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Epoch Times
25-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Solar Tech: China's Trojan Horse
Commentary Some of China's PV Tech, a solar trade publication, The risk is real—and global. In November, some inverters in the United States were, in fact, disabled from China. China is the world's largest exporter of power inverters, which connect renewable energy sources to electric power grids. The inverters are considered the 'brains' of devices such as solar panels, wind turbines, heat pumps, and electric vehicle chargers. The rogue devices are 'undocumented communication channels that could allow firewalls to be circumvented remotely, with potentially catastrophic consequences,' according to the sources cited by Reuters. Malicious tampering of them in a coordinated manner poses the risk of widespread blackouts and damage across the U.S. and European electric grids. At the whim of a dictator in Beijing, or for something more serious like a war over Taiwan, Chinese regime hackers could use the rogue devices to skirt cybersecurity firewalls, communicate back to China, and take down larger portions of U.S. and allied electrical grids. 'Beijing blackouts' could be simultaneous and widespread. This would make it difficult for the United States and allies to mount the kind of rapid defense necessary to defend far-flung territories. The regime could also use the threat of hacking the grid for blackmail against the U.S. and European governments. Kaupo Rosin, Estonia's chief of intelligence, said the country risks blackmail by China, unless China's technology is banned in key parts of the economy, including solar inverters. The U.S. and allies have therefore been increasingly careful about allowing the purchase of utility-scale Chinese electronics. But even home solar inverters are a risk. If just 1 percent of Europe's 338 gigawatts of installed solar power capacity were hacked by the regime in Beijing, widespread and prolonged blackouts could result. That shouldn't be hard for the regime to do, as about 200 GW, or almost 60 percent, of Europe's solar capacity is linked to inverters manufactured in China. The European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC) was quoted in PV Tech saying that the security risk from China's inverters is 'systemic.' The ESMC called on the European Commission to investigate the 'risk potential for sabotage and espionage' of high-risk manufacturers from China. PV Tech interviewed a leading European inverter manufacturer who said that 'it's very clear inverter companies could switch off the grid if they want to.' He noted that 'Probably 99% of people would have said 'No, there's no risk [of Russia restricting gas supply to Europe after the Ukraine invasion].' But it did. We saw it. And I see the same risk here.' The United States has worked hard to reduce vulnerabilities to China's telecom and semiconductor technologies, as well as the products of forced labor. However, similar U.S. laws to mitigate the risk from inverters are absent. A new U.S. bill, called the Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act, would at least ban the Department of Homeland Security from buying some Chinese batteries. The bill targets six companies that are allegedly closely linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). They are BYD Company, Contemporary Amperex Technology Company, Envision Energy, EVE Energy Company, Gotion High-tech Company, and Hithium Energy Storage Technology Company. That ban would start in October 2027. Huawei, Ginlong Solis, and Sungrow are also allegedly linked to the CCP and export large numbers of converters. Huawei has alleged links to Chinese But the bill has been sitting in the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs since March 11. And it only applies to the Department of Homeland Security. Why not make its applicability general? And why limit the ban to just six companies from China? We know from other whack-a-mole laws that they typically fail. Company names and addresses in China can and will be changed in response, with no change to the underlying technology or manufacturing processes. Bans on China's technologies in U.S. energy grids, and elsewhere in the United States, should be as general as possible. Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld famously China's solar inverter Trojan horse demonstrates that it's time for our leaders in Washington to respond with greater alacrity and foresight, and in more general ways, to protect the United States of America from the CCP threat. Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A new report reveals one region is expected to dominate this energy industry by 2033 — and it's not the US
Did you know solar panels could float? As CleanTech news reported, Wood Mackenzie projects that floating solar photovoltaic panels (FPVs) will continue to rise in popularity and produce 77 gigawatts by 2033. Part of the Wood Mackenzie report predicts an 81% market share of this floating solar market will lie in the Asia-Pacific region by that time — not the United States. Harshul Kanwar, a research analyst at Wood Mackenzie, told PV Tech that "India, China, and Indonesia are the top three countries globally for FPV capacity, together boasting a total installed capacity of 31GWdc [gigawatts direct current]." However, other continents won't be left behind. The Wood Mackenzie forecast also stated that in addition to Europe's offshore solar commitments, Germany, France, and the Netherlands will add the most FPVs capacity— 60%, as reported by PV Tech. If you were to install home solar panels, which of these factors would be your primary motivation? Energy independence Lower power bills Helping the planet No chance I ever go solar Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. How clean energy initiatives such as FPVs will continue in the United States is up in the air because of recent mandates that propose the reversal of initiatives created under former President Joe Biden, like the Inflation Reduction Act. Either way, solar panels are still an individual and commercial choice that reduces or eliminates the need for dirty fuels, leading to a cleaner planet. FPVs have been particularly useful to the environment; their presence on top of water helps reduce evaporation — something common on an increasingly warmer planet. Therefore, anything that can reduce its occurrence can help with the water scarcity crisis. It also allows land and vegetation to remain untouched as you don't have to clear it to place panels or disrupt existing structures. Algal blooms can be a major problem that contaminates water and affects marine wildlife. Luckily, these floating solar panels inhibit algae growth by limiting sunlight penetration. On a planet that is 71% surface water, there's plenty of room for more panels to harvest clean energy. This investment in solar not only helps keep the planet cleaner but aids in job creation — at least in certain areas. According to the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, most of the American solar industry jobs — over 100,000 — have been in the residential market as of 2023. At the time, commercial solar jobs in the United States saw a decline. However, the forecasted floating solar market growth is likely to create jobs, at least in Asia-Pacific. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
