It has been over 12 months since our family had a solar system installed. Did we achieve our goal of a zero cost electricity bill? And where do we go with our solar journey now to save electricity and reduce our carbon emissions even further? Read on to find out.
Storage and PV power plants are system-relevant. The energy transition cannot succeed without them. If a power plant fails, the costs mount up very quickly. Michael Ploechl is the head of the SMA monitoring location in Germany and he and his team ensure that it doesn’t come to that. Despite this responsibility, Ploechl generally remains relaxed. He can afford to. Because at two locations in the U.S. and Germany, expert teams analyze the system performance of power plants worldwide 24/7 in real time. The professionals in Rocklin and Ulm ensure that everything runs smoothly. In our interview, he explains why operating expenditure is more important than capital expenditure and how rabbits occasionally cause him some trouble.
The design stage of a PV system is crucial to ensure optimal production from the installation and to secure the investment objective. There are several software tools that perform simulations according to the configuration of the installation, its location, orientation and energy requirements, including PVsyst. In this article, Julien Le Bars, Applications and Project Engineer at SMA France, shares his three points for optimal use of the tool (version 7.2.1).
The Sunny Design planning software has been used to plan millions of PV systems worldwide since 2007. The new release coming out in late April lets you precisely model where shading might be on the modules and shows you where direct irradiation is lost.
[Update dated June 29, 2022 | Software update 1.02.23.R and longer charging cables] SMA EV Charger ensures that you benefit...
U.S. President Joe Biden has invited 40 international heads of government to a virtual climate summit he is hosting tomorrow, on Earth Day. An important initiative, because only swift joint action can stop the increasingly dramatic global warming to which the recently published UN climate report 2020 again attests.
SMA generated over one billion euros in sales and doubled its operating result in 2020 despite the coronavirus crisis – as the Managing Board forecast at the start of the crisis. We put three questions about this to Chief Executive Officer Jürgen Reinert.
Benjamin Blaurock and his team developed two apps at the same time last year: SMA 360° is a digital all-purpose tool to support installers in their daily business. With SMA Energy, plant operators keep an eye on their energy system at all times and can charge their electrical vehicle intelligently. In this interview, he talks about the launch of the mobile applications, what new features will soon be available and when intelligent energy management will be possible with SMA Energy.
The Fischer/Ruszynski family in Kassel, Germany, generates more energy with their PV system than their household actually needs. The secret to their success: integrated energy. By undertaking their own personal energy transition, they have cut 95% of their energy costs and now consume far fewer natural resources than before. In this article, they share their checklist for people who want to follow in their footsteps.
Clean water is of vital importance in Yemen, one of the world’s most water-scarce countries. Long distances to reach the water supply, the polluting and expensive operation of pumps and the risk of infections such as cholera caused by contaminated drinking water are part of the daily routine for the people of Yemen. The Yemeni government has now started a program for a sustainable water supply.