With a ceremony at the German Embassy in Tokyo, SMA Solar Technology AG (SMA) officially opens its new sales and service subsidiary in Japan today. The global market leader will initially offer inverters and communication products for small photovoltaic plants for the Japanese market. Later on, inverters for large-scale photovoltaic projects and innovative energy management systems will complement the product offering for the Japanese market.
“Japan was a front runner of the photovoltaic industry for many years. As a result, we have decided to establish a local presence in this market long before the tragic events of Fukushima. We expect strong growth in the Japanese photovoltaic market in the coming years. In addition to the photovoltaic rooftop system sector, we also see great potential in the area of commercial and industrial photovoltaic projects,” explains Pierre-Pascal Urbon, Speaker of the Managing Board and Chief Financial Officer of SMA Solar Technology AG. “We are convinced that our technology can play a major role in creating a decentralized renewable energy supply in Japan.”
From its new office in Tokyo, the local team of SMA Japan offers customers a series of highly efficient, high-quality inverters tailored to the specific requirements of the Japanese market along with professional consulting for photovoltaic project planning and an extensive range of services. SMA’s state-of-the-art inverter production in Niestetal/Germany is geared to the high quality standards of the Japanese market. SMA holds a DIN ISO 9001 certification for quality management as well as a DIN ISO 14001 certification for environmental management. Additionally, within the JET certification process of SMA inverters for the Japanese market, the SMA production has been inspected and certified by JET officials.
To demonstrate the real-world advantages of its technologically advanced products, SMA will construct a pilot photovoltaic plant with Sunny Boy and Sunny Central inverters in Japan. “Unlike most of the inverters sold by local providers, SMA inverters can be used outside in all weather conditions. They not only offer high efficiency and reliability, but also a long service life,” says Yoshimi Murakami, General Manager of SMA Japan. “Visitors at the PV Expo in Tokyo can experience our products and services firsthand at our booth from February 29 to March 2, 2012.”
The opening of the Tokyo office is the next step in SMA’s successful internationalization strategy. The company is represented in all key photovoltaic markets and has offices in 19 countries on four continents. This year additional foreign companies will be opened in the developing markets of South America and Africa.