Thieves Now Targeting Solar Panels

Those who have become environmentally friendly are quickly realizing the value of solar panels as a way to use the sun to create renewable energy. However, thieves also have seen the value of them, but in a different way.

Why Your Solar Panels are Popular With Thieves

If your solar panels are gone when you wake up one morning, you will quickly deduce that you have become a victim of solar theft. Solar theft is fast becoming one of the most common crimes reported to police departments nationwide. Often, stealing the panels requires the thief to climb on your roof and manually remove the panel. They will then attempt to sell the panel elsewhere, most likely on the web, on sites such as eBay. Auction sites will generate the most profit. And, because the thief did not spend any money to acquire the panel, they can pocket every penny made from the sale of the panel.

Solar theft is a problem for more than just homeowners. There has recently begun a rash of crimes against those businesses who actually install the panels. In fact, one San Jose, California business reports that they had $25,000 worth of solar panels stolen in one night.

What Can You Do To Improve Your Security?

There are reports that police departments and law enforcement agencies are staying very busy trying to track the huge number of stolen panels being reported each day. Solving these burglary cases now involves not only law enforcement, but also the companies that manufacture the panels. The fact that the stolen panels are being sold online makes it much harder to trace them and catch the thieves.

To improve the security of your solar panels, you are advised to follow some simple suggestions:

1. Surveillance cameras should be installed nearby to your solar panels. These cameras probably will not stop the panels from being stolen, but they will be very useful tools for identifying the thief should they be successful in removing them from your roof. Detectives will tell you that it can be very difficult to I.D. a criminal, but one it is done, catching them is usually not a problem. An alternative to a surveillance camera is an alarm system that can be set to go off if anyone attempts to remove your panels from your roof. Most of these alarm systems will emit a very loud noise that will alert anyone in the vicinity to the crime being committed.

2. Choose a panel that will be very hard to remove once installed. There is a method of screwing the panel down that has become very popular in Europe because of the degree of difficulty involved in unscrewing them later. With this method, the thieves will often get tired and give up. Add to this method a good security system and you will have a very good chance of capturing the criminal in the process of the theft.

Most of the insurance policies carried by homeowner’s will cover solar theft. This is good because if your panels are stolen, you can have them replaced. However, if the number of claims goes too high, insurance companies may show some resistance to paying for replacements so you should consider installing a security system on your roof.