ECO-CONSCIOUS householders are being advised to keep an eye on their solar panels – and ensure they''re insured. A rise in "solar crime" should act as a call to action for homeowners to check their security and
Panels mounted flush with the rack rails are quite subtle. I had 570w of panel mounted like that and people always used to ask if I had solar or when I was going to get some. My newer array
Panels and cables offer a relatively easy, and high value target for thieves, and in 2019, £900,000 worth of solar panels were stolen from sites in Wales 2, resulting in serious financial losses for the companies operating them.
Several instances of solar panel theft have been reported, including an incident at Gateshead International stadium as well as a larger incident in 2021 in which 221 solar panels were stolen from a solar farm. Solar panel theft is the primary
While locks, alarms, and cameras are the 3 best ways to stop your solar panels from being stolen, there are a few methods that can deter theft and one of those is by marking or engraving your solar panels so that they are easily identifiable
Several instances of solar panel theft have been reported, including an incident at Gateshead International stadium as well as a larger incident in 2021 in which 221 solar panels were stolen from a solar farm. Solar panel theft is the primary issue, although some landowners report that it isn’t just the panels themselves that are stolen.
A rise in solar crime means eco-conscious homeowners and farmers who have diversified into renewables should check their security and insurance. The warning comes after police figures revealed a 48 per cent rise in solar panel and cabling theft from 2021 to 2022.¹
Ensure your homeowner’s insurance policy covers your solar panels in case of theft. Some solar panel owners choose to install GPS tracking devices on their panels, allowing them to be tracked and located if stolen. Ensure your solar panels are professionally installed.
You can use mechanical locks on the mounting equipment to prevent the panels from being easily removed. The locks should be custom-designed for solar panel installation and tamper-resistant. Installing an alarm system that triggers a loud noise if the panels are tampered with can help deter potential thieves.
Speakers at the event, held in Telford, in the west of England, appealed for solar site owners to report all incidents of criminal damage, no matter how small. Taylor said GBP 574,300 ($691,500) worth of property was reported stolen from UK solar sites last year, but noted that the real figure is likely higher.
Photo: DeterTech From pv magazine Gloval 04/23 When the UK police visited an address in Staffordshire they suspected of harboring solar panels stolen from a Worcestershire site in 2019, they not only recovered 13 modules but also found paperwork indicating planned shipments to Madrid for resale.
