Danger from China: suspicious modules discovered in interverters!
Danger from China: suspicious modules discovered in interverters!
In the United States, worrying discoveries were made with regard to Chinese inverter for photovoltaic systems. Not documented radio modules were discovered in these devices, which may be used to interfere with power grids or even to be paralyzed. This problem could also affect the European energy infrastructure, which entails considerable security risks. The US energy authority has announced that the risk of interim rulers produced in China again, since in the worst case, inadmissible communication devices could lead to a blackout. Inverters are essential to connect solar panels and wind turbines with power nets. You will also find application in batteries, heat pumps and electric vehicle charging devices.firewalls in the USA are supposed to prevent direct communication with China, but the radio modules discovered enable additional communication channels. US experts have already found inadmissible devices in some of the Chinese solar inverters. Even if the US government has not yet publicly confirmed this finds, there are growing concerns about national security in this context. In Austria, many photovoltaic systems are equipped with inverters from the manufacturer Huawei, which had a market share of 29 percent in 2022. Huawei had withdrawn from the US market in 2019, but remains active in Europe.
risks for the European power grid
A new study by Solarpower Europe illuminates the security risks that can be assumed by inverters in Europe. These devices represent a potential security risk for the power grids. The large power failure in Spain and Portugal recently illustrated the susceptibility of the European power grid, even if official bodies exclude a cyber attack as the cause. Nevertheless, the exact cause remains unclear.
The study shows that a single manipulation of 3 gigawatt inverter capacity could be sufficient to disturb the European network. China dominates the market for inverters worldwide and the providers there control a significant proportion of the installed capacity in Europe. The largest provider, Huawei, has at least 114 gigawatts installed in Europe. Six other Chinese manufacturers each have more than 5 gigawatts, so that the critical 3 gigawatts can be reached quickly.
threats from a lack of transparency
A main concern is the lack of transparency in the firmware and software updates of the Chinese inverter. Many internal processes are proprietary and therefore hardly independently checked. This poses the risk of "backdoors", i.e. hidden access options, through which European operators may not be able to react to security gaps in time. The lack of insight into software security makes it difficult to implement effective protective measures.
With massive spread of Chinese products in the European market, the risks are potentially serious. Providers such as Sungrow and Huawei have gained significant market shares through aggressive price strategies. The multitude of installed inverters that use similar technologies could lead to a synchronized failure, which could have serious consequences for the stability of the European power grid. In order to counter this challenge, experts require an adaptation of existing laws on cyber security and the introduction of new rules that leave control over critical solar systems to the EU countries or equivalent countries.
The situation illustrates the urgent need to take security risks seriously by Chinese inverters in Europe and to take suitable measures. Although many PV systems in Europe are already relying on this technology, the potential threats should not be underestimated by inadequate security standards and opaque manufacturing processes.
For more information on this topic, read the reports on Vol.at , energy-experten.org .
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