Solar Power International 2012

SMA America successfully presented its newest innovations at Solar Power International 2012. The SMA America team was present at its main trade show in Orlando, Florida during the week of September 10, visiting with solar’s best and brightest.
From the opening sessions and CEO panel discussion, to a inspiring keynote from former US President Bill Clinton and the presentation of SMA’s latest products, such as the SB 240 Microinverter, this year’s Solar Power International was just the tonic the industry needed to invigorate it moving forward.

SPI 2012 Sponsor

SMA America supported this year’s SPI as the main sponsor, which resulted in a big show presence at SPI. “Solar Power International has always been one of our keystone events. It’s a place where we can gather with customers and colleagues, share best practices, debut our newest innovations, and conduct business that helps grow the industry,” said Jeffrey Philpott, director of marketing at SMA America.

Some of the highlighted products on display in SMA’s 3,600-square-foot booth included the Sunny Boy 240-US micro inverter system, the next generation Sunny Boy TL-US transformerless residential series, and the Sunny Central CP-US and CP-XT commercial and utility-scale central inverters.

CEO Panel Discussion

Pierre-Pascal Urbon, SMA CEO and CFO; Marko Werner, SMA Chief Sales Officer; and Henry Dziuba, President and General Manager of SMA America, with Florian Rentsch, Hessen Minister of Economics Transport, Urban and Regional Development

The show began with a thought-provoking CEO panel discussion, “Growth in an Uncertain Market”. Panelists included SMA America’s Jürgen Krehnke, Julie Hamm (SEPA), Tom Boyle (NRG Solar), Rhone Resch (SEIA), Peter Marte (Hannah Solar) Nancy Pfund (DBL Investors), Eric Sigaly (Florida Power and Light), and Tom Werner (SunPower).

The panel discussed future industry growth, green job creation, storage, net metering, and industry regulation. Julie Hamm of SEPA, urged that the “solar industry and the utility industry invest in the development of a regulatory structure that allows for a new long-term, sustainable utility business model that encourages customers capable of installing solar to do so and rewards the utilities that innovate and create a platform on which solar is fully leveraged for its strengths and which ensures the costs and benefits are fairly distributed.”

Networking allowed

Shortly after day two at the convention center ended, solar professionals gathered at a restaurant, where they had a chance to mix and mingle outside the show floor. Discussions reached from the development of solar technologies to the comparison of grid stability in the USA and Germany.

Keynote Speaker President Bill Clinton 

Jürgen Krehnke, of SMA Solar Technology meeting former President Bill Clinton

Former President Bill Clinton delivered the keynote address to more than 7,200 guests with a message that the government, the private sector and the non-government sector need to work together to solve our energy problem. He also discussed the role that solar will play in the economic recovery of our nation. “You’re going to win this battle,” Clinton told the crowd. “The question is where and when.” Read detailed coverage of Bill Clinton’s speech here.

Solar Power International 2013

Although the 2012 show just ended, SMA America is already looking forward to next year’s Solar Power International, which takes place October 21-24, 2013 in Chicago.