Solutions

The grid-forming technology as an essential part of the energy transition

Renewable energy can cover a growing energy demand. However, can it also ensure system stability when conventional power plants are increasingly being shut down? Large battery storage systems with grid-forming inverters play a key role here. What was previously performed by the inertia mass of the system generators in conventional power plants, is now managed by the power electronics of inverters in the increasingly renewable energy supply.

Solutions

(R)evolution of the home storage system

Michael Ebel has spent the past decade specializing in home storage solutions. As someone who was there right at the start for SMA, he gave us a detailed insight into the market for this interview. He talks about accelerated development processes, reveals exactly what constitutes a good partnership and tells us why the battery in the home storage system should be considered right from the start.

Company

Digital SMA Let´s talk energy! POWER ON event impresses customers and partners

The world’s leading trade fair for the solar industry, Intersolar Europe, had to be cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the new event format "Let's talk energy! POWER ON", SMA offered its customers and partners a digital alternative to the Munich trade fair in June. In the livestream, presenter Kimsy von Reischach and top-class experts provided interactive discussions and exciting glimpses behind the SMA scenes.

Company

Ready for off-grid supply

Stand-alone grids can be found all around the world — at the South Pole and in East Asia, deep in the jungle and in idyllic holiday regions. Solar stand-alone grids provide a stable electricity supply far away from utility grids – often even 100% from renewable energy. They form the basis for sustainable economic development. Isabel Ballesteros-Sanchez has already implemented countless off-grid projects for SMA and inspires optimism for a world full of off-grid systems.

Solutions

The Bordesholm stand-alone grid ensures power supply even in the event of a grid failure

With a large-scale battery storage system, the public utility company Versorgungsbetriebe Bordesholm in northern Germany is able to supply the European utility grid with balancing energy – a lucrative business model. In a unique experiment, the electric utility company and TH Köln, University of Applied Sciences in Germany, proved that the entire region can be supplied with electricity 100 percent from renewable energies. Setting a milestone for the energy transition.

Solutions

Digitalizing regenerative power plants – managing energy intelligently

The share of renewable energies in the electricity supply is rising and regenerative power plants such as large PV power plants or battery-storage systems are increasingly coming to the fore in the energy industry. With the SMA Power Plant Manager, these decentralized energy systems do not only meet all the requirements of grid operators, but are also optimally prepared for new energy marketing models.

Solutions

Battery repowering for SMA off-grid systems

Over 800 million people in the world have no access to an electricity supply. A sustainable solution is available in the form of off-grid systems. These produce renewable energy from sun, wind or water in the exact places where it is needed. SMA off-grid systems are extremely robust and can therefore be modernized, even when the batterie´s lifecycle ends. Replacing old lead-acid batteries now with modern lithium-ion technology increases the efficiency and service life of the off-grid system.

Solutions

Upgrades for emissions-free research station in Antarctica

The Belgian polar base Princess Elisabeth Antarctica is the first emissions-free research station in Antarctica. A hybrid system that intelligently combines the renewable energy sources of the sun and wind provides the energy to supply the station, making electricity and heating available to the researchers on-site. The system is now to be expanded and optimized for future operations. The first step in this endeavor was to install a Data Manager M.

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

Solar Storage – A Declaration of Independence for Your Home

Record solar yields in Europe: The summers of recent years have been extremely profitable for PV system operators. While nature suffered under the unrelenting heat of the sun, millions of PV systems were busy producing green power. And this is how PV system operator Vincent Illian is becoming increasingly independent from electric utility companies – right in the heart of Germany.