US FCC blocks new foreign-made grid inverters: what the Covered List means for exporters

#What happened

The FCC keeps a "Covered List" of communications equipment that it considers an unacceptable risk to US national security. Equipment on the list cannot receive FCC equipment authorization — and without that, it cannot be marketed in the United States.

On 28 July 2026 the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau added foreign-produced power inverters to the list (Public Notice DA 26-786), following national security determinations issued the day before. The concern is remote access: an inverter that can be reached over a network could, in principle, be used to disrupt the grid.

On 20 August 2026 a second notice (DA 26-870) narrowed and clarified the entry.

#What is covered after the August update

Two points matter for manufacturers in China and elsewhere. First, origin is defined by production, not by nationality: a European brand building in Europe is affected in the same way. Second, wired links count — a utility-scale inverter that only talks to the plant controller over Ethernet is not automatically outside the rule.

For a domestic end product, the FAR rule requires US manufacture and a domestic component cost above 65 % of total component cost for items delivered from 2024 to 2028, rising to 75 % from 2029.

#What stays on the market

• Existing authorizations remain valid. Models authorized before 28 July 2026 may still be imported, sold and used. The check is at model and FCC ID level — a new variant is a new authorization.
• Firmware. A separate waiver lets previously authorized inverters receive qualifying software and firmware updates until at least 1 January 2029.
• Installed equipment is not affected.

#Ways forward

• Conditional Approval. The Department of War or the Department of Homeland Security may approve specific devices. Applications go to the FCC no later than 1 January 2028 and must cover ownership, bill of materials, supply-chain concentration, software and firmware origin and a time-bound plan to manufacture in the US. There is no review timeline.
• US production. Inverters eligible for the 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit are exempt from the listing.
• Product scope. Products that do not meet both functional criteria — for example equipment that only charges batteries from the grid — fall outside the entry. Whether a given hybrid inverter, PCS or bidirectional charger is covered needs a device-specific review.

A separate track concerns project finance: since February 2026, Treasury's Notice 2026-15 applies "material assistance" cost-ratio rules to clean-energy tax credits when components come from prohibited foreign entities. Developers will ask about both.

#What exporters should do now

1. List every model sold to the US with its FCC ID and authorization date.
2. Classify each product against the two criteria: utility-interactive operation and remote communication.
3. Keep firmware maintenance for authorized models running — the waiver covers updates, not new hardware.
4. Decide on a route for new products: US assembly that qualifies for 45X, Conditional Approval, or a different target market.
5. Keep grid-code evidence current — UL 1741 SB and IEEE 1547.1 are still required for any inverter that does reach the US grid.

TSINGHU pre-tests inverters and storage converters against UL 1741 SB and IEEE 1547.1 grid-support functions in China, up to 2.5 MW, and helps manufacturers document product scope and communication interfaces for US projects.