Increasingly important: the safety and protection of solar parks

Konrad Wolfenstein

5 years ago

High losses due to thefts in solar parks and what can be done about it – Three possible security measures, available as a PDF download, see below

Safety and protection of solar parks – Image: Romeo Rum|Shutterstock.com

With the expansion of renewable energies, especially in the field of photovoltaics, the number of solar parks in Germany is also increasing. The downside, however, is that criminals are also aware of the value of the installed photovoltaic components. The poor and often inadequate security of the parks is a particular draw for them. Most of the time, the installations are only protected by a fence. This poses no obstacle to planned thefts, especially for professionals. It couldn't be easier to access valuables with minimal risk. As a rule, the solar parks are located far from residential areas or areas regularly frequented by people.

What needs to be done?

First and foremost, it's important to recognize that the risk of break-ins and theft has increased over the years. Securing a facility with a fence alone is no longer sufficient. See also the excerpt of thefts and break-ins in solar parks below .
It's not getting any easier. That's why insurance companies have such restrictive requirements. Insurance is a basic prerequisite. What does the insurance company stipulate? 100% compliance with these requirements is essential. Because once you're dropped by an insurance company, you won't find a new one so easily.
Retrofitting is expensive and getting more expensive! In new construction, the trenches dug for photovoltaics can also be used for video surveillance. Digging later requires twice the work. Furthermore, it's not always clear where the existing underground cables have been laid.
A well-thought-out security concept is more than just prevention. Accidents can be detected quickly, and regular on-site checks can be reduced to a minimum.
Every break-in and theft causes more than just material damage. The costs of repairs, even restoration, and negotiating with the insurance company for coverage take up time and cause stress. Furthermore, the damage to one's reputation shouldn't be overlooked.

Who can I contact?

Not everyone is a security expert or a certified specialist company for security technology and open area surveillance, which is especially recognized by insurance companies.

AVASUN perimeter protection is a brand of STYX Sicherheitstechnik GmbH , a BHE-certified security technology company . It specializes in perimeter security for solar parks worldwide using a variety of technologies, relying on modular security systems.

Contact person:
Konrad Wolfenstein
Xpert.Plus / AVASUN

Tel: +49 89 89 674 804
k.wolfenstein ∂ avasun.net

Or contact form

Our clientele includes:

Approximately 60 photovoltaic power plants across Europe
Industry and chemical and industrial parks in Austria and Germany
Logistics companies, express services and automotive logistics in Austria and Germany
Europe-wide in the private premium segment – usually family offices from German-speaking countries
Critical infrastructure projects in Austria and Germany for public and private clients
Customers in the high-security sector in Austria and Germany
Police and official properties

Here is an excerpt of thefts and burglaries in solar parks

This overview does not claim to be exhaustive:

a total of €500,000 . The perpetrators stole a total of 73 inverters from the fenced-in solar park in the Mittersberg district. The resulting property damage is estimated at approximately €50,000.

Around November 24, 2020, 50 inverters from a photovoltaic system between Boock and Blankensee in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald were stolen, with a value of approximately 150,000 euros .

Solar panels were stolen during the night of November 20, 2020, from the solar park at Alkersleben airfield. 160 photovoltaic modules worth several thousand euros were stolen.

Theft of more than 100 solar panels worth approximately €15,000. The break-in at the solar park in Wusseken is believed to have occurred between November 18th and 23rd, 2020. It is assumed that the perpetrator(s) transported the panels away using a suitably large vehicle.

Between November 14th and 21st, 2020, unknown perpetrators gained unauthorized access to the solar park in the Friedland district of Ramelow by cutting open a fence and stole 140 solar modules worth approximately 25,000 euros.

On November 15, 2020, a break-in occurred at the solar park in Gribow. 35 inverters worth €35,000 were stolen.

Around November 8, 2020, 36 cable drums containing a total of 18 kilometers of copper cable disappeared from a solar park in Woldegk. Just a week earlier, unknown individuals had stolen a cable drum in Burg Stargard near Neubrandenburg. It weighed one ton and contained 1,000 meters of copper cable.

Around November 6, 2020, 180 solar panels were stolen from a solar park in Wittstock. The material damage alone is estimated at at least €25,000. Currently, 85 percent of the nearly 400-hectare site is covered with approximately one million solar panels. According to the operator, the park's output would be sufficient to supply more than 70,000 residents with electricity.

On October 24, 2020, unknown individuals stole 48 inverters, with a total value in the high five-figure range, from a solar park in the Schauenburg district. The solar park is located near the A44 motorway, close to the L3220 between Schauenburg-Breitenbach and Habichtswald-Ehlen. According to current information, the perpetrators cut through the fence and then removed and stole the inverters. The resulting property damage amounts to approximately €10,000.

Between October 8th and 9th, 2020, unknown perpetrators gained unauthorized access to a solar park on Kastanienstrasse. The thieves damaged several sections of the fence and stole a large number of inverters.

Around September 24, 2020, 434 solar panels worth approximately €80,000 were stolen. The unknown perpetrators broke into the solar park in the municipality of Liebschützberg to steal them.

Significant damage was caused by a theft at a solar park on September 23, 2020. Thieves made off with a six-figure sum from two ground-mounted photovoltaic systems located near the A70 motorway. A total of 24 control cabinets containing inverters were stolen. The thieves used an angle grinder to cut through thick cables to dismantle and transport the electrical components. They used a large van or a small truck with dual rear wheels to transport the control cabinets, each weighing 150 kilograms.

During the night of Friday, August 21, 2020, unknown perpetrators gained access to the grounds of the Haßloch solar park by forcibly opening a chain-link fence. The park was undergoing construction expansion at the time, necessitating a comprehensive inventory of all items stored there.

Around July 21, 2020, thieves stole electrical components from a solar park in the district of Regensburg, causing significant damage. According to police, they stole materials worth a mid-six-figure sum in euros.

Between March 5th and 6th, 2020, unknown perpetrators stole a total of 92 solar panels, valued at approximately €13,000, from a solar park near Ramelow, close to Friedland. According to current information, the perpetrators forcibly opened the perimeter fence to gain access to the site. They stole 92 solar modules. An additional ten solar modules had already been stacked against the fence for transport. No inverters were stolen.

Around February 14, 2020, a large number of Huawei brand inverters were stolen from the grounds of a solar park in Möhnesee-Büecke.

In the early morning hours of January 8, 2020, a total of 40 inverters with a total value of approximately €140,000 were stolen from a solar park in Friedland. The solar park is located on the extension of Bauersheimer Weg, before the junction with the L28, next to the shooting range.