SMA Solar Technology AG(SMA) has expanded its global presence with new sales and service companies in South Africa and Chile. In these markets of the future, the global market leader is initially concentrating on installations in the power plant category, while at the same time also offering PV inverters and system technology for all other plant sizes. In addition, the new offices provide professional consulting for photovoltaic project planning, customer training and an extensive range of services.
With over 300 days of sunshine per year, South Africa and Chile are among the regions with the world's highest solar irradiation. At the same time, both countries have a good economic growth with a corresponding increase in energy demand. SMA has already achieved first successes in these emerging markets. The largest PV plant to date in the northwest of Chile was equipped with the state-of-the-art inverter technology from SMA. The installed SMA inverters of the Sunny Tripower product family have the required grid management functions and were successfully connected to the Chilean Central Interconnected System SIC (Sistema Interconectado Central). In South Africa, SMA has already been awarded five projects in the first round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program. SMA will supply central inverters and Transformer Compact Stations to the Northern Cape region.
”The main growth impulses will come from markets outside Europe. Particularly in countries with high solar irradiation and rapidly increasing energy demand, PV already represents the most efficient alternative compared to other forms of power generation. Therefore, Chile and South Africa are of strategic importance for SMA,” explains Pierre-Pascal Urbon, Speaker of the SMA Managing Board. Against the background of frequently adverse environmental conditions and extreme temperatures in these regions, exceptional product quality, high expertise levels in the field of system technology and a fast and reliable service are indispensable for efficient plant operation.
The opening of the offices in Santiago (Chile) and Centurion (South Africa) is a further step in SMA's successful internationalization strategy. The company is represented in all key PV markets in 21 countries around the globe.
