Security risk on the roof?
China's access to German solar systems
05.03.2025Reading time: 4 min.
A current report shows possible security risks when using Chinese solar technology in Germany. Experts warn of far -reaching dangers through possible external control.
A plug -in solar system on the balcony and a photovoltaic system on the roof or the carport: Many consumers are increasingly relying on renewable energy and thus also on self -sufficiency or at least on independence from large energy suppliers. A research by the ZDF editorial office environment now reveals that German households that rely on solar energy are not as independent and free. China could control the solar systems. Is that correct? T-online has asked.
In the first half of 2024, 47 percent of the electricity generated in Germany came from wind and solar energy, the latter of both public and private solar systems. These systems are controlled using inverters. These small devices convert – briefly explained – convert the solar energy (direct current) obtained into alternating current. In itself, good technology – but most inverters (80 percent) come from Chinese manufacturers. Because manufacturers such as Deye, Huawei, Sungrow or Ginlong Solis offer their products considerably cheaper than European competitors and thus dominate the market.
However, this saving in the components harbors dangers, as a research by the ZDF editorial team reveals the environment. In an emergency, China could control the technology and thus switch off. For example, when there is a political crisis. Then Beijing could theoretically deactivate entire solar systems in Germany – and not only that of private households, but also those who play an essential role in German energy supply. The local network operators could not intervene in this emergency, the report says.
Experts are already known, but nobody wants to admit it really, the ZDF explains and refers to statements from the Federal Office of Information Technology (BSI) and the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA). Both take the situation very seriously. The BNetza reassures that provision has already been made.
T-online asked engineering scientist Andreas Schmitz how he assesses the situation and what consumers can do to protect himself.
He confirms that the position of Chinese manufacturers is a problem, but in a different way. It is true that most inverters are connected to the Internet. This is necessary to connect with the manufacturer's cloud. Only by connecting to the cloud can the users then access the current data and generation services of their system, for example, control the device remotely. The cloud is also used for the software and corresponding updates. “This means that many users are more or less forced to leave them in their network and thus the Internet. Sometimes WLAN passwords are also stored, etc.,” warns Schmitz. But that's not all. In addition, from the point of view of IT security, the cloud solution is “often catastrophic”. Chinese inverters are mainly dangerous because the users' own private and often sensitive data are not adequately protected and can then be used by the manufacturers – in whatever form.
And how likely is the scenario listed by the ZDF? So a threat from a hacker attack? “The devices are all different or from different manufacturers or with different versions. So there is great diversification, so that a large -scale malignant control is made more difficult – however, it is not impossible,” Schmitz sovereignly. However, he admits: “Of course it is not impossible because there are certainly manufacturers that are very popular and widespread.”
However, a different kind can also be controlled by the solar systems: state actors could even incorporate back doors to control photovoltaic systems on a large scale. “These security gaps are then probably much more difficult to find and represent a larger threat, since they could work over several manufacturers and thus enable large -scale control,” says Schmitz.
