During the first half of the year, the company sold PV inverters with a total output of 4.0 gigawatts (Q1–Q2 2011: 3.1 GW) and increased sales compared to the same period last year by 16.6% to €833.7 million (Q1–Q2 2011: €715.0 million).
SMA solar saw high demand for inverters for PV rooftop systems resulting from clear changes in subsidy conditions in important European photovoltaic markets.
High level of commercial commissioning in Germany in the fourth quarter of 2011, had a positive influence on demand in this area. The good development of project business with Sunny Central inverters is also due, among other things, to the effects of purchases being brought forward. For example, between January and June 2012, numerous projects were carried out in North America that still benefited from the subsidy conditions that were effective last year. In Germany, the expiry of the periods for the adjustment of subsidies for ground-based PV plants at the end of June and the end of September had correspondingly positive effects.
*About SMA *
The SMA Group generated sales of €1.7 billion in 2011 and is the global market leader for solar inverters, a key component of all PV plants and, as an energy management group, offers innovative key technologies for future power supply structures. It is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, and is represented in 21 countries on six continents. The Group employs more than 5,500 people worldwide, plus a number of temporary employees that varies on a seasonal basis. SMA’s broad product portfolio includes a compatible inverter for every type of module on the market and for all plant sizes, as well as monitoring and energy management systems. The product range includes both inverters for photovoltaic plants connected to the grid as well as inverters for off-grid systems. SMA is therefore able to provide ideal technical inverter solutions for all plant sizes and types. 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 also in the TecDAX index. In recent years, SMA has received numerous awards for excellence as an employer and achieved first place in the nationwide “Great Place to Work®” competition in 2011 and 2012.
