UL Solutions publishes new solar and storage cyber security requirements

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
UL Solutions and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory announced testable requirements for energy storage and energy generation technologies on the distribution grid. Image: UL Solutions

Testing and certifications company UL Solutions has published a new set of cyber security certification requirements for solar, wind and storage assets connected to the distribution grid, as well as other inverter-based resources (IBR).

The UL 2941 Outline of Investigation for Cybersecurity of Distributed Energy and Inverter-Based Resources certification was developed in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and came after NREL and its parent, the Department of Energy (DOE), issued a second round of applications for new renewables cyber security solutions in January.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The requirements focus on cyber security for generation resources connected to the distribution grid – which connects to end users and consumers – and power systems with a high penetration rate of IBRs. Inverters are one of the components of a PV or other renewable energy system most at risk from cyber attack. PV Tech Premium featured an article last October which analysed the threat that cybersecurity breaches pose to solar PV systems.

UL Solutions and NREL have said that they will now use the new requirements to test IBRs, and products will need to be compliant with UL 2941 to be eligible for UL certification.

As the world’s grids become increasingly electrified, diverse and ‘smart’, cyber security is a growing concern. To optimise plant performance, PV developers and operators are increasingly turning to software, data monitoring and AI to yield the most from their assets. These create more opportunities for cyber attack.

Kenneth Boyce, senior director for principal engineering in the industrial group at UL Solutions said: “Performance-based security is key to a reliable and resilient electrical grid infrastructure. With UL 2941, manufacturers and vendors of distributed energy resource (DER) and IBR devices can utilise these new cyber security certification requirements to provide a unified approach that can be used as a reference for performing the testing and certification of DERs before being deployed and while in the field.”

7 October 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 7-8 October 2025 is our third PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The events in 2023 and 2024 were a sell out success and 2025 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.
21 October 2025
New York, USA
Returning for its 12th edition, Solar and Storage Finance USA Summit remains the annual event where decision-makers at the forefront of solar and storage projects across the United States and capital converge. Featuring the most active solar and storage transactors, join us for a packed two-days of deal-making, learning and networking.
16 June 2026
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 16-17 June 2026, will be our fifth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2027 and beyond.

Read Next

August 1, 2025
DSD Renewables has raised US$238 million to bolster its portfolio of solar projects in 12 US states plus the District of Colombia.
Premium
August 1, 2025
Utility-scale solar is preparing for its next voltage evolution, with 2,000V systems emerging as the successor to the 1,500V standard.
August 1, 2025
The Q3 edition of our downstream solar PV journal, PV Tech Power, is now available to download.
August 1, 2025
US solar module manufacturer First Solar saw sales and net profits increase in Q2 2025, as it forecasts a strong performance under the Trump administration’s industrial and trade policy changes.
August 1, 2025
The US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas has approved the sale of substantially all of residential solar installer Sunnova's assets and business operations.
August 1, 2025
Western Australia network operator Western Power has confirmed it has granted two more network connection offers to two new large-scale renewable energy projects, bringing its total for 2024/25 to 759MW.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK