FCC Ban on Foreign-Made Solar Inverters Threatens Interconnection Delays

The Federal Communications Commission has banned foreign-produced solar inverters, citing national security concerns that wireless connectivity in modern smart inverters could let foreign adversaries push firmware updates capable of remotely disabling solar arrays. The rule applies the federal Buy American Standard definition, meaning inverters from American companies manufactured overseas are barred as well.

Interconnection impact

Because interconnection agreements are tied to specific inverter model numbers, developers who need to swap a now-banned foreign inverter for a domestic one face a "Material Modification" under interconnection rules — pushing affected projects back into the queue for a mandatory re-study.

Scope of the rule

Subsequent regulatory guidance clarified that the restriction applies only to prospective authorizations for new device models. Previously approved foreign inverters remain eligible for continued import and sale, and the security determination specifically targets networked inverters with remote communications capabilities, leaving equipment without remote-control features outside its scope.