Solar Chat: A Conversation with Daniel Rosende, Managing Director Latin America

This has been a significant year for SMA globally, particularly in the Latin American market, which continues to expand and play a major role in SMA’s growth worldwide. In this Q&A we learn more about the Latin American Market from Daniel Rosende, Managing Director of SMA Latin America.  

What are some notable developments for SMA globally right now?

One of our most exciting milestones is that we are celebrating SMA’s 40th anniversary. That’s 40 years of contributing innovation and quality in every segment of the photovoltaic (PV) industry. During the last four decades we have helped shape the global energy transition. We’ve seen 40 years of passion for renewable energy, and we are celebrating this success as well as looking forward to all that is to come. Here’s a look at our 40th anniversary video, as well as our dedicated anniversary website.

On another note, this year we opened a new center for trials in electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), the first of its kind in the world. The center allows for complete trials of inverters and systems with high electric power that can reach up to 5 MW with high reliability. As we develop future solutions for PV plants they will meet or exceed the security guidelines of all international markets.

Also, we have continued work on new technologies necessary for the current energy transition. This includes the development of new technology for hydrogen power plants (known as power-to-gas, or P2G, technologies), our continuous participation in relevant storage projects worldwide, and all SMA innovation for the growing electromobility industry.

What are some notable accomplishments for SMA in Latin America?

Solar PV park Ituverava, Brazil

SMA has had a presence in Latin America for 17 years, and we have brought more than 3 GW of solar power through SMA technology, factoring in all segments of the solar PV industry (residential, commercial, and industrial).

Earlier this year, SMA decided to increase its focus on the Brazilian market, creating a new team and building out the structure for operations in Brazil. This has improved our levels of sales support, technical engineering, and our post-sales activities and associated services. A key objective with the expanded support is to increase the levels of pre- and post-sales attention in Brazil, Chile and throughout South America.

A major success in the Brazilian solar PV market this year is the solar PV park Ituverava, which uses SMA solutions and was highlighted in Brazil’s energy efficiency rankings, successfully occupying the first seven positions of the ranking. This is a significant accomplishment for SMA in the region and at the same time we are proud to have supported ENEL, our client in this project.

In Chile, we have another milestone to highlight. SMA was awarded a project in the Atacama Desert, located in the northern part of the country. It consists of a 220 MW solar power plant Diego de Almagro Sur, which supports the Chilean company Colbún, one of the most important power generation companies in the country.

What are some important solutions or new services that SMA is working on?

Currently, the company’s main objective is to offer robust solutions for every segment of the solar PV industry.

To support this objective, the new technologies, innovation, and developments of SMA will focus on the following:

• Improving and increasing our portfolio of solutions for the integration of PV with batteries
• Building out electromobility systems for the different applications in every segment of the industry
• Going further in depth in the use of energy administration systems like our SMA ennexOS.

Next year there will be technical improvements in our lines of central equipment (operational, battery interaction, grid-forming, among others) for industrial or large-scale PV projects. Additionally, we will  expand new power classes and characteristics in decentralized teams that will better adapt to the needs of our customers.

In the residential and commercial segments, there will be new and highly innovative solutions in single-phase and three-phase equipment and their interaction with battery technologies, technical improvements, and performance in general.

How did the global crisis, in relation to the pandemic, affect you?

Despite the global crisis, SMA achieved high growth in 2020 and expectations for 2021 remain consistent (1S: 2021 (EBITDA) 38 million euros vs. 1S 2020: 24 million euros). We are very proud of this growth.