China installs kill switches in solar panels sold to the West; here’s why it’s extremely dangerous and how Beijing could trigger a world war

Engineers in American solar farms have found "kill switches" in Chinese-made components, which raised severe fears that Beijing might have the power to manipulate supplies or "physically destroy" grids across the US, UK and Europe, as per a report.

Hidden Devices Discovered in American Solar Farms

Unauthorized communication devices were discovered inside some solar power inverters, reported Reuters. The devices, not mentioned in product documentation, were found by US experts who strip equipment hooked to grids to check for security issues, according to the report.

Currently, energy officials are trying to find the risks posed by the small communication devices in power inverters, which are an integral part of renewable energy systems that connect them to the power grid, as per Daily Mail.


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Though inverters are made in a way that allows remote access for updates and maintenance, the utility companies using them usually install firewalls to prevent direct communication back to China, as per the report.

Massive Risks: Blackouts and Infrastructure Damage

However, using these devices to skirt firewalls and switch off inverters remotely, or change their settings, could destabilise power grids, damage energy infrastructure and trigger widespread blackouts, reported Daily Mail. An insider told Reuters, "That effectively means there is a built-in way to physically destroy the grid," quoted Daily Mail.

UK Reviewing Its Green Energy Equipment

While, it is not known if "Kill switches" are there in any power converters installed on UK wind or solar farms, but as a precautionary measure, shadow energy minister Andrew Bowie asked Labour's Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband to carry out an "immediate pause and review" of its efforts to transition to green power, according to Daily Mail.

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Security Experts Sound the Alarm

A source has told Reuters that in the last nine months, undocumented communication devices like cellular radios, have also been found in batteries from multiple Chinese suppliers, as per the report.

Former director of the US National Security Agency, Mike Rogers said, "We know that China believes there is value in placing at least some elements of our core infrastructure at risk of destruction or disruption," adding, "I think that the Chinese are, in part, hoping that the widespread use of inverters limits the options that the West has to deal with the security issue," quoted Daily Mail.

China Denies Allegations

While, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington said, "We oppose the generalisation of the concept of national security, distorting and smearing China's infrastructure achievements," quoted Daily Mail.

FAQs

Where were the kill switches found?
They were discovered in solar power inverters at American solar farms by engineers conducting security checks.

What’s the danger of these kill switches?
They could be used to remotely disable power systems, causing blackouts and damaging infrastructure.