Security experts in the United States have found secret radio parts inside solar inverters made by Chinese companies. These parts were not listed in the official product documents. Experts worry that the devices could be used to control parts of the U.S. power grid from a distance. The Department of Energy is now reviewing the situation to understand how serious the threat is.
Solar inverters are tools that help manage the flow of electricity in systems that use solar power. They are also found in electric car chargers and home battery systems. These devices often include remote features so that engineers can check or fix them without being there in person. But the new findings show that some inverters have extra radio parts that were not supposed to be there. These hidden modules could give someone secret access to the system.
The hidden hardware was not mentioned in the product manuals or technical papers. Experts say these parts could allow a person to break into the system without being noticed. This could affect how electricity is sent across the country. Some fear that this could lead to power cuts or other serious problems.
The U.S. government has not named which companies are involved in this case. It has also not said how many of these inverters have been sold or installed in the United States. Right now, there has been no public comment from the White House or other top officials. Security experts say that the lack of details may be due to the sensitive nature of the discovery.
One reason for concern is a law in China that requires companies to work with the government if asked. This means that if Chinese officials wanted to, they could ask these companies to use their technology to gather data or harm another country’s systems. This raises big questions about whether these devices can be trusted.
Huawei, one of the most well-known Chinese tech firms, has been at the center of global technology debates. While Huawei stopped selling solar inverters in the U.S. back in 2019, it still supplies a large number of them to the rest of the world. In 2022, Huawei was responsible for 29 percent of all solar inverter shipments across the globe. The company has stated that its products follow rules in Europe and do not include any backdoor access, but not everyone is convinced.
This issue also affects Europe. Many countries in the European Union use solar inverters made in China. As of the end of 2023, the total solar energy capacity in Europe was about 338 gigawatts. About 200 gigawatts of that comes from systems using Chinese inverters. That is about the same power as 200 nuclear plants. Experts warn that even small changes in control over these systems could create big problems, such as blackouts or system failures in more than one country.
Governments in both the U.S. and Europe are now reviewing how safe their power systems are. They are looking at how many foreign-made devices are in use and whether any of them have hidden features. There are growing calls for more checks on imported energy technology. Some officials also want clearer laws to make sure that critical systems cannot be easily accessed or controlled from outside the country.
China currently leads the world in solar power production. Most of the world’s solar panels and inverters come from Chinese factories. This makes solar energy more affordable but also creates new risks. Countries are now trying to find the right balance between using low-cost solar technology and protecting their power networks from possible threats.
The investigation into the hidden radio modules is still ongoing. More facts may come out in the coming weeks. For now, power companies and government agencies are being told to check their equipment and report anything unusual.
