After spending the bulk of the day online looking for a solid state fan controller that I can connect through Smartthings, I've come to the conclusion that they don't exist. Or, if they do exist, they aren't clearly labeled/described as solid state.
I have a better understanding of solid state fans now, but not enough to understand what differentiates one switch from another. If it's not clearly laid out, I'm not interested in risking my fan to find a switching solution.
I made a second call to Fantech just to be sure it would be safe for the fan if I powered it via a plug vs hardwired. Just as I thought, there is no issue with it, so that's the route I'm going to go.
I plan to install
this smart outlet and plug the fan into it. I should still be able to use the switch to control the speed.
I'll update this after I get it done and let you know how it works.
Thanks for the help.