Korea reviewing Chinese solar inverters following U.S. probe
Korea is taking concrete steps to assess the potential security risks posed by China-made inverters, key in solar panels and batteries, following the launch of a probe into the devices in the United States after some unexplained communication components were found inside.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Tuesday it held a meeting last week with major domestic solar firms, including Hanwha Qcells, Hyundai Energy Solutions and Hyosung Heavy Industries, to review the current status of solar inverter deployment in the country and possible expected threats.
"The meeting aimed to gather industry input on potential cybersecurity risks associated with solar inverters," the Industry Ministry said, adding that it currently has "no plans to conduct a comprehensive investigation into all inverters" distributed domestically.
Solar inverters, often referred to as the “brains” of solar power systems, convert direct current electricity generated by solar panels into alternating current electricity for use in homes, factories and the national grid. Without an inverter, the electricity produced by solar panels cannot be converted into a usable form for residential or commercial purposes.
Inverters include remote access capabilities to enable updates and maintenance, and they are also used in a range of appliances, including wind turbines, batteries, heat pumps and vehicle chargers.
Up to 95 percent of inverters available in Korea are made in China, but they are shipped to Korea and sold under the brands of domestic companies.
Korean companies strongly argue that they have found no signs of security concerns so far.
"There have been no confirmed cases of suspicious equipment being found in inverters," a spokesperson for Hanwha Qcells told the Korea JoongAng Daily. "China-made inverters are cost-effective with reliable quality, while domestic capabilities in inverter manufacturing remain limited, with few local companies involved in production."
Inverter manufacturing isn't seen as a highly profitable venture in the domestic market, discouraging local production.
"Many firms rely on Chinese-made inverters as inverter production is not considered economically viable, as the business accounts for only a small portion of most companies’ operations," said a spokesperson for Hyosung Heavy Industries, adding that "no security-related issues have been detected in the products currently in use."
Reuters on May 14 reported that the U.S. Department of Energy detected unexplained communication components inside China-made inverters that were not listed in product documents. The report said the rogue components "provide additional, undocumented communication channels that could allow firewalls to be circumvented remotely, with potentially catastrophic consequences," citing two unnamed sources from the Energy Department.
Concerns over Chinese-made solar components are also mounting in Europe, especially after a major blackout in Spain and Portugal on April 28 prompted speculation that a cyberattack targeting solar infrastructure may have been involved.