André Gellers takes over as Country Manager of SMA

André Gellers is the new Country Manager of the inverter manufacturer SMA. The information was given by the company to Canal Solar last week. In an exclusive interview with Canal Solar, the executive told how he began his professional journey in the solar photovoltaic sector in 2015, working as an integrator at the solar projects and installations company Savem.

In addition, he reported other experiences in the photovoltaic market, such as his work at thin film manufacturer Hanergy and Moso Power Supply Technology.

According to Gellers, his inspirations came from his parents who were responsible for shaping his personality and morals, from Ozires Silva, who despite all expectations, created the Brazilian aeronautical industry.

Furthermore, he seeks inspiration from Sister Dulce, who selflessly dedicated her life to helping others, following her heart, and from Elon Musk, who has been pursuing his dreams and has not given up despite the challenges.

Canal Solar: Who is André Gellers? Who inspires you? And what is your professional career like?

André Gellers: I am passionate about sustainability. I have a degree in Business Administration from FGV (Fundação Getúlio Vargas). I started my career in auditing and then went into retail. I lived in England for three years and at the turn of the millennium I started to see renewable energy and that really moved me. After a few years, I entered the solar sector and have been working in the photovoltaic market for six years.

Which companies have you worked with in the photovoltaic market?

AG: I started my career as an integrator, and I am very proud of that. I founded a company in Rio de Janeiro called Savem, where I stayed until 2019. Then I had a brief stint at Hanergy, a thin-film module company, and then I took over Moso do Brasil, where I stayed until recently. Now, I have another challenge. This week, I started as Country Manager at SMA, which is one of the world's leading photovoltaic solutions companies. I am very proud of this situation.

Was your arrival at SMA strategic for the Brazilian photovoltaic market? How do you plan your work in front of the company?

AG: First, it is a dream come true. I have admired SMA since the beginning of my journey. It is a company that has been dedicated to the industry for 40 years, creating advanced solutions and taking great care of its customers. I believe this is completely aligned with my way of thinking.

The strategy is that we can grow together with Brazil, bringing cutting-edge technology solutions, providing the best value for our customers in the long term and always working on cutting-edge technologies, bringing the latest news and providing full support to customers. All of this is very much in line with how I think services provided to clients should be.

This universal action by SMA, which already has inverters sold in more than 190 countries, is very interesting as it brings a diversity of solutions that we can learn abroad and apply in Brazil, a market that started a little later but still has gigantic potential for accomplish.

How is SMA planning to adapt to changes in the sector regarding social impact?

AG: Cultural and age diversity and adherence to the millennium goals proposed by the UN (United Nations) is a corporate guideline for SMA and I am very proud of this. I have been working in the socio-environmental sector for over 15 years, even before the photovoltaic sector, and this brings great intrinsic value to the corporation, both in terms of continuity and sustainability.

Seeing the consolidation of the “ESG Guidelines” (Environmental, Social and Governance), which are the social environment and governance rules in companies, as an issue that was consolidated during the Covid-19 pandemic is a “buzzword” that has become and which was being dammed.

Now companies have to achieve goals because having good corporate governance has become a component of business. SMA had already adhered to these guidelines even before this became a reality in the corporate world and this is very strategic for the company's growth.

Solar photovoltaic energy is one of the largest job creators. It is a large sector that generates jobs and provides energy without carbon emissions. It is one of the energy paths to follow! And speaking about governance in the sector, if we do not have legislation that supports it and contracts are respected in the country, Brazil will not be seen as a good place to invest. We have enormous potential to achieve this and there is a great desire to invest international resources through greenbond funds, or even national investors. Therefore, we really need to be careful to create a legal framework that provides security for investors and we support this.

How are you following the progress of PL 5829/19?

AG: I think it is essential that Bill 5829/19 be taken to the Plenary soon and approved. We are currently working based on a resolution from the ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency), 482, created by 687, which is a well-written resolution but does not have the force of law and leaves uncertainty hanging over the market, especially with investors who assess this as a risk.

All of us who work in the sector - industry, distributors and integrators - need to be sure of what they are proposing to the end customer. For this reason, the approval of PL 5829 is important, aiming to provide the necessary legal certainty. It is a very balanced text and I hope that we can approve it very soon.

In relation to international markets, what are the main lessons that Brazil can learn and adopt?

AG: We are experiencing an evolution in terms of storage. Storage combined with solar photovoltaic energy allows us to solve the problem of intermittency and by solving this problem, I believe the market can grow ten times more than its potential without storage.

I see the issue of hybrid systems as very relevant for the future of the photovoltaic sector. No professional can fail to understand how hybrid systems work and what value they bring to solar photovoltaic systems. In addition, there is the integration with electric mobility, which is no longer something for the future, it is a reality. Countries like Norway sell more electric cars than combustion cars, and in Brazil, this will also change quickly.

We need to invest a lot in infrastructure for charging electric cars. There is a fantastic market associated with the queen of all energies, which is solar, because if it weren't for the Sun, we wouldn't be here. I see that storage and mobility are two advances for the photovoltaic solar energy segment.

In a recent report released, the International Energy Agency highlights the transition from combustion cars to electric cars, estimating that by 2030 there will be hundreds of thousands of electric cars worldwide. How do you see this goal? Is it achievable?

AG: It is an aggressive target. European countries have already taken the initiative in this regard and set deadlines for the production of combustion-powered cars. These affirmative measures are important for achieving the targets. The market does not always self-regulate; often an emerging technology needs support, which requires a start, and in this sense. Europe is showing a very serious path, as are other countries, such as Japan, and the new environmental policies of the new US government point to this.

Of course, we can't forget to talk about China, which also has incredible incentives for the adoption of electric cars and is already experiencing reductions in pollution in its cities. For example, Chinese taxi drivers have a huge incentive to use electric cars.

Brazil needs to look abroad and learn from this. The attractiveness of car manufacturers has diminished. We can see that, due to Ford's recent exit from Brazil, we can no longer count on combustion engine car manufacturers to be major job creators. The time has changed.

We will see the consolidation of some alternatives, whether battery-powered cars or hydrogen fuel cells. But in any case, the solar sector will always be integrated with electric mobility, contributing to the reduction of pollution rates. This goal can only be achieved through a change in mobility. I am optimistic and believe that this change will happen faster than we imagine.

What message do you highlight for those who are working, or are thinking about starting to work, in the photovoltaic market?

AG: First, I want to congratulate all the professionals in the sector. We are people who believe in a better world! I believe that there is a component of us believing that we can do something for the better. Keep believing in this every morning, even on the most difficult days that will come, stay positive.

Second point. Sometimes we imagine that just installing the photovoltaic system and the relationship with the customer is over, but that's not true. These are relationships that span many years and your own public image is linked to this. Therefore, always discover ways to deliver more value to your customers.

Third piece of advice: always continue educating yourself. Read about new technologies, about business, take part in courses. And lastly: no one does anything alone. Therefore, establish good, healthy relationships, inside and outside the sector. Build your careers so that when you celebrate your victories, you have someone to call to the party. Create good relationships in the industry and celebrate together!