Researchers protecting solar technologies from cyberattack

New research from the University of Georgia suggests a novel approach to safeguarding one possible target of a cyberattack – the nation's solar farms. In a study published in IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, a team in UGA's College of Engineering introduced a sensor system that monitors a key electrical component of solar farms for signs of cyber-intrusion in real time. "A growing concern is that hackers may exploit the converters that connect solar farms with the power grid," said WenZhan Song, the Georgia Power Mickey A. Brown Professor in Engineering and the study's lead investigator. "In modern grid-connected solar farms, power electronics converters can be remotely controlled, but this internet connection also expands the potential for cyberattacks." In general, power electronics use semiconductor switching devices to control and convert electrical power flow from one form to another. This technology has revolutionized modern life by streamlining manufacturing processes, increasing product efficiencies and improving the delivery of reliable power from utilities.