Build Your Own Solar Panel

There has recently been an uptick in solar panel theft. I think there are two factors causing this.

The first is an increase in the number of remote installations of solar panels. They are often used to power lighting for traffic signs. By buying stolen solar panels you might be paying people to endanger human lives. Grand thefts of installations on homes and institutions are not that common. Professional installers often up sell consumers on security features that deter theft. Sadly, schools are often victims of theft when they are empty during some weekend hours. Last year a US elementary school lost $31,000 worth of panels.

The second reason for an increase in solar panel theft is the fact that everybody is talking about solar panels. When they weren’t a trending topic of conversation, the type of person who would steal them wouldn’t have even been conscious to the fact that they were out there.

Crime doesn’t pay is a cliche that borders on propaganda, but in the case of stolen solar panels it has a ring of truth. The market for used solar panels is still quite small and authorities can easily monitor the main routes of online sales. The real value of a solar panel, stolen or otherwise, can only be realized when it is out in broad daylight.

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