On March 3, 2022, a serious power outage in Taiwan, happened. More than five million households and 500 industrial businesses were affected. Thanks to the SMA storage solution, however, they were quickly back on the grid and supplied with power. The example clearly shows the importance of storage solutions in grids with an increasing share of renewable energies.
Young people are key to the planet reaching its sustainability goals. So what could be better than installing solar panels on school rooftops? Schoolchildren can understand the technology involved; watch the installation of the equipment; and monitor the results. And, of course, the schools can reduce their carbon footprint.
The SPD, Greens and FDP presented their long-awaited agreement on Wednesday. At its heart lie climate protection and a commitment to put Germany on the path toward limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Regarding renewable energies, all the signs are pointing toward growth – albeit with one slight downside.
Even after the end of the UN Climate Change Conference, we are still a long way from achieving the 1.5°C target that is urgently needed if we are to avoid the most devastating effects of the global climate crisis. According to calculations by the IEA, even if all the pledges made in Glasgow are actually kept, which is by no means certain, the Earth will still heat up by at least 1.8°C. That is clearly too much. But even though the results of COP26 are disappointing, there was also progress in some areas.
Britain's Keele University recently installed a renewable energy system incorporating an SMA power station, 1MW Battery Storage and 12,500 solar panels. The project fits in the institution’s pledge to be carbon neutral by 2030.
Germany voted. The exploratory talks regarding the formation of a new German Federal Government are already ramping up. The demonstrations by the Fridays for Future movement in which more than 600,000 people participated in 470 locations last Friday impressively underlined once more that climate policy must occupy a central role in the negotiations. If the fight against the climate crisis is to be effective, the new Federal Government must not simply settle for “more of the same.” We need faster and far more substantial expansion of renewable energy sources.
The design stage of a PV system is crucial to ensure optimal production from the installation and to secure the investment objective. There are several software tools that perform simulations according to the configuration of the installation, its location, orientation and energy requirements, including PVsyst. In this article, Julien Le Bars, Applications and Project Engineer at SMA France, shares his three points for optimal use of the tool (version 7.2.1).
More than 53 million metric tons of electronic waste were accumulated worldwide in 2019. That is equivalent to 100 times the weight of the world’s tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. This is one consequence of rising consumption, the gradual digitalization of our lifestyles and the diminishing service lives of electrical appliances. But besides materials that are harmful to our health and the environment, electronic waste also contains valuable raw materials that can be sustainably reused.
Seminars, webinars, video tutorials: More than 5,000 installers and PV system planners from all over the world make use of the SMA Solar Academy training annually. Do you want to learn how to install PV systems and integrate battery-storage systems? Or maybe you’re keen to find out about the latest technologies? Our practice-oriented Solar Academy training courses help you further develop your skills and qualifications on an ongoing basis so that you always have your finger on the pulse.
If PV systems are connected to the Internet via mobile data using SMA Data Manager M and the Sunny Tripower CORE1, the data consumption may exceed the booked data tariff under certain circumstances. An update and an Internet flat rate will help.