Leading battery and solar inverter manufacturer SMA says it achieved a sales record of 8.2 GW of inverter capacity last year, approximately 11% more than in 2015.
In 2016, SMA’s residential business unit accounted for approximately 19% of the company’s total sales, the commercial business unit made up around 28% and utility unit, 42%.
Energy storage related activities are starting to play a greater role in the company, with 100MW of newly installed battery inverter output in 2016. Last year saw the launch of related products including the Sunny Boy Storage 2.5.
SMA is also increasingly turning its attention to smart homes, which it says will be an important component of the new world of energy.
SMA Chief Executive Officer Pierre-Pascal Urbon states the company has focused its strategy on benefiting from attractive growth opportunities.
“This year, for example, we are launching a new energy management platform that allows commercial customers to monitor energy flows across different sectors (photovoltaics, heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology, and storage systems) for the first time.”
According to the company, its net income doubled to €29.6 million last year (2015: €14.3 million). While that will have its shareholders cheering, SMA’s Chief Financial Officer warns 2017 will present challenges for the entire PV sector. However, after a particularly brutal first quarter, the rest of the year should be kinder to SMA.
“.. we expect business to pick up over the coming quarters and are therefore confirming our forecast for the year as a whole. Due to the low capital intensity of our business model, we will continue to build our financial strength in the current fiscal year,” said SMA CFO Ulrich Hadding.
The company has forecast sales of € 830-900 million for fiscal year 2017.
SMA solar inverters have been popular choice in Australia for home and commercial solar power systems for many years due to their rugged design, high efficiency and outstanding reliability.
The company employs more than 3,000 people on four continents in twenty countries; including Australia.
“We are proud that, for the fifth year in succession, according to a study by IHS Markit, an independent information and analysis company, SMA is the world’s most preferred inverter brand,” said Mr. Urbon.
