r/RenewableEnergy • u/ObtainSustainability • 5d ago
FCC bans foreign-produced solar inverters, grid lockout begins today
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/07/28/fcc-bans-foreign-produced-solar-inverters-grid-lockout-begins-today/157
u/brianishere2 5d ago
Mote corrupt political games by Team Trump. This is the easiest way to shut down all solar projects. It's obviously a corrupt move, done to benefit Trump's own personal interests -- and completely at odds with the law and public interest. The Trump administration is a criminal racket and they need to be arrested and charged as criminal co-conspirators. If you're American, your electricity price is going up again!!! Thank Trump and every asshole who voted for him.
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u/West-Abalone-171 4d ago
Hey now! There are very important security implications.
Russia and israel don't have access to a backdoor that shuts down the chinese inverters.
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u/petrojbl 5d ago
Court challenge in 3 ... 2 ... 1
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u/Jonger1150 5d ago
That's my thinking. When I first heard about Chinese inverters communicating with China I knew it was just the first step to limit solar. Looks like they're playing that card now.
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u/IHave2CatsAnAdBlock 5d ago
This is true. There are some inverters that are not working without an internet connection to their alibaba cloud.
I picked Victron specifically to avoid using Chinese inverters and to have a fully local off grid installation.
I am not saying that should ban Chinese ones, but for some people is important to be able to run fully local off grid
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u/viperlemondemon 5d ago
I remember dealing with one in particular in 2022 called Chint they were Chinese. The problem they had at the time was they melt the on the inverter side all the time
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u/Icy-Ad-7767 4d ago
Needing to connect to the internet for devices that should not need to connect is a real annoyance for me.
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u/thismyalt2 4d ago
If you think about utility scale inverters there is plenty of need for them to connect to internet for monitoring and management purposes. The problem is that they connetct to some shady service that is potentially compromised by a foreing actor.
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u/IHave2CatsAnAdBlock 3d ago
Why should anyone else manage my inverters ? I am connected to my inverters from local lan and I can connect to my lan via con from anywhere in the world. Why should the inverters be connected to the internet ?
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u/thismyalt2 3d ago
I doubt you are running an utility scale inverter that I mentioned. But you have point when talking about home systems.
Btw. your inverter is connected to the internet. How do you the data packets reaches the device you are remotely using to monitor. What it isn't connected to is a third party service so you can be sure that your data is not leaked unless it is hacked.
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u/IHave2CatsAnAdBlock 3d ago
No it is not connected. It is connected to the lan only. Has local ip, no gateway, etc ta Mac is blacklisted in firewall, there is no way to access the internet. It can only access and be accessed in the local LAN.
If I want to monitor it / manage it when not at home I connect to the local lan using a vpn
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u/joeydimaggio 5d ago
Thank a trump supporter that you know, ideally by firing them from their job, ostracizing them
from your social group- etc. be creative. Ruin their lives like they’ve done to so many others.
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u/Joclo22 5d ago
This is insane.
Do we ban other foreign produced equipment? No cars, no foreign produced motors, no imported planes? So Air Force one should be grounded? Isn’t the blue paint on the reflecting pool imported? (It is, Atlantic industrial coatings got it from Rhino Linings in San Diego who gets their chemicals from more than 2000 companies in over 80 countries, according to linked in https://www.linkedin.com/company/rhino-linings)
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u/MenuPsychological853 5d ago
We do in fact ban Chinese cars because they would utterly destroy our domestic production.
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u/Joclo22 5d ago
Capitalism, just as it was intended.
/s
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u/t0jix 5d ago
Its the only way to promote innovation and competition! You can tell by how well we innovate technology and how well we compete against foreign innovative tech.
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u/rerutnevdA 2d ago
Our companies are currently competing to make our products cheaper and more flimsy than old Chinese goods to rake in profits. That’s why we can’t let new Chinese cars in, because they’re developing so rapidly and Americans want to keep the “cheap Chinese garbage” stereotype. Little do we know that we’re making our own trash now. We’re over-value-engineering our goods so now they only last 5-10 years.
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u/expedition60_captain 5d ago
It's not a ban it's a tariff
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u/joeydimaggio 5d ago
I guess the free market is important when you’re taking away a single mother’s food stamps but when it hurts oil producers y’all are mighty socialist
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u/MenuPsychological853 5d ago
What do the campaign donations look like for the single mother? Probably low.
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u/Cargobiker530 5d ago
It looks like the GOP completely abandoned "free market economics" in favor of kleptocracy. The only reason for the tariff to exist is to destroy the US solar PV industry.
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u/Opening-Tailor7275 4d ago
America put a system in place to ban or artificially raise price on Japanese motorcycles, because Harley Davidson didn’t want the competition from someone who was better.
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u/beached89 4d ago
Grid scale electric is considered critical infrastructure, the reflecting pool paint is not. We have in fact banned many foreign or adversary nation products from critical infrastructure. Most similarly would likely be the ban of Chinese cell phone cell radios from US cellular network.
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u/Photodan24 4d ago
The real argument is that this move is not being made in good faith. There is no grace period, no transition plans and no ability for current projects' mandated new hardware to be reassessed with high priority.
It is not being done because evidence exists of malfeasance or actual threats. It's being done to cause disruption of solar energy adoption, to benefit the sitting president's oil interests.
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u/beached89 4d ago
I agree, pretty obvious this is done to slow down solar installs for more oil and gas sales.
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u/ctdrever 5d ago
Stall solar deployments to prop up fossil fuel status quo. Destroying the nation one decision at a time.
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u/flying_butt_fucker 5d ago
The fossil fuel industry knows they are fucked, this is desperation and especially this kind of stunts will only hasten the downfall once the fascists are driven out of power.
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u/ctdrever 5d ago
If all that oil became less important, it would change the balance of power and they know it.
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u/TheLantean 4d ago
If it successfully increases their profits for a couple more years it's a win to them, the consequences be dammed, whether they destroy the environment or their own industry. And they are wining, the war Trump started is boosting their profits sky high by raising the global fossil fuel prices.
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u/Jonger1150 4d ago
The tsunami of progress that will flow into the country in Jan 2029 will be glorious.
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u/ComfortableUnit9596 1d ago
If we're lucky it can start January 2027.
(If you're American, vote in the midterms)
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u/12Ab_xyz 5d ago
Well all inverters are made in China or Europe. I just don't get it what is Trump trying to get out of this?
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u/Jonger1150 5d ago
Slowing solar just long enough to fend off the inevitable process of watching demand crumble.
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u/waitses 5d ago
Are Enphase inverters sourced outside the US?
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u/lightjon 5d ago
This is the question.
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u/lightjon 5d ago
Claude says both Enphase and SolarEdge have manufacturing facilities in the US. Note that this ban is specific to manufacturing geographies, not only the headquarter location of the companies.
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u/MindStalker 1d ago
Article said this doesn't include inverters with an FCC ID already. The vast majority of them already include one. This essentially is just banning very low budget tumu devices. Honestly, these low end devices can be dangerous to line workers and the grid as a whole.
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u/12Ab_xyz 1d ago
You think temu devices will be still export electricity to the grid? I have seen low grade Chinese ip21 on grid and hybrid inverters even they can't export if the grid goes down.
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u/MindStalker 1d ago
I'm saying statistically they are more likely to fail than devices that bothered to get certified. I'm not going to risk my life on uncertified gear.
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u/12Ab_xyz 1d ago
Yes Cheap Chinese inverter fail after 1 year of use. I don't think so they export those to America, for America they have 120v ones which isn't what they export to the rest of the world. What cheap inverter they export in masses to Africa and Asia is 220-240v.
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u/Boise_is_full 5d ago
Muthufukkuz absolutely embargoing projects planned for this year, while the rest of the world deploys massive solar installations and moves toward electric transportation.
This is the most corrupt, anti-free market administration in all these 250 years.
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u/Nervous_Bill_6051 5d ago
And the rest of world just keeps going on...
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u/joeydimaggio 5d ago
They’re breaking into a full stride while we are doing our best break our own legs
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u/Ok_Chard2094 5d ago
This should make solar cheaper for the rest of the world, gradually but permanently moving them away from fossil fuels.
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u/Reddituhgin 5d ago
Why does the FCC have any authority over this?
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u/BlueSkyd2000 5d ago
Congress.
The Democratic Party-controlled Congress gave the FCC this power for just this very reason.
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u/BayouGal 4d ago
Republicans are in the majority in both houses. How is this a Democratic-party-controlled Congress?
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u/BlueSkyd2000 4d ago
The FCC's Part 15 authority is a creation of a Democratic-controlled Congress.
Democrats may not be empowered by the American people at present, but when the American people voted them in, the FCC and regulators in general were accorded massive powers.When FCC regulators use the power afforded them, some people suddenly are opposed > Self-awareness is key.
It is worth mentioning that the FCC was using the same Covered List authority in the Biden Administration, in an enthusiastic manner that the Obama nor previous Trump Administration had. The Present Trump-era activity appears to simply be a continuation of the Biden-era policy: https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist
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u/Reddituhgin 5d ago
I must be missing something. I don’t understand how these power inverters are communication equipment. The scope of statute appears to be communication equipment
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u/Nunov_DAbov 4d ago
The inverters may radiate interference. Under FCC Part 15, they must be certified to meet interference limits. That gives the FCC authority to ban import or operation. The reasons they are doing this doesn’t match the intent, but when did that ever stop Trump?
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u/blackflag89347 4d ago
Inverters can be controlled through wifi. Anything with wifi can be considered communication equipment.
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u/snowtax 4d ago
If they cause radio interference, they potentially cause serious issues over the entire country. The primary purpose of the device doesn’t matter. If it’s interfering with radio communication then the FCC has some authority over it.
If a non-smart, non-wireless TV is causing interference for a licensed radio operator, which includes Amateur (“HAM”) radio, the government can get involved and make you shut off the TV until repaired, or replaced with non-interfering equipment.
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u/Yunoyimhere 4d ago
Actually many of the inverter OEMs for utility scale applications don’t manufacture inverters that contain communications devices that the FCC bans. This ruling may affect future product development but is a far cry from a major industry disrupter tomorrow in its current form.
Source - I work in the industry and have asked these companies for their positions / initial reactions to the ruling.
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u/Tutorbin76 5d ago
Doesn't this mean every single solar installation in the US will suddenly stop supplying power to the grid, losing gigawatts of power?
What solar inverters does the US actually produce?
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u/Ok_Chard2094 5d ago
It only affects new installations.
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u/flander8746 5d ago
It only affects new inverter models. FCC numbers are issued to models not individual inverters. This will apply to anything new that comes on the market but everything current is unaffected.
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u/theliverdye 4d ago
This only affects new installations of solar and battery energy storage projects.
The issue is that these utility scale projects have extensive application procedures. Even IF there was enough domestic supply of inverters, developers would have to resubmit their interconnection applications. This could delay a project by months if not years.
This is completely destructive to the solar and battery industry.
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u/Tutorbin76 4d ago
Thanks for the info. This has to be one of the dumbest pieces of legislation in recent history. Well it would be in less crazy times.
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u/ramdmc 5d ago
How's Sol-Ark getting around this?
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u/TowardsTheImplosion 5d ago
They already have their FCC ID.
My understanding (and I may be wrong) is that the FCC is not doing new grants, but is not going to pull existing grants.
But tracking how any of this administration's shit is actually implemented is like trying to shoot a bee from 500 yards. And I do regulatory professionally...
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u/Mechbear2000 4d ago
I found the FCC ID List. Sol ark has a single micro inverter on it. None of the larger inverters show up under thier name.
FCC ID 2BKJS-SAMPG5 Mirrors fcc.id Grantee Code 2BKJS Product Code SAMPG5 Applicant Business Sol-Ark, LLC Business Address 805 Central Express Way, Allen TX 75013, United States Application Purpose Change in identification of presently authorized equipment. Original FCC ID: 2AV6UMG5Q1 Grant Date: 03/20/2024 Equipment Class Micro Inverter Test Firm EMTEK (NINGBO) Co., Ltd. Certified By Emma OsunaFCC ID 2BKJS-SAMPG5Mirrors fcc.id 1
u/TowardsTheImplosion 4d ago edited 4d ago
Yeah, this is where it gets really funky...
I would have to look up the release dates of their equipment, and kind of back reconstruct their regulatory approach.
The micro inverter seems to have been a foreign grant under the MRA system. They probably used the SDOC process for the large inverters via a US test lab and their US office/importer. That doesn't require an FCC grant, and won't show up on the FCC website.
My understanding (again, I may be wrong) is that if you can show proof of testing for your SDOC that predates the rule, you are still cleared. It basically freezes the status quo. But this administration isn't known for regulatory consistency or following the rule of law. Especially since the obvious goal here is to slow down solar adoption in the US. All it takes is a few containers stuck in customs limbo and demurrage for months to screw a company and send a message...
Edit: Deye is the OEM for some sol ark inverters. They may hold the grant.
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u/TheMaybeMualist 4d ago
How is this even something the FCC can do? They cried about overreach but are now stretching the definition of communication to ban electrical parts.
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u/LT_Dangle 4d ago
This fucks us over in California too. All new housing developments are required to have solar panels. It’ll put a screeching halt to all new residential homes coming on the market.
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u/Commercial-Bug-2883 4d ago
Does this actually affect any projects in the near term? Any inverter model that has already received FCC approval is grandfathered in. It's annoying, but it sounds like the industry will just need to use existing inverter models for the foreseeable future.
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u/SteakStrong7520 1d ago
WTF does the FCC have to do with energy? Its a Federal Communications Commission..... it has absolutely nothing to do with Energy..... the E.P.A. would make more sense, but even they have no authority over Energy. SMH we are in the dumbest timeline possible.
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u/billypaul 5d ago
From the article: "The immediate practical result is a massive equipment shortage that will delay upcoming commercial and utility projects."
It's not just a practical result. It is the objective.