Latin American market driven by increased commitment to renewable energy, commercial and utility solar
ROCKLIN, Calif., October 9, 2018—The burgeoning solar market in Latin America and the continued investment in renewable energy in the region has led SMA to surpass1 GW of installed solar capacity in Latin America. SMA’s Latin American business covers all of Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.
“This is an incredible accomplishment for the SMA team in Latin America,” said John Susa, executive vice president of sales for APAC and the Americas. “Our presence in this market has continued to grow along with the increased demand for solar and storage. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for this very important region when it comes to renewable energy.”
Primarily led by installations in Chile and Brazil, the 1 GW of capacity is largely a result of commercial and utility-scale solar installations, as well as some off-grid and hybrid systems. The residential market is also growing at a rapid pace, and SMA is supporting the development of this segment with its reliable residential solutions.
In addition to solar inverter sales and support, the company offers SMA OPTIM in the region—one of the world’s leading PV plant O&M solutions.
Part of SMA’s success in Latin America is due to its robust solutions that are equipped to handle extreme conditions found in the region, including deserts, high altitude, high temperatures and isolated areas. The local presence of sales and technical and service capabilities have also been fundamental.
SMA made further investments in the Latin American market last year, with the announcement that it would establish a subsidiary in Mexico in addition to its operational subsidiary in South America, based in Santiago, Chile, that began operating in 2013. SMA also recently announced a new local service and product exchange program in Mexico to provide faster service and more reliable support for installers in Mexico.
About SMA
The SMA Group with sales of around €900 million in 2017 is a global leader for solar inverters, a key component of all PV plants. SMA offers a wide range of products and solutions that allow for high energy yields for residential and commercial PV systems and large-scale PV power plants. To increase PV self-consumption efficiently, SMA system technology can easily be combined with different battery technologies. Intelligent energy management and digital energy solutions, comprehensive services and operational management of PV power plants round off SMA’s range. The company is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, is represented in 19 countries and has more than 3,000 employees worldwide, including 500 working in Development. SMA’s multi-award-winning technology is protected by more than 1,100 patents and utility models. Since 2008, the Group’s parent company, SMA Solar Technology AG, has been listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (S92) and is listed in the SDAX index.
