The U.S. and EU are restricting Chinese inverters over cybersecurity and supply-chain concerns, but replacing them may create new challenges for the renewable-energy industry.
Workers install solar PV modules on the roof of the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory's parking garage, in Golden, Colorado. Credit: Dennis Schroeder/NREL via the U.S. Department of Energy
The U.S. and Europe may have different views on renewable energy, but they are increasingly aligned on reducing China’s role in their power grids. At the center of this battle is a small device called a power inverter.
A Sungrow inverter. Credit: Sungrow
Once an offline tool used to translate renewable power into usable electricity, the inverter has evolved into a smart gatekeeper of grid systems. On a sunny afternoon, solar farms may be able to produce a huge amount of electricity, but
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