- Communication devices have been found in Chinese fabricated solar waves
- These have the potential for destabilase the electrical network
- We do not know how many people were found or the intention behind them
Communication arrangements were discovered in Chinese fabricated solar inverters, devices that play a “critical role” in renewable energy infrastructure, PK Press Club Reports. This prompted American energy managers to reassess the risks of emerging technologies produced in China.
Power inverters are mainly produced in China, but used worldwide to connect solar panels and wind turbines to electricity networks, as well as to be used in heat pumps, batteries and electric vehicle chargers.
It is reported that in the last nine months, some batteries purchased from Chinese suppliers have been discovered with hidden communication devices such as cell radios – according to familiar sources with the problem.
Thug components
Experts have warned that communication devices could escape firewalls and extinguish the inverters remotely, presenting a huge risk for electrical networks, as they could change the settings, damage energy infrastructure, destabilize the network and cause general failures.
It is not yet clear how many of these communication devices have been found, nor the nature of the devices themselves-and the intention behind their planting is unknown. That said, the US Energy Ministry has confirmed that it continuously evaluates the associated risks “with emerging technologies and that there were significant challenges with disclosing manufacturers and documenting functionality”.
This is not the first time that solar networks have been targeted – and security defects have allowed them vulnerable to be diverted and even disabled. 46 The vulnerabilities discovered by Forescout have proven to allow hackers to deploy the execution of the remote code, the denial of service, the takeover of the devices and access to cloud platforms or sensitive information.
It seems likely, given recent events and the increase in geopolitical tensions, that the United States will seek to move production to national manufacturing factories for a safer supply chain, it should however be noted that Huawei is currently the largest worldwide supplier, representing 29% of shipments in the world in 2022.
