String Technology - SMA Sunny Boy 2000 Technical Description

Sunny Boy 2000 Technical Description

2.1 String Technology

The experience with several thousand grid connected PV-systems in Europe with an
output range from one to several hundred kilowatts has shown us that the costs for
connecting and monitoring the PV-system add up to almost 50 % of the cost of the
entire system. The reduction of these costs, especially the costs for the cabling on
the DC side and the subsequent distribution on the AC side, along with a drastic
simplification of PV system design were the reasons for developing the string-
technology from SMA.
The String-Inverter connects a small number of serially connected PV-panels
(strings) with the local electricity grid. Even large PV-systems can be created with
this method - the large PV-system then consists of several strings each with a single
inverter. The electricity is then collected on the AC side - therefore the expensive and
work intensive DC cabling on the DC side is not necessary anymore. No additional
planning is required.
SMA is the European market leader for inverters in photovoltaic applications with
over 53 MW of installed inverter power in over 38,000 single units in a power range
from 700 W up to 500 kW (figures from 12/2000). The Sunny Boy is the result of a
dedicated development resulting from the substantial experience with utility interac-
tive inverters for photovoltaics.
- 8 -
SB2000-11:EE SMA Regelsysteme GmbH