Theft Prevention of Solar Panels
Crime rates tend to increase when things get tough. Such is the case these days with solar panels being stolen. This brings us to the subject of theft prevention of solar panels.
What is the biggest weakness of solar energy? Many would say it is the upfront cost of buying the systems. More specifically, the panels are pricey and systems can run $15,000 on up to much higher numbers depending on what the system is for. As you’ve probably noticed when seeing panels up on roofs, the systems are not exactly beefy. This is leading to a new phenomenon where thieves are climbing up on roofs and stealing panels!
Get A Free Solar Quote Today - Click Here
Why would thieves steal solar panels? After all, you can only put so many of them on your house! Well, this is one area where the internet is not such a good thing. One can sell just about anything on sites like Craigslist and eBay. Many of the stolen solar panels are appearing on these sites at low prices, which allows thieves to move them quickly and put cash in their pockets.
All of this is making theft prevention of solar panels a big deal. If you are going to invest $20,000 in a system, you don’t want it being carried off in the night! In some cases, your homeowner’s insurance will cover the loss, but in many cases it will not. Your first step is to make sure to find out if it does. If not, see if you can get a “rider” on your policy that will provide coverage. You should also engrave your driver’s license number into each panel in case they are discovered later by police.
Join Our Free Solar Newsletter
Okay, what about the panels themselves? Is there anything you can do to make it hard for people to remove them? One step is to put an alarm system on them. You are going to need a professional system, so contact installers in your area. Another is to put up a video camera to tape the panels and any thieves. Perhaps the best option is to replace the screws in your panels that attach them to the system and roof with lock screws that are hard to remove and then cover them with a substance like rubber cement. It will make the removal of each screw such a time consuming, pain in the rear process that most thieves will move on.
Theft prevention of solar panels is in its infancy here in the states, but is long established in Europe where solar has been used on a large scale for far longer. As a result, you can expect the methods for protecting your panels to improve quickly.
