Some Chinese solar power inverters were allegedly found to have communication devices attached to them that were not supposed to be part of that equipment, suggesting that they can ping information back to the company’s headquarters and be used for nefarious ends, Reuters London reported on May 14.
All sources were anonymous. Reuters London simply referred to them as “U.S. energy officials.” One official said that the rogue communication devices could switch off inverters remotely, or change their settings, possibly shutting down power grids. “That effectively means there is a built-in way to physically destroy the grid,” Reuters quoted the source as saying.
For years there have been unconfirmed reports that U.S. security services have found rogue spying devices in computers made by Super Micro and Lenovo. U.S. intelligence won’t confirm or deny such reports because it doesn’t want China to know how much it knows.
A solar power inverter is a critical device in any solar power system — it converts direct current electricity generated by solar panels into alternating current electricity, which powers the electric grid.
Cyber Threats a Mounting Concern to National Security
The Reuters article is more of a testament to the distrust that has built up over the years between the U.S. and China. If it isn’t spy devices on China-made computer systems, or IP theft, it is the potential for industrial sabotage that continues to plague the relationship. None of it is fiction, either.
In 2010, the U.S. Department of Defense discovered that its computer servers were sending military data to China, thanks to chips manufactured in China for a U.S. company called Super Micro Computer Inc. – Super Micro is still in business in California. Then in 2015, the FBI said that Chinese individuals had installed backdoor code on server equipment made for Super Micro. Others have accused China Telecom of diverting internet traffic from the U.S. back to servers in China, according to this 2018 report in the Journal of Military Cyber Professionals.
In 2019, Aventura Technologies, a New York-based company, was charged with importing Chinese-made surveillance equipment and falsely marketing it as U.S.-made. This equipment was sold to the U.S. military and other government agencies. The Department of Justice alleged that Aventura’s actions constituted fraud, money laundering, and illegal importation. The company’s owner, Jack Cabasso, and six others were arrested, and assets including bank accounts and a yacht were seized.
China Solar: King of Deployment
As it is, China solar companies are the single largest supplier of solar panels in the U.S. Its companies are the dominant force in solar cell production, which are plugged into solar panels. While solar inverters are an entirely different market, subsidized Chinese firms control over 80% of the global solar supply chain and dominate U.S.-based production as well as deployment.
Additionally, Chinese solar giants have benefited from tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act. A January 2025 report by CPA, led by Ferry, said “that Chinese manufacturers could earn up to $125 billion in tax credits under the law.” This threatens to derail efforts to establish a robust and independent American solar manufacturing industry.
As of 2025, the global solar inverter market is led by a combination of Chinese companies. Huawei is the world’s largest with a roughly 30% market share followed by Sungrow and Ginlong.
From the January CPA report:
China retains the ability to hold the U.S. hostage for solar power supplies. China has demonstrated its readiness to take such hostile action before, with rare earth metals in 2010, and with health supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.
MADE IN AMERICA.
CPA is the leading national, bipartisan organization exclusively representing domestic producers and workers across many industries and sectors of the U.S. economy.
Distrust Grows: Reuters Report Suggests Chinese Solar Power Inverters Found with “Rogue Communication Device”
Some Chinese solar power inverters were allegedly found to have communication devices attached to them that were not supposed to be part of that equipment, suggesting that they can ping information back to the company’s headquarters and be used for nefarious ends, Reuters London reported on May 14.
All sources were anonymous. Reuters London simply referred to them as “U.S. energy officials.” One official said that the rogue communication devices could switch off inverters remotely, or change their settings, possibly shutting down power grids. “That effectively means there is a built-in way to physically destroy the grid,” Reuters quoted the source as saying.
A solar power inverter is a critical device in any solar power system — it converts direct current electricity generated by solar panels into alternating current electricity, which powers the electric grid.
Cyber Threats a Mounting Concern to National Security
The Reuters article is more of a testament to the distrust that has built up over the years between the U.S. and China. If it isn’t spy devices on China-made computer systems, or IP theft, it is the potential for industrial sabotage that continues to plague the relationship. None of it is fiction, either.
In 2010, the U.S. Department of Defense discovered that its computer servers were sending military data to China, thanks to chips manufactured in China for a U.S. company called Super Micro Computer Inc. – Super Micro is still in business in California. Then in 2015, the FBI said that Chinese individuals had installed backdoor code on server equipment made for Super Micro. Others have accused China Telecom of diverting internet traffic from the U.S. back to servers in China, according to this 2018 report in the Journal of Military Cyber Professionals.
In 2019, Aventura Technologies, a New York-based company, was charged with importing Chinese-made surveillance equipment and falsely marketing it as U.S.-made. This equipment was sold to the U.S. military and other government agencies. The Department of Justice alleged that Aventura’s actions constituted fraud, money laundering, and illegal importation. The company’s owner, Jack Cabasso, and six others were arrested, and assets including bank accounts and a yacht were seized.
China Solar: King of Deployment
As it is, China solar companies are the single largest supplier of solar panels in the U.S. Its companies are the dominant force in solar cell production, which are plugged into solar panels. While solar inverters are an entirely different market, subsidized Chinese firms control over 80% of the global solar supply chain and dominate U.S.-based production as well as deployment.
Additionally, Chinese solar giants have benefited from tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act. A January 2025 report by CPA, led by Ferry, said “that Chinese manufacturers could earn up to $125 billion in tax credits under the law.” This threatens to derail efforts to establish a robust and independent American solar manufacturing industry.
As of 2025, the global solar inverter market is led by a combination of Chinese companies. Huawei is the world’s largest with a roughly 30% market share followed by Sungrow and Ginlong.
From the January CPA report:
China retains the ability to hold the U.S. hostage for solar power supplies. China has demonstrated its readiness to take such hostile action before, with rare earth metals in 2010, and with health supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.
MADE IN AMERICA.
CPA is the leading national, bipartisan organization exclusively representing domestic producers and workers across many industries and sectors of the U.S. economy.
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