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The New Theft Target: Solar Panels

By: Mahoney

With the growing awareness of the need for environmental friendliness, solar panels are becoming more and more popular. Renewable energy is very easy to obtain from the sun. The problem is that thieves have now also seen the value in them.

Why are Solar Panels So Popular Amongst Thieves?

If, on awakening one morning, you realize that your solar panels are gone, they you can confidently assume that you joined many other victims of solar theft. Theft of solar panels is becoming one of the most common crimes. To remove the panels, thieves will climb onto your roofs, take the panels, and then sell them, possibly on a website like eBay. Why are these panels so popular amongst thieves? Because the monetary value of one solar panel is so high. Each panel is worth a lot of money and any profit made has no expense that needs to be deducted from it.

Homeowners are not the only ones experiencing trouble with these thieves. Businesses who deal with solar panel installation are also having problems with thefts. In San Jose, California, one business reported that they lost over $25,000 worth of solar panels to a crime.

What Can You Do?

Recently, burglary involving solar panels has begun to keep every law enforcement agency busy. Tracking these panels often involves the solar manufacturing and installation companies as well. Sometimes referred to as the crime of the future, the fact that the thieves are selling the stolen goods on websites like eBay makes it much more difficult to trace them.

The public is advised to adhere to the following suggestions in order to improve the security of their solar panels:

1. Have surveillance cameras installed on your roof. The cameras may not stop a thief from taking your panels, but at least you will be able to identify them. The police know that this is very helpful to them, since identity is half the battle when tracking a thief. If installing a video camera is not an option, then you should consider installing an alarm system on your array of solar panels. Then, if someone would attempt to remove the panels from your roof, the alarm would go off very loudly, alerting everyone in the area that your panels are being stolen.

2. Choose panels that are very difficult to remove. In Europe, this is already a commonplace procedure. The method they use to attach the panels to their roofs is so strong that it takes the thief a lot of time to detach them. Many times, the thief will give up after they get tired. Combined with the use of some type of security system, the time involved for removal of the panels can also help you to catch the thief in the process of the crime.

Most homeowner’s insurance will still cover solar theft. This is good because, no matter what, the panels can be replaced. However, once the claims start rolling in for the large number of thefts, you may find that there is some resistance to payment of the solar theft claims. Before you have this problem, you should consider installing a security system for your solar array.

Article Source: http://articleaddict.com

John Mahoney is an expert on reviewing renewable energy equipments and technology. Follow these links to find best gadgets and information on: Solar Panels Dublin and solar installation

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