SolarPower Europe says the absence of written guidance on the reported funding restrictions on inverter supplies from high-risk countries is delaying solar and storage projects in Europe
Policy uncertainty is likely to particularly affect Central and Eastern Europe, where reliance on imported inverter suppliers remains high
It is urging the European Commission to quickly clarify the scope of the decision and introduce implementation measures
SolarPower Europe, the European lobby association for solar and battery storage, is seeking clarity from the European Commission regarding the latter’s decision to block funding for solar PV and battery storage projects using inverters from high-risk countries. The said decision has created ‘deep uncertainty’ in the industry, it says.
The industry association attributes the uncertainty to the absence of any written information on the ‘justification and scope’ in the absence of any ‘prior consultation or an impact assessment’ regarding the matter.
Notably, the European Commission reportedly approved a plan in April 2026 to prevent the bloc from funding projects that deploy solar inverters sourced from high-risk countries, including China, owing to cybersecurity concerns (see Solar Trade In Focus As China & EU Weigh New Curbs).
However, as SolarPower Europe points out, there has been no ‘written information’ from the commission on this matter, which it says has now begun to delay solar projects across Europe, as investors cannot make informed decisions about their projects, financing, or procurement.
As reported by Reuters and Wood Mackenzie, this uncertainty is likely to hit projects in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) the hardest, says SolarPower Europe, as these markets remain highly dependent on products from high-risk countries.
Wood Mackenzie estimates the ban itself to impact 28 GW DC of solar demand in Europe and around 12% of planned energy storage deployments within 2026-2030 (see Wood Mackenzie: EU Inverter Ban May Hit 28 GW DC Solar Demand).
SolarPower Europe is now urging the commission to act quickly by publishing clear guidance on the scope of its decision to reduce uncertainty and support compliant procurement since Chinese suppliers account for a major chunk of inverter supplies to Europe.
It also calls for measures to facilitate implementation, including national impact assessments and transition timelines, faster harmonization of relevant network codes across EU member states, and support for European inverter manufacturers to expand production capacity to meet market demand.
The purported ban will likely benefit local European inverter manufacturers such as Germany’s SMA Solar, Italy’s Fimer, and Austria’s Fronius, among others, while forcing developers to diversify their supply chain.
