President Hernández Attends Commissioning of Largest Rooftop PV System in Latin America

ROCKLIN, Calif., May 6, 2015—Smartsolar, a leading developer of rooftop PV systems in Honduras, has completed the largest rooftop power plant in Latin America, with energy produced by SMA Sunny Tripower TL-US three-phase, transformerless string inverters. Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández attended the recent commissioning ceremony for the 3 MW system, located at the PepsiCo bottling plant in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

The decentralized system comprises 98 SMA Sunny Tripower 24000TL-US inverters and 11,702 Jinko Solar modules. It is expected to generate 4,252,423 kWh of power annually, enough to offset 16 percent of the manufacturing facilitys energy consumption.

Project owner Embotelladora de Sula, S.A. (EMSULA) installed solar at the PepsiCo bottling plant in order to reduce power costs; better manage energy price fluctuations; be a more competitive, socially responsible company; and positively impact the environment by reducing its carbon footprint.

"We are honored to help EMSULA and PepsiCo reach their energy and sustainability goals," said Henry Dziuba, president and general manager of SMA America. "The Sunny Tripower TL-US is the complete commercial solution, optimizing design, production and reliability while reducing the levelized cost of energy and improving financial returns."

The Sunny Tripower TL-US features unmatched design flexibility, high efficiency and enhanced safety, making it the ideal solution for decentralized commercial PV plants. Also available in 12, 15 and 20 kilowatt models, the Sunny Tripower TL-US boasts peak efficiency of more than 98 percent while its OptiTrac™ Global Peak maximum power point (MPP) tracking algorithm further maximizes energy production by minimizing the effects of shade. It is suitable for both 600 VDC and 1,000 VDC applications and offers two independent MPP trackers, a combined or detached connection unit, and myriad mounting configurations (vertical to 15 degrees from horizontal), further increasing design flexibility.

"SMA was the right partner for the project because it is a leading global photovoltaic company that has demonstrated reliability based on its high-quality products and services," said Roberto Larach, general director of EMSULA. "SMA also provides unparalleled technical expertise and support before, during and after project installation."

The Sunny Tripower TL-US delivers a future-proof solution with full grid management features including power factor correction, low-voltage ride through, curtailment and frequency response. It also offers innovative monitoring and communications features allowing start/stop/reset remote capability, as well as SMA Service, technical support and plant-wide O&M availability. Safety and reliability have been enhanced due to its all-pole ground fault protection, integrated AFCI, reverse polarity indicator and DC monitoring per MPPT, granular down to four strings.

The Sunny Tripower TL-US is available through SMAs North American distribution program. To locate an SMA Authorized Distributor, solar professionals can visit SMA Americas website and click "Where to Buy" to learn more about each distribution partner.

About Smartsolar
Smartsolar is a leading rooftop PV developer in Latin America. Its highly trained and internationally certified staff offers extensive expertise on PV plant design and installation for all applications, including residential, commercial and industrial systems. Smartsolar utilizes the worlds most advanced PV design and simulation software and adheres to NEC and OSHA electrical requirements. It offers attractive business models, including projects with zero investment, and a very high standard of quality management.

About Embotelladora de Sula, S.A.
Embotelladora de Sula, S.A. has been an authorized developer and distributor of PepsiCo bottling products since 1956. It offers an extensive line of beverages, including sodas, water, juices, nectars and energy drinks, among others. Its mission is to become the leading beverage bottler and distributor in Latin America by considering the different and changing needs of its customers with the highest quality standards every day. It is a company characterized by constant innovation, continuous development and good relationship with and among all members of its team.

About SMA
The SMA Group, with sales of more than €800 million in 2014, is the global market leader for solar inverters, a key component of all PV plants and offers innovative key technologies for future power supply structures. It is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, and is represented in 21 countries. The Group employs more than 5,000 people worldwide. SMAs broad product portfolio includes a compatible inverter for every type of module on the market and for all PV system sizes. The repeatedly awarded product range includes system technologies for grid-connected photovoltaic systems as well as off-grid and hybrid systems. The technology is protected by more than 550 patents. The range of services is supplemented by comprehensive services and operational management of large-scale PV power plants. Since 2008, the Groups parent company, SMA Solar Technology AG, has been listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (S92) and also in the TecDAX index. www.SMA-America.com