Solar technology leader recognizes 2.5 GW of total capacity as industry expands

SMA has reached a historic milestone, selling a cumulative capacity of 2.5 gigawatts of solar PV technology with SMA system solutions in Latin America.

Comprising the bulk of those sales, the Sunny Highpower PEAK3, Sunny Tripower CORE1, Sunny Central series and Medium-Voltage Power Station (MVPS) have largely shipped to Chile and Brazil. Collectively, innovation, excellent O&M and quality have combined to propel this success in South America.

The milestone especially demonstrates resilience as the power sector has continued to grow even during the global pandemic. That momentum is led by Chile and Brazil, where renewable energy investment had already increased by 400% and 74%, respectively, in 2019. SMA is well-established in the region with projects in both countries driving the company's success in Latin America.

"The growth is a reflection of the great partnerships we've developed across South America," said Daniel Rosende, managing director for SMA South America. "Both the efforts toward sustainability among LATAM countries and the partners we've had the privilege of working with have been incredible. We're celebrating the momentum of solar in the region as much as our own success, since it has been indeed also an achievement led by great teamwork."

Several of SMA's inverters have been notable performers. For instance, the PEAK3 is highly customizable thanks to the company's cross-sector energy management platform ennexOS. The solution is capable of centralized and decentralized designs, in combination with the project-specific DC Combiner Boxes. The CORE1 is the third generation of the Sunny Tripower product family and is revolutionizing the world of commercial inverters with its design. It combines an innovative installation method that significantly reduces installation time and maximizes return on investment for SMA customers, driving their success as well as the company's.

SMA forecasts this success will continue to proliferate. Supporting such forecasts is a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency showing that "unsubsidized renewable energy is now the most affordable power source for many locations and markets, with cost reductions set to continue into the next decade."