Covid-19 weekly round-up: Differing opinions on energy storage fall-out, a trade show update and some surprisingly positive financials
Negative second-quarter updates from China and uber-low new-solar figures from India, however, show the world is far from out of the woods yet.
pv magazine video: The pressing need for sustainability in solar
The solar industry faces many challenges in its move to become truly sustainable and that goal is imperative, rather than being simply a luxury, if the sector is to achieve terawatt scale. pv magazine’s first Sustainability Roundtable took place on June 10 and included discussion as to why sustainability matters in PV and which business, regulatory and technological approaches can be applied to achieve truly “green” solar power. A video of the event can be streamed online.
SMA reduced operating losses in 2019
The German inverter maker last year saw shipments and revenue rise by 35% and 20%, respectively. The company claims measures taken to reduce its cost structure are bearing fruit.
SMA: ‘We can’t be credible if we’re not sustainable’
Credibility comes not just from offering products that generate clean electricity, but also from the way in which those products are manufactured, says SMA Solar Technology CEO Jürgen Reinert. Here, transparency and sustainability are key. That’s why one of the world’s largest PV inverter producers has partnered with pv magazine’s UP sustainability initiative. In the following Q&A, Reinert lays out what SMA is doing to step UP its green game.
Solar industry demands new strategy for European PV
Leading representatives of the European solar industry have issued a call for a new industrial strategy ahead of the European Commission’s upcoming proposals for the sector, which are expected this summer.
Price pressure and delivery bottlenecks lead SMA to significant loss in 2018
The German inverter maker struggled after China’s announcement at the end of May drove down prices and markets around the world and left a clear mark on its figures. Both the commercial PV segment and the storage business fell short of expectations due to delivery bottlenecks.
Siemens to equip 140 MW projects in Brazil, Pakistan
The German technology firm has bagged orders for the turnkey electrical equipment and installation of two solar farms in Brazil and Pakistan. In addition, it announced the end of its cooperation with German inverter specialist SMA by the year’s end, and plans to manufacture its own inverters.
SMA remains in the black
A difficult market environment has led to a drop in sales and profits. The German inverter maker, however, was able to keep writing black numbers in the latest quarter.
SMA suffers price pressure in all markets and segments
Last year, the German inverter maker achieved record shipments, despite a decline in turnover. The company expects further price pressure in 2017.
