Rogue communication devices found in solar inverters made in China, sources reveal

According to one of the sources, the devices basically mean that there is a built-in way to physically destroy the grid.

The Green Transition

To battle Climate Changes, countries all over the world are transitioning to renewable sources of energy like solar and wind power as well as giving new car buyers an incentive to choose an electrical vehicle instead of one that runs on fossil fuels.

Geopolotical dangers

However, U.S. energy officials are now reassessing the use of Chinese-made devices in the transition, as unexplained and undocumented communication equipment was found in power inverters, Reuters reports.

Used in a lot of things

Power inverters are used throughout the world to connect wind turbines and solar panels to the electrical grid. They are also found in batteries, chargers for electrical vehicles and heat pumps, and they are predominantly produced in China,

Unlisted communication devices

According to Reuters, two people familiar with the matter, say that U.S. experts, who strip down equipment to check for security issues, have found unlisted communication devices in some Chinese solar power inverters.

Cellular radios

According to one of Reuters sources, over that past nine months, similar communication devices like cellular radios have also been found in some batteries provided by multiple Chinese suppliers.

Could circumvent firewalls

Inverters are built to allow remote access for maintenance and updates, but utility companies usually install firewalls to prevent direct communication to China. The roque communication devices, however, could be used to circumvent the firewalls.

“Built-in way to destroy the grid”

According to Reuters two sources, which declined to be named due to a lack of permission to speak to the medie, the rogue devices could be used to turn off the inverters remotely. “That effectively means there is a built-in way to physically destroy the grid,” one of the people said.

China denies

A spokesperson from the Chinese embassy in Washington said that China “oppose the generalisation of national security, distorting and smearing China’s infrastrcture achievements.”

May not have malicious intent, but …

The U.S. Department of Energy told Reuters that there is a continual assessment of the risks of emerging technoligies. The spokesperson added, that “while this functionality may not have malicious intent, it is critical for those procuring to have a full understanding of the capabilities of the products received”.