Is Xi Jinping Controlling Chinese Made Solar Panels In The US?

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I saw a story last week about Chinese made solar panels having hidden communication devices embedded in their inverters and thought, “Hmmm … this seems like a deliberate scare tactic by the failed US administration to push back against renewable energy in order to help their oil and methane buddies sells more of their climate killing products.” So I noted it, slid it into a corner of the spaghetti that passes for my brain, and forgot about it. Then, today, several news outlets have picked up the story, first reported by Reuters, and provided more details.

The cause of the concern is the communication devices discovered in the inverters. Such devices are common in the industry. They allow manufacturers to update the software in their products after they are manufactured. Those of us who drive electric cars wax rhapsodic about the wonders of over-the-air updates.

Just yesterday, Tesla sent me an update that allows me to choose two different settings for how far the rear hatch of my Model Y opens, depending on location. Now I can set it to not bump into my garage door at home but still open all the way when I am loading groceries. Hosanna! But wait, there’s more. Now I can choose the language on my touchscreen from an expanded menu of choices. Will wonders never cease.

We have come to think of over-the-air updates as a wonderful thing. When Consumer Reports complained about the braking performance of a Tesla it has in its test fleet, the company came up with a software fix that addressed CR’s concerns. People who have access to the Full Self Driving package are continuously getting updates sent to their cars that improve their functionality. No more going to the dealer and drinking bad coffee while your car is being worked on. Now it all happens seamlessly in the background and life is good.

Solar Panels & Inverters

The problem here is, those communication devices found in Chinese made solar panels were not disclosed in the documentation by the manufacturers. According to Gizmodo, that means they were intentionally hidden. If those devices were documented, end users would routinely install a firewall to prevent potentially malicious behavior. But since they were hidden, the people who bought and installed those solar panels would not know to implement such defensive strategies. [Perhaps firewalls should be used routinely?]

So what, you ask? What does an inverter do and why should we care? The US Department of Energy, in a blot post that Secretary Chris Wright hasn’t taken down yet, explains that solar panels generate direct current electricity — what we call DC — but the utility grid typically operates on alternating current or AC. The inverter converts the DC to AC so it can go out over the grid and power whatever needs to be powered.

The possibility exists that these recently discovered communication devices in the inverters of some Chinese made solar panels could be instructed remotely to shut down the inverters, thereby depriving the grid of electricity just as the Chinese navy is storming ashore in San Diego as part of an invasion of the United States.

Now that may seem like hyperbole to some, and it is. But in the superheated political environment in the US today, it should be no surprise that this has become an issue. We all welcome the global internet, Starlink, the internet of things, and over-the-air updates, but what do we actually know about the chatter that flies around in the digital world? I have no idea what was in that update from Tesla yesterday. The little orange download arrow pops up on my touchscreen, I press it, and the car does the rest.

We like to think these communications are one way, but they are not. Tesla is gathering information about me all the time I am driving the car. What does it do with that information? I have no idea. But people like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg have become multi-billionaires by collecting data about their customers. Elon Musk says he is being a friend to humanity by bringing the internet to remote parts of the world that never had it before and that has empowered lots of people, but does anyone think Starlink is not data mining its customers for whatever information about them it can glean?

There was a story last year about a Russian general who bought a Cybertruck and outfitted it with a machine gun mounted in the load bed. There was a lot of speculation about how he got the vehicle, but after the videos went viral, the warlord complained his truck had been “bricked” by Musk in retaliation for his exploits. That may seem hard to believe, unless you think back more than a decade ago to the reveal of the Tesla Model X. The start of the event was delayed by several hours and when one of the attendees complained, Musk personally deleted his reservation.

Great power in the hands of someone who can be so petty should be a concern to us all. Musk and his gang of college sophomores have access to the personal data of every taxpayer, every Social Security recipient, and every Medicare beneficiary. Are you comfortable that the Great and Powerful Musk will use that data — which no private citizen should have access to — wisely?

Reuters claims that last November, some solar inverters in the US were disabled remotely by China. That event supposedly sparked a wider inquiry. “While this functionality may not have malicious intent, it is critical for those procuring to have a full understanding of the capabilities of the products received,” a spokesperson for the Department of Energy told Reuters. The possibility exists that hackers and foreign governments could manipulate the Chinese made inverters, which could potentially lead to blackouts and the failure of critical infrastructure.

Who Done It?

Interesting Engineering says “the scale of the issue is still uncertain.” The Reuters report claimed multiple Chinese manufacturers were involved but could not confirm how many parts or systems were affected. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington responded to the report by saying, “We oppose the generalization of the concept of national security, distorting and smearing China’s infrastructure achievements.”

Chinese companies are already banned from supplying such technology as 5G towers because of concerns about surveillance or sabotage. Similar restrictions may now be coming for solar power systems as well. Readers will recall that last year, Republicans in Congress forced the removal of battery storage system at Camp Lejeune because it was supplied by CATL, the giant Chinese battery manufacturer.

Wood Mackenzie reports that about 78 percent of all solar inverters are made in China, which makes this issue especially troubling. Interesting Engineering reports the solar components in question are not just sitting in warehouses, they are already installed in homes, businesses, and public infrastructure throughout America. “Whether or not the hidden devices were placed with harmful intent, the situation raises major questions about security, transparency, and how much trust should be placed in foreign made energy technology,” IE says.

Should We Trust China?

The issue may be a tempest in a teapot, or it could be proof that China really is engaged in a long term plan to disrupt critical infrastructure in the US at some future date. During the Cold War, there were always books, movies, and television shows about Russian “sleeper cells” — agents posing as everyday Americans — who would spring into action when directed by the KGB. These inverters are a much more sinister threat. They can lay dormant for decades, undetected, until activated over the air.

Is this being paranoid? It’s hard to say. As the saying goes, “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean the bastards aren’t out to get you.” The Chinese government maintains friendly relations with the Russians, and may be facilitating the transfer of North Korean troops and armaments to Russia to be used in its war on Ukraine. No one should be in any doubt about the harmful intentions of Putin’s digital warriors, who have been actively disrupting public discourse in the US to sow dissension for more than a decade.

The most one can say at the moment is that the presence of undocumented communication devices in Chinese made inverters is troubling and warrants much deeper investigation. The internet is a tool. Like all tools, it can be used for good or for evil. In this case, it is important to know which. As a society, we are entirely too trusting of the digital technologies that have become part of our daily life. That may prove to be unwise.