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SMA Large Scale Energy Solution

Safe and stable grids

Emerging technologies need pioneers who set the standards

Grid Forming is a fundamental technology to integrate renewables into pre-existing grids. SMA Grid Forming Solutions shape the energy transition and ensure grid security all over the world.

Ecologically smart, economically sound

Energy storage plants with SMA Grid Forming Solution are a multi-purpose asset for future generations and form the backbone of a successful energy transition.

They are taking a leading role in grid stabilization as conventional power plants are increasingly phased out. Owners of such assets benefit from viable business cases and enable energy supply with reduced carbon emissions and low cost.

Benefits

Enables reliable cross-continental energy exchange

Reduces the need for network reinforcement and redispatch measures

Provides stable grids powered by 100% clean energy

Guaranteed security of supply

Grid Forming is key to combining a 100% green power supply with grid stability and resilience.

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Stabilization sells.

Energy storage plants can now provide new stability-related ancillary services in place of conventional power plants. This opens up attractive business models for investors and alternative investment options for transmission system operators.

Multiple, stacked revenue streams make the business case.

SMA Grid Forming

Inertia

Energy storage plants with SMA Grid Forming Solution provide inverter-based inertia and thereby ensure that the power system is robust and secure during disturbances.

System Strength

SMA Grid Forming adds system strength and short-circuit ratios, thus enabling a resilient power system with high power quality. This enables even higher levels of renewable generation and ensures reliable transport of energy.

System restoration

Energy storage plants with SMA Grid Forming Solution can initiate a decentralized “black start” of its local grid, rapidly and safely. Market models are evolving to enable monetization for this crucial capability.

Grid Booster

Grid booster systems for large-scale energy storage plants are placed at strategic locations in the transmission grid. They add flexibility to existing transmission systems and relieve constraints while reducing the need for costly redispatch measures.

The system in detail

The SMA Grid Forming solution enables multiple 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.
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.

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.

"We needed a solution to the West Murray issue (...) an area with beautiful solar resources but very low levels of system strength. Together we were able to solve a major system security issue and frankly also a major commercial issue."

Dr. Alex Wonhas

Chief for System Design, AEMO

"We found SMA a very good partner (...) Across a range of manufacturers, they generally performed the best. (...) They definitely pass the bankability test.
One of the reasons (...) we chose their equipment as the heart of the power plant is for its longevity."

John Cole

CEO & Founder, Edify Energy

“With SMA, we have a reliable and experienced partner on our side. Together, we have written a piece of energy history. We are a pioneer for the energy transition reliability towards exclusively renewable sources.”

Dr. Jörg Niedersberg

Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Versorgungsbetriebe Bordesholm GmbH

Grid Forming Cases

SMA’s global track record of successful projects

West Murray, Australia

SMA solution secures energy yields

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has finally lifted the generation caps imposed on five PV farms with a total output of more than 350 MWp in West Murray, a region that stretches across Victoria and New South Wales. And this is all thanks to an innovative control software from SMA.

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Bordesholm, Germany

A city with balanced energy – on and off grid

With a large-scale battery storage system, the public utility company Versorgungsbetriebe Bordesholm in northern Germany is able to supply the European utility grid with balancing energy – a lucrative business model.

The battery storage system is considered one of the most state-of-the-art balancing energy power plants in the world.

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St. Eustatius, Caribbean

Large-Scale Island Electrification

Today, solar energy covers 46% of St. Eustatius’ total electricity need. Grid Forming inverters allow to operate the island grid for 10.5 hours in Diesel Off-Mode operation with 100% Solar Power Fraction. In total a 5.9MWh Li-Ion storage facility has been integrated for energy shifting and grid services. Thanks to the SMA Fuel Solution about 4,560 tons CO₂ per year can be saved.

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We Pioneer New Standards

Operators of power plants with Grid Forming technology are given the opportunity to become important players in the market with additional revenue streams through stability services.