Company Profile

Energy that Changes

SMA Solar Technology AG is a global leader in the development, production and sales of PV inverters and, as an energy management group, offers innovative key technologies for future power supply structures. SMA is represented in all important photovoltaics markets in 19 countries on four continents. The company has a staff of over 5 500 and reached a sales volume of EUR 1.7 billion in 2011.

Inverters are the heart of every PV plant
Technologically, the inverter is the most important component of a PV plant. It converts the direct current generated in the photovoltaic cells into alternating current compliant with the grid requirements – for self-consumption or feed-in to the power distribution grid. As an intelligent system manager, it also monitors both the PV array and the power distribution grid. SMA inverters already perform important grid management functions, which are becoming increasingly important as electricity production from renewable sources grows. SMA has been developing leading technological solutions and pioneering trends in this area for years and is driving future-oriented topics. For instance, these include intelligent energy management at a household level, grid integration of solar power and connecting storage facilities for more effective use of renewable energy.

For all Performance Classes and Plant Sizes

SMA has an extensive range of products, which offers the right inverters for all module types and plant sizes; for small residential systems as well as large scale plants, grid-connected installations as well as stand-alone and backup systems all over the world. Plant monitoring and visualization products as well as energy management solutions complete the portfolio. In addition to this, SMA customers worldwide benefit from comprehensive services: from support in installation and commissioning of PV plants to quick and uncomplicated device replacement service in Germany and worldwide, and the free SMA Service Line for technical questions. The company also provides training for plant planners, installers, electrically qualified persons and anybody interested in solar power in seminars as part of the SMA Solar Academy.

SMA has received numerous awards for its product solutions and exceptional corporate culture. In 2011 and 2012, the company achieved first place in the German “Great Place to Work®” competition in the category for companies with over 5 000 employees.

Facts and Figures

Head Office: Kassel/Niestetal

Company Foundation: 1981

Number of Employees: over 5,000, plus a number of temporary employees which varies on a seasonal basis

Sales: 1.7 billion (2011)

Managing Board:
Roland Grebe (Chief Technology Officer)
Lydia Sommer (Chief Financial Officer)
Pierre-Pascal Urbon (Speaker of the Managing Board / CEO)
Marko Werner (Chief Sales Officer)

Supervisory Board:
Günther Cramer (Chairman)
Peter Drews
Dr. Erik Ehrentraut (Deputy Chairman)
Dr. Günther Häckl
Johannes Häde
Dr. Winfried Hoffmann
Prof. (em.) Dr. Werner Kleinkauf
Ullrich Meßmer
Alexander Naujoks
Joachim Schlosser
Reiner Wettlaufer
Mirko Zeidler

SMA Worldwide:
SMA Railway Technology GmbH
SMA Italia S.r.l.
SMA Hellas AE
SMA America, LLC
SMA America Production
SMA Australia Pty Ltd
SMA Beijing Commercial Company Ltd.
SMA Technology Korea Co., Ltd.
SMA Central & Eastern Europe s.r.o.
SMA Solar Technology Portugal, Unipessoal LDA
SMA Middle East Limited
SMA Canada, Inc.
SMA Benelux bvba / sprl
SMA Solar India Pvt. Ltd.
dtw sp.z. o.o
SMA Japan K.K.
SMA Solar (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
SMA Solar UK Ltd.
SMA France S.A.S.
SMA Ibérica Technología Solar, S.L.
SMA Solar Technology South Africa Pty Limited
SMA South America SpA

Awards:
2011: Best Innovator Award categorie Renewables, award by A.T. Kearney and WirtschaftsWoche
2011: Great Place to Work®: TOP 10 Best Workplaces in Europe, category “Companies with more than 500 employees”
2011: Great Place to Work®: No. 1 Best Employers in Germany, category “Companies with more than 5,000 employees”
2010: German Job Investor Price (Deutscher Arbeitsplatzinvestor-Preis)
2010: Great Place to Work®: TOP 5 Best Workplaces in Europe, category “Companies with more than 500 employees”
2010: 1st Prize International Energy Efficiency Award 2010 for the world’s largest and CO2-neutral inverter factory
2010: Great Place to Work®: TOP 5 Best Employers in Germany, category “Companies with 501 to 5,000 employees”, and special prize for “Life Long Learning”
2009: Hessen Champion:, 1st place category “Job Motor”
2009: Great Place to Work®: TOP 10 Best Workplaces in Europe, category “Companies with more than 500 employees”, and special prize for fair salaries
2009: Top Employer for Engineers
2009: Great Place to Work®: TOP 10 Best Employers in Germany, category “Companies with 501 to 5,000 employees”, and special prize for “Life Long Learning”
2008: German Fairness Prize 2008
2008: Great Place to Work®: TOP 10 Best Workplaces in Europe, Category “Companies with more than 500 employees”
2008: Great Place to Work®: TOP 5 Best Employers in Germany, category “Companies with 501 to 5,000 employees”
2007: European Solar Prize, category “Industrial Enterprises”
2006: Winner “Entrepreneur 2006 – Category Industry”, nominated as “World Entrepreneur of the Year 2007”
2006: Great Place to Work® Europe: TOP 5 Best Workplaces in Europe, category “Companies with more than 1,000 employees”, special prize “Best Practices for Involvement of Employees in Corporate Social Responsibility Activities”
2006: Great Place to Work®: 2nd place Best Employers in Germany, category “Companies with 501 to 5,000 employees”, and special prize for “Life Long Learning”