SMA Australia, part of SMA Solar Technology AG, has appointed Sam Wiggins as Managing Director, as part of a new dual leadership structure, reflecting SMA Australia’s dedicated focus on its Large Scale business.
SMA has been part of Australia’s renewable energy journey from the beginning, supplying technology to some of the country’s earliest utility-scale solar projects. Today, Australia remains a key market for the company’s Large Scale division, with a strong pipeline of solar and storage projects and increasing demand for grid-supporting technologies.
Mr Wiggins brings extensive international experience across large-scale renewable energy projects, having held senior engineering and leadership roles at SMA and RWE in Germany. His background spans utility-scale wind, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and solar project engineering.
Under the new structure, Mr Wiggins will lead Service and Technology, while John Alexander continues as Managing Director, responsible for Sales and Corporate functions.
“I am excited to step into this role and continue strengthening SMA’s long-term commitment to Australia as a key market for large-scale renewable energy,” Mr Wiggins said.
“My focus has always been on building the technical capability, systems and teams required to support a resilient, high-renewables grid and increasingly complex large-scale energy systems.”
Mr Alexander said the dual leadership model ensures strong alignment between commercial strategy and technical delivery.
“SMA has been part of Australia’s energy transition from the beginning and is now focused on supporting the next phase, where large-scale systems, storage and grid stability become critical to a high-renewables grid,” he said.
“As the market evolves beyond standalone solar to integrated, grid-supporting systems, our focus is on delivering reliable, large-scale energy solutions that enable this transition.
Joshua Birmingham, Global Head of Sales & Markets at SMA Solar Technology, said Australia continues to play a critical role within the company’s global strategy.
“Australia is one of the most technically advanced renewable energy markets, shaped by the complexity of operating power systems with high renewable penetration and lower system strength,” he said.
“These conditions are driving the deployment and validation of grid-forming technologies, hybrid systems and large-scale storage to maintain system stability as traditional generation is phased out, making Australia a critical market for applying and proving solutions that can be scaled globally.”
“Our strengthened leadership structure ensures we are well positioned to support this next phase of the transition, both locally and as part of SMA’s global Large Scale strategy.”
About SMA Australia
SMA Australia Pty Ltd is the Australian subsidiary of SMA Solar Technology AG, a leading global provider of power conversion and control technologies for utility-scale solar, battery energy storage and hybrid energy systems, supporting both grid-following and grid-forming applications.
With more than 156 GW of installed inverter capacity worldwide, including more than 10 GW across Australia, SMA supports critical energy infrastructure that underpins system stability, energy security and the transition to a high-renewables grid.
Backed by decades of innovation in inverter design and manufacturing, SMA delivers technologies spanning central and string inverters, medium-voltage power stations, and integrated hardware and software solutions. SMA’s technologies enable advanced grid services such as frequency control, inertia and black-start capability, supporting stable and resilient renewable energy systems.
As part of a Germany-headquartered technology company, SMA Australia combines global expertise with a strong focus on engineering quality, cybersecurity and secure digital infrastructure.