SMA Solar Technology helps its customers harvest the power of the sun. Founded in 1981, the company focuses on making a wide range of photovoltaic inverters, components of solar power systems that help convert sunlight into electricity. SMA Solar Technology sells its products to private, commercial, and institutional owners of solar power plants. Customers include the likes of Airbus, Bayer, Siemens, and Volkswagen. The company also makes electronics and components, such as battery chargers for railway coaches, through SMA Railway Technology. The firm operates through subsidiaries in more than 20 countries. Customers outside Germany make up about 45% of sales.