SMA Grid Forming Solutions
Safe and stable utility grids
As energy industries worldwide make the rapid transition to clean, renewable energy to power large utility grids, SMA provides pivotal grid forming solutions. A fundamental technology to help enable the safety, stability and efficiency needed by grids and energy plants.
Here’s how you can benefit from SMA Grid Forming Solutions
In the future, energy storage plants will provide new stability-related grid services in place of conventional power plants. This will present attractive business for investors to benefit from. Transmission grid operators will be able to procure new ancillary services from these plants to stabilize their utility grids in a cost-effective manner.
Inertia
The SMA Grid Forming Solution for virtual inertia immediately compensates for any frequency interferences, resulting in a robust and secure power system.
System strength
Improvements in system strength and short-circuit levels enable resilient energy systems with high power quality. This facilitates even higher levels of renewable generation and ensures reliable transport of energy.
System restoration
The SMA Grid Forming Solution for system recovery can be used to initiate a black start and local grid restoration quickly and safely. Market models are continually evolving to enable revenue opportunities for this crucial capability.
Grid booster
Grid booster systems are placed at strategic locations in the transmission grid, providing additional large-scale support. They add flexibility to existing transmission systems and relieve constraints while reducing the need for costly redispatch measures.
Islanded operation of partial network sections
With the SMA Grid Forming Solution, grid operators can temporarily continue to operate locally disconnected grid sections until normal operation is restored. This avoids supply interruptions.
Your benefits
Reliable energy exchange in large-scale transmission grids
Reduces the need for network reinforcement and redispatch measures
Provides stable grids powered by 100% clean energy
High level of reliable supply
The Basis: The SMA Energy System Large Scale
SMA Grid Forming Solutions enable a wide range of individual applications.
Battery inverters
SMA battery inverters are responsible for charging and discharging the battery at the right time, to the right level and with the highest efficiency. They are also responsible for all grid services on inverter-level used for off-grid and on-grid applications within SMA Grid Forming Solutions.
Power Plant Manager
The SMA Power Plant Manager is the integrated solution for reliable system control, monitoring and central device management. Together with SMA’s leading inverter technology and comprehensive Engineering Services, it ensures precise performance over the plant’s lifetime. Additionally, it provides flexible interfaces for grid integration and energy market participation.
Battery inverters
SMA battery inverters are responsible for charging and discharging the battery at the right time, to the right level and with the highest efficiency. They are also responsible for all grid services on inverter-level used for off-grid and on-grid applications within SMA Grid Forming Solutions.
Batteries
Our Engineering Service team offers design support to help you find the right battery capacity and power for your needs.
Power Plant Manager
The SMA Power Plant Manager is the integrated solution for reliable system control, monitoring and central device management. Together with SMA’s leading inverter technology and comprehensive Engineering Services, it ensures precise performance over the plant’s lifetime. Additionally, it provides flexible interfaces for grid integration and energy market participation.
SMA Monitoring
Enables easy and efficient online monitoring of your SMA Large Scale Energy Solution.
SMA Grid Forming Solutions in practice
Blackhillock and Kilmarnock, Scotland
SMA's Grid Forming Solution provides stability services on the transmission grid
The world's first battery energy storage system (BESS) connected to transmission system for stability services is under construction in Blackhillock, Scotland. The first phase of the battery system with 200 MW begins commercial operations in 2024. SMA is supplying 62 Medium Voltage Power Stations with the SMA Large Scale Grid Forming Solution.
And the next project in Scotland will follow soon, in Kilmarnock. The capacity will be 300 MW/600 MWh once fully built. The asset will reduce the cost of wasted wind energy and power Scotland’s renewable energy future.
Bordesholm, Germany
Keeping the lights on in Bordesholm
With a large-scale battery-storage system, the public utility company Versorgungsbetriebe Bordesholm, in northern Germany, can continue to supply the town of Bordesholm with clean energy in the event of a higher-level power outage lasting several hours. The plant also contributes to grid stability in the Tennet control area by participating in the energy balancing market.
The battery-storage system is considered one of the most state-of-the-art energy balancing power plants in the world.
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West Murray, Australia
SMA Solution secures energy yields
No more generation caps: Thanks to SMA’s innovative control software, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has lifted the output limit for five PV farms with a total output of more than 350 MWp in West Murray. As a result, the region, which spans the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales, now benefits from much more climate-friendly PV power.
Learn moreSt. Eustatius, Caribbean
Large-scale island electrification
Currently, solar energy covers 46% of St. Eustatius’ total electricity demand. Grid forming inverters allow the island grid to be operated without diesel for 10.5 hours a day with a solar power share of 100%. A lithium-ion storage system with a total output of 5.9 MWh has been integrated for energy shifting and grid services. Thanks to the SMA Fuel Save Solution, this will save approximately 4,560 tons of CO2 annually.
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Consultation appointment
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