Key Points:
- The DOE found no malicious technology in Chinese-made inverters.
- Investigators inspected 30 devices following reports of hidden hardware.
- Two units had documentation errors, but officials deemed them harmless.
- The report warns that any internet-connected device still carries risk.
United States energy officials breathed a sigh of relief this week after a new investigation cleared Chinese-made solar equipment of spying concerns. A Department of Energy (DOE) report confirms that investigators found no evidence of malicious communication tools embedded in power inverters imported from China.
These devices play a critical role in the national power grid. They convert energy from solar panels or batteries into the electricity that powers household appliances. Because China manufactures the vast majority of the world’s inverters, US officials worried that the equipment might contain hidden “backdoors.” The fear was that Beijing could use these entry points to spy on American data or even disrupt the power supply.
To find the truth, the DOE inspected about 30 different inverters. The agency launched this review after media reports last year suggested that some devices contained unexplained communication hardware. However, the final analysis, dated January 20, found “no definitive evidence” of any intentionally malicious technology.
Investigators did find two devices that did not match their official paperwork. However, the report classified these differences as accidental errors rather than intentional traps. The review concluded that the manufacturers did not design these flaws to harm US infrastructure.
Despite the good news, the report included a warning for the industry. Any device that connects to the internet carries some level of risk. Inverters often need remote access for software updates and maintenance, which creates a potential opening for hackers.
However, the DOE noted that a single compromised inverter is unlikely to crash the wider power grid. The agency advised companies to strictly check the equipment they buy and fully understand how those products communicate with the outside world.
