There were serious concerns about the safety and stability of the American energy network. Hidden communication equipment was found in key devices for photovoltaic infrastructure that were produced in China. Experts talk about “built -in method to destroy the network”, and the American authorities again assess the risk that these devices create.
Power inverters, also called inverters, are a key element of photovoltaic installations. They process the power emerging in solar panels in the form of DC for alternating current. Thanks to this, electricity is created, which powers the devices at home or office. In addition to photovoltaics, they can also be found in batteries, heat pumps and electric chargers.
Suspicious communication devices were found in Chinese sun invertersShutterstock
While the inverters are built to allow remote access to updates and maintenance, public utility companies that use them, usually install network dams to prevent direct communication with China.
However, American experts found communication devices in some Chinese solar inverters that are not listed in the products of the products. In other words, they should not be there. As one of them said in an interview with Reuters, in the last nine months, batteries from various Chinese suppliers have been found illegal communication devices, including cellular radios.
The Reuters agency was unable to determine how many sunlight and batteries were checked.
Undothered parts were found in Chinese batteries
According to the sources of the agency, malicious components provide additional, undocumented communication channels that can enable remote bypass of network dams, which may have catastrophic effects.
– We know that China think that it is worth exposing at least some elements of our basic infrastructure to the risk of destruction or disruption – said Mike Rogers, former director of the National Security Agency USA. – I think that the Chinese partly hope that the widespread use of inverters will limit the options that the West has to solve the issue of security – he noted.
A spokesman for the China Embassy in Washington said: “We oppose generalizing the concept of national security, distortion and slander of China's infrastructure achievements.”
solar panels housesolar panels house
Experts say that the use of illegal communication devices to bypass the charges of network and remote switching off inverters or change their settings may cause destabilization of energy networks, damage to energy infrastructure and cause universal power outages.
– This means in practice that there is a built -in way to physically destroy the network – one of the two sources of agencies said, which asked for anonymity, because there is no authorization to give a statement to the media. Both people refused to give the names of Chinese manufacturers of inverters and batteries with additional communication devices or the application, how many of them were found.
The USA will look at the equipment from China
The existence of these devices has not been previously reported. The US government has not publicly confirmed these discoveries.
The US Department of Energy (Doe) asked for a comment said that he was constantly assessing the risk associated with new technologies and that there are significant challenges related to the disclosure and documentation of functionality by producers.
– Although this functionality may not have malicious intentions, it is crucial for the customers to fully understand the possibilities of the products received – said the department spokesman.
Source of the main photo: Shutterstock