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pv magazine spoke with Garikoitz Sarriegi, senior project manager at Kiwa PI Berlin Ibérica, about the Reuters report published on Wednesday that devices susceptible to spying and sabotage have been found in inverters and batteries from China. The bombshell broke on Wednesday. A Reuters report said unexplained communication devices had been found inside some Chinese-made inverters and energy storage batteries , and U.S. energy officials were reportedly reassessing the risk posed by Chinese-made devices, according to two anonymous sources. The report did not mention the manufacturers or the number of devices investigated. “Its clear that the issue of cybersecurity is a real and worrying problem, but this information [the Reuters report] should be taken with a grain of salt,” Garikoitz Sarriegi, Senior Project Manager at Kiwa PI Berlin Ibérica, told pv magazine . Sarriegi says that, citing the fact that those involved in the “investigation” declined to provide further information, there is no mention of the manufacturer, whether multiple manufacturers are involved, or how many units with this problem have been found. Martin Schachinger, founder of the pvXchange platform, which shares his views on the development of the European PV market each month in a unique article for pv magazine , expressed his opinion on this development on LinkedIn. “Unfortunately, information is still very scarce and superficial. Im eager to find out if more details will be published at some point or if this will be a smokescreen that will further fuel existing conspiracy theories,” he said. Another mention Reuters makes in its article is the ban that the United States government plans to impose starting in 2027 on several of the largest Chinese manufacturers of battery energy storage devices (BESS) due to their close ties to the Communist Party. Several US utility companies fear that, following Huaweis ban, other Chinese inverter manufacturers could face the same ban. At Kiwa PI Berlin, we are talking with the largest BESS manufacturers and have verified that several of the smaller players involved use cells from these manufacturers that could be subject to the ban, so these other manufacturers would also be excluded. Given the market share of Chinese manufacturers, we find it difficult to believe that the ban will have any effect unless policies regarding this issue change drastically, adds Garikoitz Sarriegi. Regarding backdoor access, several major Spanish engineering firms have confirmed to the consultancy firm that they do not install any components not declared in the BOM (Bill of Materials) and that, without the clients permission, they cannot do anything. This nothing refers to updating parameters, modifying the firmware, or performing actions on the inverter such as shutting it down or starting it up. Whats more, it seems theyve had problems on occasion because the client hasnt given them access or has been slow to do so, explains the Senior Project Manager of Kiwa PI Berlin Ibérica. These Spanish inverter manufacturers can shut down their equipment remotely. Its something that can be done for security reasons, always with the clients permission. Im sure if we ask any other European manufacturer, the answer will be the same, he adds. Sarriegi states that, in theory, when equipment is certified, it ensures that everything is OK, but firmware updates are often performed through remote access, and those dont necessarily have to be certified. Thats where things can slip through the net. But you have to be very sure and provide truthful information before dropping such a bombshell, he concludes. |
