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This article is to give 3 cheap and easy options to answer the question how to protect solar panels from theft.
Why?
Our neighbour had his wheel chocks stolen when we were at Freycinet!
[(It’s still one of the Our Top 5 Low Cost or Free Camps in Tasmania]
About the same time we were seeing posts about people having their solar panels go missing when people were on day trips…
How to Protect Solar Panels From Theft
We researched and found three options that seemed the best:
1. Combination Bike Locks
We started off with these. They were cheap, easy, and very convenient.
We got three of them and set them all to the same combination.
This meant that we could use them for the sanel panels, bikes, etc… and the kids could open them too.
Click image to view on Amazon
For only a few dollars from Amazon they were a cheap and easy start (and there’s no keys to lose).
These were one of our 20 Caravan Gadgets Under $20 [That Make Travelling Australia Easier]
2. Stainless Steel Cable and Padlock
This set-up means that there’s no real extra bits and pieces hanging around, and can still use the full length of the 5m cable…
…and still point at the sun when we’re out and about!
$13.55 total for the stainless steel cable and swages.
It’s not going to stop a determined thief, but the opportunist… If someone is going to come back with tools, nothing would stop them anyway!
3. Alarmed Cable Locks
A little more expensive (between $50 – $100)…
…but worth it if you ask me!
Great not just for the solar panel if you go out for the day, but overnight a good option for securing the Weber Baby Q.
Click image to view on Amazon
A sound alarm is set off and rings continuously for 10 minutes as soon as the lock is forced or its cable is being handled.
Hopefully just enough to scare anyone way.
But… can you really stop someone who wants your solar panels?
If you’re asked how to protect solar panels from theft, there is no 100% answer:
Most options are about buying time… or stopping opportunistic theft.
Other than bolting them to your roof, how do you protect your solar panels from theft?
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tHANK YOU FOR SHARING THE RESOURCES OF THIS ARTICLE, THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL FOR ME. KEEP SHARING SUCH THINGS.
Solar panels do cost and that’s probably why it’s being stolen. Although, I couldn’t believe that someone would find interest in stealing solar panels, now that it’s being rumored, I should also secure mine.
Yeah, I don’t think people are stealing them to resell them… probably just see them as an attractive item and taking the opportunity!
A friend of mine had a problem with his solar panels. It wasn’t about a thief but some nasty people who threw stones. But it was just random incident but it did some major damage on the panels.
That’s pretty annoying hey! Hope it was just kids and not people who are just nasty