About this episode

The episode discusses the evolving role of inverter technology in solar energy and its implications for policy and security in Europe and the US.

Solar demand remains strong, storage is scaling fast, and inverter technology is becoming more central to how modern power systems actually function. But the conversation around inverters is no longer just about efficiency, bankability, or price. As these devices take on more intelligence — managing batteries, supporting grid stability, and communicating more directly with the wider system — they are also being treated as a new point of strategic vulnerability. In both Europe and the US, policymakers are starting to respond accordingly. Host Sylvia Leyva Martinez is joined by Joe Shangraw, research analyst at Wood Mackenzie covering solar inverter markets, to examine what that shift means in practice. Their core argument is that inverter policy is moving beyond trade protection and into a more complicated mix of cybersecurity, industrial strategy, and grid risk. They unpack why Europe’s March decision to block public EU funding for projects using Chinese-made inverters matters beyond its immediate scope, and why the region’s dependence on Chinese vendors — especially in utility-scale string inverters and integrated battery-plus-inverter systems — makes any attempt to diversify…

People in this episode

Host: Sylvia Leyva Martinez

Guest: Joe Shangraw

Topics covered

• solar procurement
• inverter technology
• cybersecurity
• industrial strategy
• grid risk
• policy response

Keywords

• solar demand
• inverter security
• Chinese hardware
• grid stability
• FCC decision
• EU funding
• cybersecurity
• industrial strategy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Wood Mackenzie, FCC

Products: Chinese-made inverters, utility-scale string inverters, integrated battery-plus-inverter systems

Places: Europe, US, EU

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