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Chinese-made solar panels used on American farms puts US power grid at risk: former NSA official
Fox News ^ | Adam Sabes

Posted on 06/05/2025 6:38:08 AM PDT by RoosterRedux

A former analyst with the National Security Agency said that China is positioning equipment in "strategic places" that could be used to disrupt U.S. commerce after rogue communication devices were found inside Chinese solar power inverters.

Rogue communication devices that were not in official product documents were found inside Chinese solar power inverters when they were examined by U.S. experts for possible security issues, two sources told Reuters.

The two sources said that the rogue power inverters have undocumented communication channels which could be used to circumvent firewalls remotely, which could have major consequences. These power inverters connect the solar panel to electic grids.

Rocky Cole, former intelligence analyst at the National Security Agency and co-founder of iVerify, told Fox News Digital it's "very conceivable" that China is using these rogue power inverters to gain access to American infrastructure.

...

Cole said this is just another example of China preparing for a possible conflict involving the U.S.

"There are communications devices in these really strategic places that you can imagine could theoretically be used to disrupt U.S. commerce in the event of some sort of conflict," Cole said. "It's difficult not to view Chinese-made hardware in the realm of critical infrastructure as a national security threat in my mind."

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
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1 posted on 06/05/2025 6:38:08 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
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To: RoosterRedux

Drones on the Ground...


2 posted on 06/05/2025 6:39:55 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: RoosterRedux

Sometimes I worry that, as a nation, we are just too corrupt and stupid.


3 posted on 06/05/2025 6:40:11 AM PDT by brownsfan (It's going to take real, serious, hard times to wake the American public.)
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To: RoosterRedux

We gave tax credits to buy these dumb things and send the money to China.
Where they burn coal to make them.
Dumber than dumb


4 posted on 06/05/2025 6:42:06 AM PDT by HereInTheHeartland (“I don’t really care, Margaret.”)
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To: RoosterRedux
1) Don't make the grid depend on solar.

2) If you do decentralized solar, make sure your inverter was made in the U.S.

3) Also make sure that your inverter can't be controlled remotely.

4) Get a hybrid inverter which allows you to power your home even if the Dims keep making the grid unstable and the grid power goes out.

5 posted on 06/05/2025 6:44:33 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: brownsfan
we are just too corrupt and stupid

Our political leaders are corrupt; their voters are stupid.

6 posted on 06/05/2025 6:45:41 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (ghostwalkgettysburg.com)
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To: Tell It Right

Did you buy your panels from Mission Solar out of Texas?

I only ask because this was the company I considered buying an array from a few years back. Until the Mrs nixed the idea.


7 posted on 06/05/2025 6:47:14 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: RoosterRedux

Everything Chinese made can be used against us.

Bottom line: we sold the rope with which they will hang us.

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2018/02/22/rope/

We have no one to blame but ourselves.

Greed-


8 posted on 06/05/2025 6:49:18 AM PDT by Red6
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To: brownsfan

I don’t know how anyone with an unbiased eye cannot see what goes on in the country, how it operates, and how large the deep state is and not admit that we are far too gone. This thing cannot be saved.
Just make sure your family is provided for and that you are preparing them for the inevitable collapse. And just enjoy the ride down to French irrelevance.


9 posted on 06/05/2025 6:49:25 AM PDT by hillarys cankles
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To: woodbutcher1963
I did buy Mission Solar panels. To be fair, it's part of a larger corporation in South Korea. My inverters are Sol-Ark, an American veterans company.

To my earlier post I should add:

5) Do your homework before buying solar. I call this Phase 0. If you like the numbers,

6) Buy a small solar and inverter system that can be added onto (works in parallel). Call this Phase I. Have that for a year and make sure it'll pay for itself according to your power consumption habits. If you like it, and you think adding onto it will save you more money, then

7) Add onto the solar system enough to take advantage of the Economies of Scale (investing more results in more ROI), but not so much you're fighting against the Law of Diminishing Returns (investing more doesn't yield more ROI).

10 posted on 06/05/2025 6:51:59 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: RoosterRedux

Allowing the Chinks to put up “customized” SPY SOLAR PANELS NEXT TO OUR MILITARY BASES IS KIND OF RETARDED. Ask Arizona’s Hippo Gubnor.


11 posted on 06/05/2025 6:57:29 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (The DemonRATS have replaced Hitler with "Doc" Jill's "Taco" slur to attack President Trump. Nice!)
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To: brownsfan

It just proves one warm body, one vote (and the 19th amendment) doesn’t work. It’s a failed experiment and we need to return to the founders original model allowing those with skin in the game to be the only ones who vote. ANd make senators someone the states appoint instead of popular vote.


12 posted on 06/05/2025 7:09:02 AM PDT by curious7
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To: woodbutcher1963

The title is misleading. The title says the “panels” are compromised, but the body says the inverters are. That’s a different component entirely.


13 posted on 06/05/2025 7:16:54 AM PDT by coloradan (They're not the mainstream media, they're the gaslight media. It's what they do. )
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To: RoosterRedux

There was a reason the NSA started building their own computer systems back in the 1990s. Experts also advise against buying iPhone charging cables off of 3rd party sites and to source from Apple.


14 posted on 06/05/2025 7:24:28 AM PDT by Mean Daddy
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To: coloradan
The title says the “panels” are compromised, but the body says the inverters are. That’s a different component entirely.

Not necessarily.

Some systems have a small inverter on each panel, and they are daisy chained together to sync with the grid power.

Like mine, for example. oops...

15 posted on 06/05/2025 7:27:09 AM PDT by null and void (Democrats: fake news, fake presidents, fake beliefs, fake policies, fake protesters & fake voters!)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

Amen...my first thought


16 posted on 06/05/2025 7:35:54 AM PDT by chiller (Davey Crockett: "Be sure you're right. Then go ahead". (We'll go ahead))
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To: null and void
Some systems have a small inverter on each panel, and they are daisy chained together to sync with the grid power. Like mine, for example. oops...

Agreed. I'm fortunate that Alabama never had net metering. It forced me from the planning stage to consider a hybrid inverter so I could turn off the grid sell. That puts me in control of my relationship with the grid. For years even after having solar I was just a normal power customer like everybody else except that I didn't pull much power from the grid. I eventually changed the settings to start selling power to the grid only after I'd had my system long enough to realize that I'd sell enough power to make a little money, and only after digging through the regulations to realize that I didn't have to pay the large solar fee. I could choose among smaller solar fees to let me sell power (for a net gain). I can turn that grid sell feature off if I want to (if the regulations change or if my power consumption habits change to where it costs me more to sell power than I make from selling power).

17 posted on 06/05/2025 7:37:58 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: RoosterRedux

“undocumented communication channels”

But how do they communicate? Seems like there are three possibilities:

1. Satellite comms? I doubt that today, but direct-to-satellite cell phones are making that possible and will be ubiquitous real soon. Starlink and T-Mobile are making data comms possible using unmodified LTE phones. The Tiantong Project in China (China Telecom, Huawei) has developed satellite connectivity for standard smartphones using the Tiantong satellite system. There are several other efforts underway to leverage LEO satellites to act as space-based cell towers, enabling seamless connectivity in areas without terrestrial coverage such as: AST SpaceMobile, Lynk Global, Apple (with Globalstar), Amazon (Project Kuiper), Telus with TerreStar and Skylo (Canada)

2. Cellular data? What cellular data account are they using?

3. Direct connect internet via the inverters.

Many solar installations are internet connected primarily for monitoring and optimization. Many systems include optional internet connectivity to track performance, detect faults, and provide remote control via apps or web portals.


18 posted on 06/05/2025 7:45:12 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (“Diversity is our Strength” just doesn’t carry the same message as “Death from Above”)
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To: RoosterRedux

Well then get rid of the solar panels entirely. Build nuclear or gas or coal fired power plants which are affordable and which we control and which deliver energy reliably.


19 posted on 06/05/2025 7:50:31 AM PDT by FLT-bird
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To: RoosterRedux

The recent blackouts in Spain that left the entire Iberian peninsula in the dark were reportedly caused by a solar array getting out of sync with the grid triggering automatic shutdowns. Could these nefarious Chinese devices be used for a similar takedown of the US power grid?


20 posted on 06/05/2025 8:00:38 AM PDT by The Great RJ
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