Five consecutive cases of photovoltaic panel theft

How many solar panels can a thief remove?

Viamon's Strecke says organized raiders typically remove 100 panels to 300 solar panels – 10 tons' worth at the top end. In one case, he adds, thieves removed more than 15,000 panels – 5 MW of generation capacity – in one weekend. “It is organized crime, with big logistics in the background,” he says.

How much does a solar theft cost?

Strecke says European solar thefts typically cause €60,000 ($63,900) of damage, when repairs and loss of business are factored in. “Solar crime is on the increase,” says Rachael Oakley, director of crime intelligence at Telford-based DeterTech, formally known as SmartWater Group thanks to its product-marking technology.

Are solar panels being stolen in the UK?

That figure – reported by Detective Superintendent James Taylor, head of UK serious organized acquisitive crime unit Opal – included a rise in small-scale thefts of solar panels as rising energy bills and the cost-of-living crisis bite. And the UK experience is far from unique.

Is there a rise in solar theft in 2021 & 2022?

Cable theft Taylor, presenting at a Solar Crime Open Day event organized by site security company DeterTech and London-based asset manager Schroders, reported a 48% rise in cabling and solar panel theft from solar sites between 2021 and 2022.