In light of the ever-increasing tensions in the world, some people are beginning to question whether our electricity grid is sufficiently protected against external attacks. Disrupting the power supply could have serious consequences for society, so it's important to take protective measures.

In the Netherlands, parliament has already discussed so-called "kill switches" in inverters, which would potentially allow a foreign power to shut down thousands of solar panel systems at once. If this were to happen at a moment in time when a lot of solar power is being produced, it could lead to a chain reaction that could shut down the entire power grid.

This threat is also being taken seriously at the European level. In the European Parliament, the danger of our dependence on Chinese products in particular is considered a problem by some. On January 20, 2026, the parliament debated cybersecurity, and one of the questions raised was whether it wouldn't be better to ban certain Chinese products from Europe altogether. This mainly involved matters related to telecommunications (such as routers, transmission towers, etc.), but also inverters for solar panels and home batteries.

Does this mean that Chinese inverters will no longer be allowed to be sold in Europe?

China is by far the world's largest player in renewable energy and is the market leader in the production of solar panels, inverters, and home batteries, among other products. Nine of the 10 largest inverter manufacturers are Chinese, including Huawei, Sungrow, Growatt, and Solis. (The only non-Chinese brand in the top 10, incidentally, is SMA.)

Banning these companies access to the European market would significantly reduce the range of available products. In spite of this there are already countries where certain companies are banned: for example, Huawei inverters are barely sold in the United States, precisely because there, too, people are wary of the Chinese government's influence.

What would it mean if Chinese inverters were no longer allowed to be sold?

If the EU decides to ban Chinese inverters from the market, it likely won't matter to those who already own such a device. As long as the device continues to work, there's no problem, although the internet connection might have to be disconnected. One concern is that the inverters are connected to servers outside the EU, and that malicious software could be sent to them via that connection.

However, if these companies can no longer sell new products in the EU, they will likely also be reluctant to provide service for defects in existing devices. This means that someone with a broken Chinese inverter might soon no longer be able to get help.

What does this mean for Zonnefabriek?

Fortunately, Zonnefabriek isn't much affected by this situation: we primarily install non-Chinese inverters, predominantly those from German manufacturer SMA. As an SMA partner, we might actually benefit from this news if more people consciously choose non-Chinese brands.

SMA themselves are also capitalizing on this by prominently highlighting their focus on cybersecurity. More information about this can be found on their website. For example, they only work with servers located within the EU and are therefore obligated to comply with strict European data protection regulations.

We'll have to wait and see what the EU decides regarding Chinese (or other non-European) inverters for solar panels and home batteries. It's not yet clear whether certain restrictions will eventually be imposed on products from outside Europe. However, if you'd like to start looking for a non-Chinese manufacturer now, Zonnefabriek is the right place for you. Visit our product page for more information or request a free consultation.