Engineers have discovered that China embedded some hidden “safety switches” in solar panels sold to Western countries.
This covert move has intensified fears that Beijing could manipulate power supply—or even “physically destroy” electrical grids in the U.S., UK, and Europe.
Now, energy officials are assessing the risks posed by small communication devices found inside power inverters of American solar panels.
Although inverters are designed to allow remote access for updates and maintenance, companies using them typically install firewalls to prevent direct communication with China.
“This essentially means there’s a built-in way to physically take down the grid,” said one source involved in the alarming discovery, according to Reuters.
It’s still unknown whether these Chinese “safety switches” are also present in solar panels installed in the UK, but Energy Minister Andrew Bowie has already called on Secretary Ed Miliband to conduct an “immediate pause and review” of the country’s green energy transition efforts.
“While this functionality may not have malicious intent, it is critical that buyers have a full understanding of the capabilities of the products they are receiving,” said a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
The two sources cited by Reuters declined to name the Chinese manufacturers of the inverters and batteries with added communication devices. They also did not disclose how many of these devices were found in total.
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