SMA Australia appoints Sam Wiggins as Managing Director

SMA Australia has appointed Sam Wiggins as Managing Director as part of a dual leadership structure at the renewable energy technology company.

Wiggins will lead Service and Technology, while existing Managing Director John Alexander will continue to oversee Sales and Corporate functions. The structure is intended to sharpen the company's focus on its large-scale business in Australia.

Australia is one of SMA's top three global markets, alongside the European Union and the United States. SMA has supplied technology to some of the country's earliest utility-scale solar projects and sees a strong pipeline of solar and storage work in the market.

Wiggins joins the expanded leadership team with experience in large-scale renewable energy projects in Germany. Previous roles at SMA and RWE included senior engineering and leadership positions across utility-scale wind, battery energy storage systems and solar project engineering.

Market shift

The appointment comes as the Australian market shifts from standalone solar projects to hybrid systems combining solar, storage and grid support functions. That shift has increased the importance of technical delivery and service operations for suppliers working on utility-scale projects.

In a statement on his appointment, Wiggins outlined his priorities for the role.

"I am excited to step into this role and continue strengthening SMA's long-term commitment to Australia as a key market for large-scale renewable energy," said Sam Wiggins, Managing Director, SMA Australia.

"My focus has always been on building the technical capability, systems and teams required to support a resilient, high-renewables grid and increasingly complex large-scale energy systems," added Wiggins.

Alexander said the revised structure is designed to keep the company's commercial and technical work closely aligned as utility-scale energy systems become more complex.

"SMA has been part of Australia's energy transition from the beginning and is now focused on supporting the next phase, where large-scale systems, storage and grid stability become critical to a high-renewables grid," said John Alexander, Managing Director, SMA Australia.

"As the market evolves beyond standalone solar to integrated, grid-supporting systems, our focus is on delivering reliable, large-scale energy solutions that enable this transition," added Alexander.

The company is part of Germany-based SMA Solar Technology, which specialises in photovoltaic systems and battery energy storage system power conversion and control technologies. It says it has installed more than 144 GW of inverter capacity across more than 190 countries, including more than 10 GW in Australia.

Strategic market

SMA's global leadership views Australia as a significant test bed for technologies designed to support grids with high levels of renewable generation. The market's lower system strength and higher renewable penetration have made it one of the more technically demanding environments for grid operators and equipment suppliers.

Joshua Birmingham, Global Head of Sales & Markets at SMA Solar Technology, said those conditions are shaping the company's international strategy.

"Australia is one of the most technically advanced renewable energy markets, shaped by the complexity of operating power systems with high renewable penetration and lower system strength," said Joshua Birmingham, Global Head of Sales & Markets, SMA Solar Technology.

"These conditions are driving the deployment and validation of grid-forming technologies, hybrid systems and large-scale storage to maintain system stability as traditional generation is phased out, making Australia a critical market for applying and proving solutions that can be scaled globally," added Birmingham.

"Our strengthened leadership structure ensures we are well-positioned to support this next phase of the transition, both locally and as part of SMA's global Large Scale strategy," added Birmingham.

Local focus

The dual leadership model highlights how suppliers to Australia's utility-scale renewables sector are reorganising as projects broaden in scope. Solar farms are increasingly paired with storage, while grid operators and developers seek equipment that can support voltage, frequency and system stability as coal-fired generation exits the market.

For SMA Australia, that means separating oversight of technical and service functions from commercial and corporate responsibilities, while keeping both under managing director roles. Its Australian business plays a key role in supporting the development and operation of utility-scale solar, storage and hybrid energy systems, with a focus on system stability, energy security and digital infrastructure.

SMA said its large-scale inverter portfolio is manufactured in Germany. Australia remains a central market for its large-scale division as developers and network operators deploy more storage and grid-supporting technology across the country.