Entries by Susanne Henkel

Company

Respect for human rights: Companies are bearing responsibility

There are 50 million people worldwide living in modern slavery – that is 10 million more than five years ago. This shocking statistic was published by human rights organization “Walk Free” just recently. The organization lays part of the blame on companies in industrialized countries, which benefit from forced labor through supply chains. This is a topic that Jessica Mannocchi and Erik Siems, appointed by the Managing Board as SMA’s human rights officers, care deeply about.

Company
SMA Matthias Schäpers

Sustainability – more than greenwashing

Thanks to the Fridays for Future movement, sustainability and climate protection are at the top of the political and corporate agenda worldwide. Matthias Schäpers is extremely pleased about this. After all, sustainability is a topic close to his heart – and not only since he started as a sustainability manager at SMA, advancing the company’s sustainability strategy. What annoys him, on the other hand, is companies that only pretend to be sustainable. He knows exactly how to recognize them.

Solutions

Battery-Storage Systems: Nothing Works Without the Right Inverter

Clean electricity supply around the clock without expensive grid expansion – no problem for PV systems combined with battery-storage systems. Intelligent system technology ensures the smooth interaction of PV systems, batteries, the utility grid and loads. SMA storage system expert Dr. Aleksandra-Sasa Bukvic-Schäfer explains why the right battery inverter plays a central role in every storage system.

Solutions

ennexOS: How Does SMA’s Energy Management Platform Work?

More and more companies and private households are discovering energy management to reduce their energy costs, to become more independent from electric utility companies and to secure a sustainable energy supply at the same time. For effective energy management, all energy sectors must be linked and their control optimized. Another important factor is the direct integration into the electricity market. To easily implement this, SMA has developed ennexOS. What is the IoT platform for energy management able to do and how does it work?

Solutions

Reducing Costs and Protecting the Environment: How Does Energy Management Work?

Energy costs are a serious issue for companies because prices for electricity, oil and gas are continuing to rise. It is therefore becoming increasingly important to use energy efficiently for lighting, machinery, equipment, heating, cooling and air conditioning. This not only saves money but also is good for the environment and the company’s image. The best way to achieve the highest possible energy efficiency within the company is focused energy management.

Solutions

SolarCoin: Accelerating the Energy Transition with Blockchain Technology

SMA and the SolarCoin Foundation have partnered to examine the possibilities of onboarding a large number of PV plant owners into the SolarCoin ecosystem via the world’s largest solar energy monitoring platform, SMA’s Sunny Portal. We have talked to Nick Gogerty, Co-Founder of SolarCoin, and Raimund Thiel, Senior System Development Engineer at SMA, about this exciting project.

Company

PV Power Plants: Reducing Investment Costs, Sharing Risk

In the competition with conventional energy carriers, solar power prices are falling dramatically. It is a difficult situation for project developers and investors who install and operate large PV power plants. In tenders and auctions for new power generation capacities, they are awarded contracts only if they guarantee very low prices and high reliability in the supply of electricity. To support them in this, an international team has developed the SMA Profit+ Solution.