According to the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre, Australia’s use of foreign-made solar panel tech has made the country susceptible to targeted attacks, which could result in an undermining of power grids causing large-scale blackouts.

The top cyber research body also warned the threat comes primarily from solar inverters, the technology that converts solar energy to electricity, which is manufactured in Beijing, a city holding around 76% of the global market supply.

The research body highlighted that China’s national intelligence laws could compel businesses making solar inverters to undertake surveillance actions and report back to Beijing, or even interrupt Australian power supplies.

Globally, businesses like TikTok located in China have come under scrutiny due to their surveillance potential, but the threat of using foreign-owned cyber inverters is a newer concern and could be much more catastrophic said Cyber Security CRC chief executive Rachael Falk.

“Traditionally, the cyber risk with solar inverters was low because they were not connected to the internet. However, as the popularity of smart home energy systems has boomed, this has changed, with most solar inverters now web-connected,” she said.

Falk said the likelihood of ‘black start’, power plants unable to switch back on without support from an auxiliary generator or battery, has risen sharply, which could result in the entire power grid failing and taking a week to repair.

Currently, the CRC suggests a complete review of all solar inverters being used in Australia leading to categorizing cyber security ratings, which will be mandatory and introduced for solar inverters.

“Inverters assessed as having serious cyber security vulnerabilities should be removed from sale and recalled from use, or appropriate security fixes applied if available,” the report stated.

Falk said that now that these warnings were shared with the government, we need to act now before Australian power girds are affected.

According to Opposition Home Affairs spokesman James Paterson, an audit has been initiated on each federal government department to reveal which have foreign-owned solar inverters.

“Thousands of these products are being installed every week,” he said.

“We urgently need a plan from the Albanese government before they become too deeply embedded in the grid.”