[RE-wrenches] Security / theft questions

[Steve McCarney]

The theft problem is sometimes different in other countries. In some
developing countries PV module theft is being informally reported as on the
rise at public sites like schools and clinics and wells. Some UN health
officials in these countries see PV module theft as one of the major causes
of PV system failure for PV powered vaccine refrigerator systems - right
behind various battery system problems, usually the main equipment failure
point.

There is a market for the stolen modules too. In one case I was shown
modules for sale on the street only a few miles from where a large array
had been ripped off. The local solar pro who pointed this out claimed these
were the very same modules and that law and order was no help, at least in
that area.

Communities learn and in some cases have set up their own volunteer guards.
In other cases some of the income generated from public PV systems has been
used to hire security. Even that doesn't always work.



On Wed, Jul 11, 2012 at 12:31 PM, Will White <William.White at realgoods.com>wrote:

>  We had an array stolen from a ground mount system directly in front of a
> state police barracks.  They drove up in a van during a shift change, took
> all the modules down, and drove off.  Never got caught.  ****
>
> ** **
>
> We assumed they used the modules on a camp somewhere in the middle of the
> woods.****
>
> ** **
>
> *From:* re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:
> re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] *On Behalf Of *Rebekah Hren
> *Sent:* Friday, July 06, 2012 1:04 PM
> *To:* re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
> *Subject:* [RE-wrenches] Security / theft questions****
>
> ** **
>
> 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. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Answers to any of these questions would be really appreciated:****
>
> ** **
>
> 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. ****
>
> ** **
>
> 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?****
>
> ** **
>
> 3) What about theft from non-secured sites? ****
>
> ** **
>
> 4) Is theft something you are worried about on residential/ commercial
> roof systems after the installation is complete? ****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> Many thanks!****
>
> Rebekah Hren****
>
> O2 Energies, ****
>
> North Carolina****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
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> ** **
>
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