SolarPower Europe has urged the European Commission to urgently publish guidance clarifying the scope of its decision to exclude solar PV projects and battery storage systems using inverters and power conversion systems (PCS) from certain high-risk countries from receiving EU funding.
The appeal follows the Commission’s decision to introduce the measure without releasing detailed information on its implementation or conducting a prior consultation or impact assessment. According to the association, the lack of clarity is creating uncertainty for developers, investors and lenders, delaying investment decisions and slowing the deployment of new renewable energy projects.
The issue comes as a new Wood Mackenzie analysis estimates that the restrictions could affect more than 28 GWdc of solar PV inverter demand between 2026 and 2030, equivalent to around 14% of Europe’s forecast solar PV demand over the period. In the energy storage sector, approximately 12% of projected deployments could also be impacted, with utility-scale battery projects expected to face the greatest exposure.
SolarPower Europe argues that the absence of official guidance on the justification and scope of the decision is already delaying projects across Europe and could jeopardise the European Union’s 2030 renewable energy objectives.
The association also criticised the Commission for adopting the measure without prior consultation with the industry or an impact assessment, saying the approach is inconsistent with the Commission’s own principles of good governance.
According to SolarPower Europe, developers currently lack the certainty needed to make informed decisions on procurement, financing, investment strategies and project design.
To address the situation, SolarPower Europe is calling on the European Commission to:
The association stressed that industrial policy and cybersecurity are both strategic priorities but require distinct policy approaches. It noted that it has already put forward proposals to strengthen cybersecurity while supporting robust Made-in-Europe measures to expand domestic manufacturing, particularly for inverters and power conversion systems.
According to Wood Mackenzie, the impact will be greatest in Central and Eastern Europe, where EU funding plays a larger role in renewable energy investment and projects rely more heavily on equipment supplied by manufacturers from the affected countries.
The consultancy identifies Romania, Bulgaria, Czechia, the Baltic States and Greece among the markets with the highest exposure.
Wood Mackenzie also notes that the European Commission is encouraging Member States to apply the same restrictions to renewable energy projects financed through national public budgets. If governments follow this approach, the share of affected solar and storage capacity would increase well beyond current estimates.
Although European-made equipment carries a higher upfront cost, Wood Mackenzie estimates that the overall impact on project costs would range between 2% and 8%, depending on the market segment. However, it warns that procurement complexity, project redesigns and the need to separate integrated battery-inverter systems are likely to create additional challenges, particularly in cost-sensitive markets across Eastern Europe.
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