SMA Altenso
SMA Altenso is a Germany-based system integrator and EPC contractor that designs, builds, and operates large-scale battery energy storage, green hydrogen, and off-grid renewable power projects for utilities, industrial firms, and governments across more than 52 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersKassel, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SMA Altenso does
SMA Altenso GmbH is a Niestetal, Germany-based system integrator and EPC contractor specializing in large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS), green hydrogen (power-to-gas), and off-grid renewable power projects. Founded in 2014 as SMA Sunbelt Energy GmbH and rebranded to SMA Altenso in 2022, the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of SMA Solar Technology AG and inherits 45 years of the parent's power-conversion expertise. Altenso designs, procures, builds, and operates turnkey projects across more than 52 countries, drawing on a product portfolio that includes IGBT-based Power Conversion Units (PCUs) for electrolyzers, Medium Voltage Power Stations (MVPS), Sunny Central Storage UP-S inverters with SiC MOSFET technology, Sunny Island X off-grid inverters, and proprietary Energy Management System (EMS) and Power Plant Manager software.
The company's commercial model spans four revenue streams: EPC contract services for BESS, hydrogen, and off-grid installations; hardware sales of PCUs and MVPS; in-house project development and asset sales to financial investors such as MEAG and re:cap; and ongoing O&M services across the operating life of installed assets. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales to utilities, industrial companies, and governments with regional codevelopment partnerships (Infinergies in Finland, Avenis Energy in Australia, RheinEnergie in Germany) for local market access and project origination. Operational scale totals 2 GW of installed battery storage, 3 GWh of implemented battery capacity, >1 GW of delivered conversion power for hydrogen applications, and >160 cumulative projects.
Altenso serves four primary customer segments: utilities and grid operators needing frequency regulation and grid stabilization; industrial companies and manufacturers (refineries, fertilizer, maritime) requiring green hydrogen for decarbonization; remote and off-grid communities including islands and rural electrification; and energy traders/asset managers acquiring storage assets for market participation. The customer roster includes Iberdrola, PlugPower, Axpo, BHP, MOL Group, CMB.TECH, Viva Energy, and MEAG, reflecting enterprise-grade engagement across energy, mining, mobility, and infrastructure. The company operates from headquarters in Niestetal near Kassel, with regional subsidiaries in Sydney (Altenso Australia) and Cape Town (Altenso Africa), and is staffed by 130+ employees from 20+ nationalities.
SMA Altenso firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SMA Altenso
- Legal name
- SMA Altenso GmbH
- Website
- https://sma-altenso.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- SMA Altenso is a Germany-based system integrator and EPC contractor that designs, builds, and operates large-scale battery energy storage, green hydrogen, and off-grid renewable power projects for utilities, industrial firms, and governments across more than 52 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SMA Altenso industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Energy Storage System Integration
- NAICS
- Electric Power Generation (22111), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512)
- SIC
- Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613), Motors & Generators (3621)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Microgrid + Storage EPC & Systems Integration (EUAEAEAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- EMS / SCADA / DERMS Controls Integration for Storage (EUAEAEAG), Microgrids & Energy Management Controllers (Campus/Community/Industrial) (EUADAPAE), PCS (Power Conversion System) Engineering, Supply & Integration (EUAEAEAF)
Keywords
Where SMA Altenso is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kassel
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
SMA Altenso business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- EPC Contract Services: Full engineering, procurement, and construction services for BESS, hydrogen, and off-grid projects including development, construction, and O&M services
- Project Development and Sales: In-house development and sale of greenfield BESS projects to strategic investors like MEAG and re:cap
- Power Conversion Hardware: Sale of power conversion units (PCUs), medium voltage power stations, and inverters manufactured in serial mass production in Germany
- O&M Services: Ongoing operations and maintenance services for battery storage systems during plant operation
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
SMA Altenso product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SMA Altenso is an international system integrator and EPC company that designs, develops, executes, and operates large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS), hydrogen (power-to-gas) power conversion solutions, and off-grid PV-hybrid renewable projects. The company supplies containerized power conversion units (PCUs), medium voltage power stations, and proprietary energy management software, and provides turnkey engineering, procurement, construction, and ongoing operations and maintenance services to utilities, industrial customers, and governments.
Product overview
SMA Altenso offers a portfolio of turnkey power solutions centered on three core product lines: (1) Power Conversion Units (PCUs) for hydrogen/power-to-gas applications - IGBT-based rectifiers in 20' and 40' container formats that supply power to electrolyzers (PEM, Alkaline, SOEC), accompanied by the proprietary Energy Management System for production optimization; (2) Large-Scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) incorporating LFP/NMC batteries with SMA central inverters, managed via the Power Plant Manager and Hybrid Controller; (3) Off-grid and hybrid solutions featuring Sunny Island X inverters for remote grid-forming applications. All product lines are supported by Medium Voltage Power Stations (MVPS), EPC execution capabilities, and O&M services. The company operates as a system integrator and EPC provider, not selling standalone software products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Power Conversion Units (PCUs) for Hydrogen IGBT-based rectifier solutions in 20-foot and 40-foot container configurations integrating rectifier, transformer, medium-voltage switchgear, and low-voltage compartment. Modular design scales from 1.5 MW to 1.5 GW for multi-megawatt electrolyzer applications in green hydrogen production.
- Energy Management System (EMS) for Hydrogen In-house developed monitoring software for hydrogen production optimization. Combines forecasts for solar PV, hydrogen demand, and auxiliary loads with digital models of plant components to balance energy production with energy demand several days in advance, maximizing plant value and reducing operational costs.
- Large-Scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Comprehensive turnkey BESS solutions incorporating NMC/NCA and LFP lithium-ion batteries from tier-1 manufacturers with SMA central inverters offering black-start capability, grid-forming technology, and redundancy services. Covers project development, EPC, and O&M services for utility-scale storage.
- Medium Voltage Power Stations (MVPS) 20-foot and 40-foot container solutions combining central inverter, transformer, and switchgear. Provides compact, plug-and-play power conversion for PV, BESS, and hydrogen applications, manufactured in serial mass production in Germany.
- Sunny Central Storage UP-S Inverter
Quantifiable outcome
- 2 GW of operational large-scale storage and >4.5 GW in development pipeline
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use SMA Altenso
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SMA Altenso technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
SMA Altenso partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Infinergies Finland OycoreStrategic partnership to develop and implement large-scale battery storage projects in Finland. Altenso brings engineering expertise and grid-forming technology while Infinergies provides local market expertise. First project Battery Park Alapitkä (95 MW/220 MWh) in Alapitkä, Finland.
- RheinEnergiecoreStrategic partnership with Cologne-based power supply company to codevelop BESS projects with total output of several hundred MW in Germany. First joint project is BESS in Einbeck (24.5 MW/64 MWh). RheinEnergie Trading handles operational management while Altenso provides technology, development, construction, and maintenance.
- Avenis EnergycoreAustralian renewable energy developer partnering with Altenso for two major battery storage projects, each capable of storing 480 MWh. Partnership to construct 960 MWh of grid-scale battery storage in Australia as part of Altenso's Australian expansion.
- BYDsupportingBattery supplier for BESS projects including Einbeck. BYD delivered battery platforms equipped with 8 battery racks each for the project.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SMA Altenso competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fluence Energy: Fluence is a global leader in utility-scale battery energy storage system integration and software services. It competes directly with Altenso across grid-scale BESS deployment, EPC services, and recurring software/O&M revenue, serving similar utility and developer customers.
- Wärtsilä Energy Storage: Wärtsilä's energy storage business provides grid-scale BESS and hybrid energy solutions including hydrogen-ready systems. It competes directly with Altenso in utility-scale storage EPC and hybrid renewable integration, particularly in Europe and emerging markets.
- Power Electronics: Power Electronics is a Spanish manufacturer of power conversion systems including solar inverters, BESS, and hydrogen rectifiers. It directly competes with Altenso's PCU and inverter businesses across hydrogen and battery storage applications.
- Ingeteam: Ingeteam manufactures power converters, inverters, and BESS solutions with strong presence in European and Latin American energy markets. It directly competes with Altenso in utility-scale storage, PV-hybrid, and power conversion for hydrogen applications.
- Nidec ASI: Nidec ASI is a power conversion and energy storage specialist offering large-scale BESS and power-to-gas solutions. It overlaps directly with Altenso's PCU and BESS businesses and serves comparable industrial and utility customers in Europe and the Middle East.
Broad incumbents
- Hitachi Energy: Hitachi Energy provides grid integration, power conversion, and battery storage solutions as part of a broader portfolio. It competes with Altenso in utility-scale BESS and grid-forming inverter deployments, with deeper capital resources and global reach.
- Saft (TotalEnergies): Saft, a TotalEnergies subsidiary, manufactures batteries and integrated energy storage systems for utility and industrial markets. It competes with Altenso in large-scale BESS, particularly where integrated battery + power conversion + EMS offerings are required.
- ABB: ABB provides power conversion, grid integration, and energy storage solutions as part of its broad electrification portfolio. It competes with Altenso in industrial-scale power electronics and BESS, with significant overlap in hydrogen and grid-forming applications.
- Sungrow: Sungrow is a leading global PV inverter and energy storage system manufacturer offering turnkey BESS solutions. While primarily a hardware OEM, it increasingly competes with Altenso in large-scale storage EPC, particularly in Europe, Australia, and the Middle East.
- Tesla Energy: Tesla Energy's Megapack and Autobidder platform compete with Altenso in utility-scale BESS deployment and energy market optimization. While broader in scope and far larger in scale, Tesla targets the same grid-scale frequency response and trading applications as Altenso.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SMA Altenso social profiles
Digital presenceSMA Altenso compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
SMA Altenso financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SMA Altenso leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
SMA Altenso subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
SMA Altenso funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SMA Altenso M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SMA Altenso
What does SMA Altenso do?
SMA Altenso is an international system integrator and EPC company that designs, develops, executes, and operates large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS), hydrogen (power-to-gas) power conversion solutions, and off-grid PV-hybrid renewable projects. The company supplies containerized power conversion units (PCUs), medium voltage power stations, and proprietary energy management software, and provides turnkey engineering, procurement, construction, and ongoing operations and maintenance services to utilities, industrial customers, and governments.
Is SMA Altenso a public or private company?
SMA Altenso is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was SMA Altenso founded?
SMA Altenso was founded in 2014. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is SMA Altenso based?
SMA Altenso is headquartered in Kassel, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does SMA Altenso make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. EPC Contract Services are the primary driver. The others are project Development and Sales, power Conversion Hardware and O&M Services.
Who are SMA Altenso's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fluence Energy, Wärtsilä Energy Storage, Power Electronics, Ingeteam and Nidec ASI. Broad incumbents are Hitachi Energy, Saft (TotalEnergies), ABB, Sungrow and Tesla Energy.
Does SMA Altenso have an API?
No public API is recorded for SMA Altenso.
What industry is SMA Altenso in?
SMA Altenso's product category is Energy Storage System Integration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAEAEAD, Microgrid + Storage EPC & Systems Integration, with a secondary code of EUAEAEAG, EMS / SCADA / DERMS Controls Integration for Storage. Its NAICS code is 22111 and its SIC code is 4991.