[RE-wrenches] Security / theft questions

[Max Balchowsky]

We installed an 8 Kw system in the Coachella Valley back in 2006, for a museum in Desert Hot Springs. It was a ground mount system behind a sand dune behind the museum. There was really no other place to put it. Since it was a relatively "High Crime" area we advised theft proof hardware. They opted out on the extra cost of that. 2 yrs later we received a call from their insurance carrier for a quote to replace the stolen modules. They had put a 6 ft high iron fence around the array, but the rails in the fence were 6" apart. someone in the middle of the night removed the modules, slipped them through the spaces in the fence and loaded them onto a truck and drove off into the night..... The system was installed under a state grant, but they ultimately decided not to replace it. As far as copper wire we have seen some of that over the years. building a high rise building or shopping center can take hundreds of thousands in wire, and occasionally some gets
 stolen.

 
Max Balchowsky
Design Engineer
SEE Systems
1048 Irvine Ave Suite 217
Newport Beach, Ca. 92660
760-403-6810


________________________________
 From: Jason Szumlanski <jason at fafcosolar.com>
To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> 
Sent: Friday, July 6, 2012 10:13 AM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Security / theft questions
 

I do not worry about it at all, but there was a panel theft highlighted on the local news recently (not our customer). Given the fact that some local areas have had serious A/C compressor theft issues, I would have expected more solar panel thefts. People will steal ANYTHING, and logic doesn't play much of a factor.

http://www.solarsouthwestflorida.com/solar-panel-theft-in-naples-fl/

Jason Szumlanski
Fafco Solar


On Fri, Jul 6, 2012 at 1:04 PM, Rebekah Hren <bekahhren at yahoo.com> wrote:

I'm researching an article on PV system security/theft, and I thought it would be interesting to ask the wrenches list what y'all have been seeing on sites, hoping it might be useful for everyone. 
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>Answers to any of these questions would be really appreciated:
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>1) On my sites copper has been stolen, but never modules. Is anyone seeing stolen modules, or is it more copper/tools/equipment thefts because its easy to pawn? What the heck would you do with stolen modules besides use them on your own property? Searching craiglist and ebay I haven't seen any sign of what look to be stolen modules. I'm having a hard time figuring out what you would do with a significant quantity of stolen modules. 
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>2) It is very hard to prove that a security measure works, but you can prove that one has failed. Has anyone had experience with thefts on sites using security hardware? Using cameras? Using guards? If a theft occurred, was it during or after installation?
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>3) What about theft from non-secured sites? 
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>4) Is theft something you are worried about on residential/ commercial roof systems after the installation is complete? 
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>Many thanks!Rebekah Hren
>O2 Energies, 
>North Carolina
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