Solar panel theft surges

wingnut771 said:
Any suggestions? Snake pit? Moat filled with pirañas?
Click to expand...
Electric fence linked to armed response, outdoor beams without large pet feature enabled (else thieves just crawl under), large dogs outside, outdoor CCTV camera system with AI object detection also linked to armed response, building alarm system preferably with camera verification (e.g. Ajax) and tamper sensors on panels, batteries and inverter just in case.

Also if someone can make it to your building during the day while you're at home without an alarm tripping, then you have an inadequate security system. Our neighbourhood is getting breakins during the day when people have left for work. A 24/7 enabled security system is not optional if you plan to stay in South Africa.

Fortunately solar panels are bulky and not that easy to remove so if armed response is there within 2 to 3 minutes they're unlikely to be successful.
 
Last edited:
the solar pan
Paul_S said:
Electric fence linked to armed response, outdoor beams without large pet feature enabled (else thieves just crawl under), large dogs outside, outdoor CCTV camera system with AI object detection also linked to armed response, building alarm system preferably with camera verification (e.g. Ajax) and tamper sensors on panels, batteries and inverter just in case.

Also if someone can make it to your building during the day while you're at home without an alarm tripping, then you have an inadequate security system. Our neighbourhood is getting breakins during the day when people have left for work. A 24/7 enabled security system is not optional if you plan to stay in South Africa.

Fortunately solar panels are bulky and not that easy to remove so if armed response is there within 2 to 3 minutes they're unlikely to be successful.
Click to expand...
I can promise you this. Every person that installed everything from the CCTV to every other device including the alarms know how to disarm them.
 
These days I'm always sceptical about the extent of a reported problem....articles even ones that's not paid for has some sort of agenda....in this case insurance companies looking to cash in on our paranoia.
 
10:10 said:
the solar pan

I can promise you this. Every person that installed everything from the CCTV to every other device including the alarms know how to disarm them.
Click to expand...
One of the reasons I DIY. Even an electric fence is not that easy to bypass if it is set up correctly. Mine has stopped at least a couple of breakins (caught on CCTV testing fence).

However if you would rather take a defeatist approach by doing nothing then it's your call.
 
Paul_S said:
One of the reasons I DIY. Even an electric fence is not that easy to bypass if it is set up correctly. Mine has stopped at least a couple of breakins (caught on CCTV testing fence).
Click to expand...
It is also why I DIY yes. I 100% agree with you.
Paul_S said:
However if you would rather take a defeatist approach and do nothing then it's your call.
Click to expand...
It is not about being defeated. This past Friday my friend went to the police station to report theft. They told her to go home. They told everyone to get out. This was early morning. In fact, several people took to social groups and reported this.

It is good if you can stop someone from breaking in, but if the police are not going to do anything about it, then you are wasting your time. We need the police to be functional.
 
Paul_S said:
Electric fence linked to armed response, outdoor beams without large pet feature enabled (else thieves just crawl under), large dogs outside, outdoor CCTV camera system with AI object detection also linked to armed response, building alarm system preferably with camera verification (e.g. Ajax) and tamper sensors on panels, batteries and inverter just in case.

Also if someone can make it to your building during the day while you're at home without an alarm tripping, then you have an inadequate security system. Our neighbourhood is getting breakins during the day when people have left for work. A 24/7 enabled security system is not optional if you plan to stay in South Africa.

Fortunately solar panels are bulky and not that easy to remove so if armed response is there within 2 to 3 minutes they're unlikely to be successful.
Click to expand...
How do outdoor beams without large dog feature work when you have large dogs outside?
The thieves in our area still get over electric fences.
 
10:10 said:
It is also why I DIY yes. I 100% agree with you.

It is not about being defeated. This past Friday my friend went to the police station to report theft. They told her to go home. They told everyone to get out. This was early morning. In fact, several people took to social groups and reported this.

It is good if you can stop someone from breaking in, but if the police are not going to do anything about it, then you are wasting your time. We need the police to be functional.
Click to expand...
What happened, was there a bomb in the police station?
 
TheChamp said:
What happened, was there a bomb in the police station?
Click to expand...
No, they just had a bad attitude, and told everyone to get out. They did say a lot of other stuff but we couldn't understand them. We were then reminded it is our fault for not speaking the language.

Afterwards one of the men translated for us. Apparently, it was a shift change and they wanted to clean the floors. But we couldn't know. They where not respectful toward the public at all.

Just to add to this, the man that did the translation for us also wanted to report a theft. He also went home.
 
Last edited:
10:10 said:
No, they just had a bad attitude, and told everyone to get out. They did say a lot of other stuff but we couldn't understand them. We where then reminded it is our fault for not speaking the language.
Click to expand...
IPID is still a much better bet at getting something done about it than talking about it on social media, specially since there were a couple of people involved, yes I know it's a hassle and some people just prefer moving on but I think if it has arrived at a point of being chased away from the police station with no good reason then it could be worth it.
 
Jean Claude Vaaldamme said:
LOL and these things don't happen in security Estates that MBB members always tells us has just as much crime.
Click to expand...
Nah, I live in a security estate and the last incident we had was in 2019. Our security was 5hen able to give the police a picture of the criminal taken when he came into the estate.
 
What you need to know about insurance for solar panels in a sectional title scheme

Insuring your solar panels is relatively straightforward. Depending on the insurance policy and its specific terms, you can choose to cover the panels as part of the building for normal perils, excluding theft. This coverage typically includes risks like fire and storm damage and is covered under a normal buildings rate, which is generally affordable, usually around R10 per R100,000 sum insured per month. Theft cover can be included for a higher premium, depending on the insurance company and their particular pricing models. In all cases, one should advise the insurer of the added solar panels and ancillary equipment as the risk of the building may be considered by the underwriters, to have changed.
Click to expand...
 
Stonemason said:
Nah, I live in a security estate and the last incident we had was in 2019. Our security was 5hen able to give the police a picture of the criminal taken when he came into the estate.
Click to expand...
Thats what I said. Unlike the MBB crowd that always say security estates have just as much crime. Never heard of solar panels being stolen in our estate. In fact I think we had one theft incident in 5 years.
 
10:10 said:
No, they just had a bad attitude, and told everyone to get out. They did say a lot of other stuff but we couldn't understand them. We were then reminded it is our fault for not speaking the language.

Afterwards one of the men translated for us. Apparently, it was a shift change and they wanted to clean the floors. But we couldn't know. They where not respectful toward the public at all.

Just to add to this, the man that did the translation for us also wanted to report a theft. He also went home.
Click to expand...
How does speaking another language help clean the floors?
 
I'm also worried about our panels and of course the inverter. But i've put some things in place;

1. Electric fence is active and linked to ADT when triggered - although this is a pain if you see my other thread where my fence has had mysterious set-offs in the early hours of the morning but nothing is wrong with it. However it has now calmed down and hasn't gone off for a couple of weeks.

2. Wireless Garden motion sensors, but placed on the building facing out - linked to the Alarm system and as such ADT. Including the main gate and pedestrian gate having sensors.

3. 8-camera CCTV facing from the property outwards across all the sides. No alerts yet as the DVR is old but i'm gonna replace it with one that can identify things in the images, for now it just has motion detection.

4. 1 x DSC Wireless Sensor on one of the panels closest to the easiest way up the wall (I assume it would go first).

TO DO:

My short-mid term plans:

1. Ordered 6-pack Blink Cameras that I will put facing the outer perimeter on 3 sides along the fence and 1 in the garage viewing the Sunsynk and batteries etc.

2. I'm on the waiting list for an invitation to Ring Always Home Cam (the flying one)

3. I have Homepods in almost all the rooms, configured to listen for alarms, broken windows etc. Not sure how well it works haven't tested it heh.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X