SMA has been selected as the sole supplier of inverters for Japan’s largest solar power plant.
The 70 megawatt solar panel based project operated by Kagoshima Mega Solar Power Corporation will utilise 140 Sunny Central 500CP–JP inverters. SMA will also supply 1,260 Sunny String Monitors for monitoring the massive solar farm.
“Having been chosen by Kagoshima Mega Solar Power Corporation as the sole inverter supplier for Japan’s largest PV power plant represents yet another milestone for SMA in Japan. We will also start to sell our JET certified Sunny Boy inverters for rooftop installations this month,” said Pierre-Pascal Urbon, Speaker of the Managing Board and Chief Financial Officer for SMA.
Construction of the facility, located in Kagoshima City in Southern Japan, has already commenced and is due to be completed by middle to late 2013.
Earlier this year, SMA Solar Technology AG was the first European or U.S. manufacturer to receive JET certification for the Japanese market for two of its solar inverters designed for the residential segment.
According to Australian solar provider Energy Matters, while solar panels usually steal the limelight, a solar inverter is a crucial component in a PV system and an aspect often overlooked by potential solar buyers.
A solar inverter converts the DC power generated by the modules into AC electricity, ready for direct consumption or exporting to the mains grid. Regardless of the quality of a panel, if an inverter is of sub-standard design, this will negatively impact on the amount of electricity harvested. Subjected to major stresses, a solar inverter needs to be robust otherwise it will fail much earlier than it should. Energy Matters released a video earlier this year explaining why not all solar inverters are equal.
SMA is the market leader for solar inverter technology and SMA inverters are a popular choice in Australia for home solar energy installations.
In other recent SMA news, the company announced its co-founder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board Günther Cramer will be awarded the “Deutscher Umweltpreis” (German Environmental Award) for his revolutionary technical developments and personal involvement in photovoltaics.
