. The Group employs a staff of over 5,300 worldwide, plus a number of temporary employees which varies on a seasonal basis. 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. www.SMA-Canada.ca