China backup inverter systems in America

Solar panels fields on the green hills stock photo. U.S. energy officials are reportedly reassessing the security risks posed by Chinese-made components in renewable energy infrastructure after discovering hidden communication devices inside certain solar inverters.

The news agency claims US energy officials are reassessing the risk posed by Chinese-made devices according to two unnamed sources. This follows discovery of rogue communication devices not listed in product documents in some Chinese solar inverters, according to Reuters. The number of devices investigated was also not disclosed.

This follows discovery of rogue communication devices not listed in product documents in some Chinese solar inverters, according to Reuters. The number of devices investigated was also not disclosed. Reuters also claimed one source revealed undocumented communication devices had been found in some batteries from multiple Chinese suppliers.

These inverters link solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries to electric grids and are primarily manufactured in China. While they are designed for remote updates, U.S. utilities typically install firewalls to prevent unauthorized access.

odules—China's share exceeds 80%. Perhaps more concerning from a cyber security perspective, the top five vendors of solar inverters, based on GW capacity shipped, are all foreign entities of concern (FEOCs), accounting for 71% of total global solar inverter shipments in 2022,46 as illustrated in Figure 21.47 The strong dependence on FEOC-ma

Huawei alone accounted for 29% of global shipments in 2022. While it exited the U.S. inverter market in 2019, it continues to supply other countries at scale. Philipp Schroeder, CEO of German solar developer 1Komma5, said his firm avoids Huawei products due to security risks.