As solar panels are kept outside, it’s obvious to be worried about safety. Many people report the issue of their solar panels getting stolen these days. Protection and security is the only key to protect your solar panels from being stolen. So today’s talk is all about How to keep solar panels from being stolen?
There are different ways. You can take steps like buying a solar panel at less price but of good quality, using detector lights, using locks and bolts. If you follow a few precautions, you can always keep these protected. Also, setting up the panels in a secured place away from public eyes can help as well.
We are sure that you want to know the tricks elaborately. So let’s find out what you can do in this regard!
How to keep solar panels from being stolen?
As a very valuable commodity, solar panels are often the main targets of theft and robbery. So, here are some tips about how to avoid solar panels from getting stolen:
- Avoid spreading the price: Money always brings unwanted attention from the thieves, which later turns out to be the reason for the theft. Expensive things always attract thieves. This is why you should avoid bragging about the price in front of people to prevent your product from getting stolen.
- Use movement detector lights: Movement detector lights are a great option for keeping the products safe outside. If you install movement detector lights in your solar panels, the lights will automatically warn you when they are trying to get stolen by thieves. Most people use them to prevent their solar panels from getting stolen.
- Stick the panels together with locks: There are some special locks out in the market which chains and secures the solar panels together so that they are hard to move. If you lock the panels altogether, then it will be very tough for the thief to steal them as it will be very heavy to carry them all in once. So, your solar panels will be safe by being locked altogether.
- Use anti-theft features: There are a lot of locks, chains, and other things in the market that help with modern features to prevent stealing solar panels. Seeking the required features for the panels would be a great option for preventing the theft of solar panels.
- Avoid climbable things around the house: If you have a ladder or boxes around your house, then it will be very easy for the thief to climb up and steal your precious solar panels. It’s better if you keep the surroundings clean to avoid leaving any kind of options to the thief to reach out for your solar panels.
- Use security locks and bolts: these are the most convenient ones. You can use the lock to keep your solar panels secured. Also, as often the solar panels come with included bolts, you will not have a headache about the security if you implement those properly.
Are solar panel security bolts secured enough?
Although security bolts cannot guarantee fully that your solar panels won’t get stolen, they can decrease the chance of the panels getting stolen. Security bolts make it very hard to steal the solar panels as they take a lot of time to remove and also warn the owner.
This is why most of the time security bolts prevent the solar panels from getting stolen successfully. However, in some cases, they fail. Although security bolts take time to remove, it’s not like they can’t be removed at all. If the thief uses proper technique and caution, he might be able to lose the grip of the security bolts on the solar panels.
So, security bolts are secured enough, but they are not fully secured as they can get removed from the solar panels.
Read next: Solar panel installation mistakes
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How can I protect my solar panel wires?
The solar panel wires can be easily protected by connecting them in parallel series so that the current can be distributed equally. One can use a layer of electrical tape on wires to keep them safe from unwanted water. Also, one can zip tie them to hold them strongly against the wind.
Should one cover solar panels when not in use?
There’s no need to cover the solar panel when it’s not used. Because solar panels are made with a protective back sheet and a protective glass casing in front of it. But if someone wants to cover it there’s no problem with that. But in the case of extreme weather and energy overloading problems, one can cover the solar panel.
Can solar panels be stolen?
The solar panel can be stolen occasionally. It totally depends on the surroundings and neighborhood. Though selling stolen solar panels is tough because anyone can get busted. Also, it’s easy to steal solar panels because it seems like someone is doing the maintenance. In short, yes, solar panels can be stolen.
Does the solar panel include security bolts?
Solar panels that are made with anti-theft can contain a security bolt or sometimes nut. Although some security screws include both nuts and bolts. These security bolts are used for protecting the solar panel.
Is it possible to protect solar panels from vandalism?
Yes, it is possible to protect solar panels from vandalism. One can buy anti-theft which can create alarms. Also, there are many tools available to protect the solar panel from vandalism.
Wrapping up
It should be clear to you How to keep solar panels from being stolen by now. We have shared a few incredible and effective ways to keep your solar panels protected from theft. Among all these steps, it will be best if you use lock protection. But make sure that the panel is getting enough sunlight so that you don’t have to bother with the energy.
Moreover, you can hire a guard to look after the panels. No matter what you do, always make sure to keep the solar panels at a distance from the general eyes. Therefore, you can protect the panels from being stolen.