It’s no secret that China is leading the renewable energy war in terms of solar panels. However, the latest news seems to go beyond achieving a position in the trade war. Apparently, the US has detected suspicious self-destruct buttons hidden inside the internal circuits of solar panels from China, able to bypass firewalls and remote control. This event which seems more like a geopolitical strategy could trigger a global crisis, and it has already done so between the US and China.
Hidden devices in Chinese solar panels
Due to new trends and the need to adjust production to meet the needs of both users and the planet, global industries have turned the wheel and set a course for using clean and renewable energy in their production processes. Energy, electricity, use of hydrogen, solar, all are being used in the manufacture of cars, motorcycles, devices, and also as sources of energy per se for human consumption.
When it comes to solar energy, China leads the market with a worldwide solar panels export. This has been the reason why what happened has come to light. After receiving a shipment of solar panels from the Asian giant, the United States sounded the alarm. Reuters reported after talking to US energy and security experts, that the so-called “ghost functions” had been found inside solar panels. When the inverters were removed, they found self-destructing devices with firewall bypass capabilities and apparently remote control functions.
The US triggers the alarms
One of the reasons why this has generated mistrust has been that these devices were not included in the documentation provided with the shipment. Which makes me wonder, what exactly are these devices? What is their function? Why are they not reported? The consequences of this being a premeditated action by China would be a serious problem. We would no longer be talking about a war for renewable energies, but rather of a geopolitical strategy. If so, the presence of these devices could mean that they would take control of the electricity grid, leaving the United States with no alternatives. What is more powerful than controlling a country’s energy resources?
More countries affected
No other country has yet made such a statement. It is not only the USA, but of the great majority of European countries that are also supplied from Chinese solar panels. The former director of the US National Security Agency stated that “We know that China believes there is value in putting at least some elements of our core infrastructure at risk of destruction or disruption. I believe the Chinese are, in part, hoping that widespread use of inverters will limit the West’s options for addressing the security issue”.
In addition, there has recently been a rapprochement between China and Russia, which some experts have seen as a strategic alliance. All this has given rise to concern in the US, as China is the world’s largest supplier of solar panels.
Worldwide concern
Although no other country has commented on this issue, it is considered a matter of global concern. However, the US Department of Energy states that all functionalities specified in the documentation accompanying the shipment have yet to be reviewed to verify all components and software.The only known measure that has been taken outside the American borders, has been in the United Kingdom, which has stopped importing Chinese energy material until the situation is clarified and guaranteed that there is no danger. In case the confrontation between the United States and China had been little because of the risk of disappearance of electric cars, this new event has added more tension to the relations between both countries.
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