As more solar panels are stolen, companies find new ways to protect them
Stephanie Simon -
WSJ - October 20, 2009
Looks like they have become a hot commodity --Ed.
Solar power is giving Larry Lagatta heartburn.
Five times in the past year, Mr. Lagatta, the director of maintenance for a school district in northern California, has rushed to a campus to respond to reports of a brazen theft. Five times, he has looked up to the roof and despaired to see 20, 30 or 50 solar panels missing, ripped off the top of school buildings overnight.
Covering the insurance deductibles has cost the Pleasanton School District $25,000. Mr. Lagatta is installing motion-triggered lights around the schools, but says he's eager for more robust security. "We've been waiting for the industry to catch up with that need," he says.
That wait may soon be over. Responding to a surge of photovoltaic theft—not only in the U.S., but around the world—entrepreneurs are bringing to market a host of new security products specifically designed for solar panels. They include an alarm system that automatically calls police if the panels are disturbed; a variety of devices to lock the panels to roofs; and specialty labels that burn an identifying bar code into every panel.
Heating Up
Solar-panel theft is such a new phenomenon that there are no hard-and-fast statistics—just a series of anecdotal reports from countries as far-flung as South Africa, Australia, India and Britain. Theft appears to be down in recent months as demand for the panels softens and prices drop. But solar consultants, insurance agents and law-enforcement officers say the problem is real.
Solar panels are relatively easy to remove and transport in a pickup truck, and reports indicate there's a thriving black market in the U.S. and Mexico. So, as the economy picks up and demand for solar power increases, authorities expect a rise in theft as well.
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