SMA inverters in Australia

SMA solar inverters are the industry standard for the global solar PV industry. The SMA catalogue boasts a range of inverters for all applications: small-scale, residential, commercial, and utility. The company has a sterling reputation for producing reasonably-priced but high-quality products, and for its dedication to excellence in customer service. Additionally, with a presence in 19 countries across 4 continents and over 5,000 employees world-wide, SMA plans to maintain its position as the world’s largest manufacturer of solar inverters for the foreseeable future, making its products a smart investment for any home or business.

About the company: SMA Solar Technology AG

Global headquarters: Niestatal, near Kassel, Germany

Australian headquarters: North Sydney, Sydney, NSW

Manufacturing plants: 1 factory in Germany (the largest PV manufacturing plant in the world, carbon neutral) and 1 in North America

Year established: 1981

Manufacturing capacity: 11 gigawatts per year (1 gigawatt = 1,000 megawatts = 1,000,000 kilowatts)

Global market share: Approximately 40%

Name origin: German acronym for “System-, Mess- und Anlagentechnik”, meaning “control, measuring and equipment technology”

Products manufactured: Grid-connect solar PV system inverters, backup systems, off-grid solar inverters, wind power inverters, fuel cell inverters, monitoring systems, software, and accessories

SMA Solar Inverters Headquarters, Germany. (Photo via SMA Solar Technology AG.)

About SMA Customer Service

Inverters are arguably the most technologically important and complicated part of any solar PV installation. One key advantage of choosing an SMA inverter for a solar PV system is the world-class customer service that accompanies the product. All new SMA inverters come with comprehensive customer service packages that allow SMA to attend to customers’ needs and issues quickly and with a high degree of flexibility.

Services include:

-The SMA service line (1800 SMA AUS), which provides support for customers and installers from the planning stage to the end of the product’s life;

-Replacement service: If SMA find that there is a fault with one of its inverters, the company will send out a replacement within 24 hours (read more about SMA’s replacement service);

-A comprehensive warranty program, with a standard warranty duration of 5 years, with options to extend; and

-Device retrieval at the end of operation–SMA will take back and dispose of retired inverters in an environmentally responsible manner, free of charge

What is PV Evolution Labs Top Performer?

PV Evolution Labs (PVEL) independently test solar inverter reliability. The tests are voluntary, with solar inverter manufacturers paying to participate in the testing. This testing process is internationally renowned and is an accurate reflection of the solar inverter’s performance. To read the full PVEL scorecard click here.

In 2019 the SMA Sunny Boy 7.7 ranked as a top performer in the following tests:

• Passive Chamber
• Powered Thermal Cycling
• 30 Day Runtime Performance

The SMA Grid-connect Solar Inverter product range

Sunny Boy Inverters for small- to mid-size systems

Sunny Boy 3000TL/4000TL/5000TL ~ Transformerless inverters for ~3kW, ~4kW, ~5kW solar arrays

Sunny Boy SMA solar inverter 3000TL, 4000TL, 5000TL, spec sheet (pdf)

Sunny Boy 3000TL/4000TL/5000TL (with reactive power control): Transformerless inverters for ~3kW, ~4kW, and ~5kW solar arrays

Sunny Boy SMA solar inverter 3000TL, 4000TL, 5000TL (with reactive power control) spec sheet (pdf)

Sunny Boy 3300/3800 ~ Low-frequency transformer inverter for ~3.3kW and ~3.8 kW solar arrays

Sunny Boy SMA solar inverter 3300, 3800 spec sheet (pdf)

Sunny Boy 1600TL/2100TL ~ Transformerless inverters for ~1.6kW and ~2.1kW solar arrays

Sunny Boy SMA solar inverter 1600TL spec sheet (pdf)

Sunny Boy SMA solar inverter 2100TL spec sheet (pdf)

Sunny Boy 2000HF/2500HF/3000HF ~ High-frequency inverters for ~2kW, ~2.5kW, and ~3kW solar arrays

Sunny Boy SMA solar inverters 2000HF, 25000HF, 3000HF spec sheet (pdf)

Sunny Boy 1200/1700/2500/3000 ~ Low-frequency transformer inverters for ~1.2kW, ~1.7kW, ~2.5kW, and ~3kW solar arrays

Sunny Boy SMA solar inverters 1200 1700 2500 3000 spec sheet (pdf)

Other SMA inverters

SMA also manufactures several lines of inverters for commercial-scale solar PV installations. For more information, please visit SMA’s product overview page.

SMA inverters in action: Reference projects

The White House, USA

The White House’s 10kW solar PV system uses 3 SMA Sunny Boy inverters. (More info.)

3 SMA Sunny Boy solar Inverters were used in the 10kW installation on the White House. (Image via SMA Solar Technology AG.)

Papal Audience Hall, The Vatican

The Vatican’s Papal Audience Hall uses Sunny Boy and Sunny Mini Central inverters in its 220kW installation. (More info.)

Goyder Pavilion, Adelaide Showground, Adelaide

SMA Solar Inverters Vatican Solar System Installation. (Image via SMA Solar Technology AG.)

The 1 megawatt installation at the Adelaide Showground and Exhibition Centre, one of Australia’s largest rooftop solar PV installations, uses SMA inverters.

Other Solar Choice articles about SMA products:

SMA Sunny Boy inverters visit Solar Choice : Sunny Boy 2100TL Inverters now available in Australia

© 2012 Solar Choice Pty Ltd

All images and data sheets via SMA Solar Technology AG