Solar panel thefts become a growing trend in rural areas

Issue Date: November 11, 2009

By Christine Souza
Assistant Editor

Deputy Jon Thompson of the Napa County Sheriff's Office and grower Michael Honig of Honig Vineyard and Winery in Rutherford say they know the value of prevention in deterring solar panel thieves. After losing $75,000 worth of panels, Honig installed a security alarm that led deputies to three suspects, who were apprehended.

With new laws in place making it more difficult for thieves to turn stolen metal into cash, they are looking elsewhere to make quick money. Crooks have gravitated to farms that have installed valuable solar panels—and the vineyards of Napa County have become a center of such criminal activity.

"This crime is a growing trend throughout California. Whether in the city jurisdiction or the county area, over $400,000 worth of solar panels have been stolen from Napa County alone," said Deputy Jon Thompson of the Napa County Sheriff's Office Problem Oriented Policing Program. "This is similar to what we saw when metal thefts were up and now we're seeing this. You saw the prices of metal go through the roof and now it appears that there is money to be made in the stealing and selling of solar panels."

Jim Curran, president of Shamrock Renewable Energy Services Inc. in San Ramon and San Rafael, confirms that solar panel thefts occur in many agricultural areas.

"We believe that anywhere that there is agriculture, there will be an opportunity for thieves to come in and steal. Solar panels right now are a very hot commodity," said Curran, whose company works on design and installation of solar and other renewable energy projects. "This is something that is emerging as an issue in the winery business, especially this summer. We had not seen it before this summer to the extent we have now. There are a double-digit number of wineries that have been hit this summer and fall, and it appears that it is growing rather than stopping."

Thieves will trespass onto agricultural operations under the cover of darkness to gain access to solar panels.

"The bad guys will come in and crack through fences. Generally, they are not Harvard or Stanford MBAs that are going in and doing these things. In one instance, they literally went through one of the fences. They come in, pull up trucks and maybe take 15-20 panels out of each winery's solar system at night," Curran said. "We need to focus on it and remain vigilant."

Napa County grower Michael Honig of Honig Vineyard and Winery in Rutherford is one farmer who decided that enough was enough and took measures to prevent solar panel thefts.

"We installed solar on the property over three years ago and we had two thefts where people came onto the property and jumped the small fence that surrounds the panels," Honig said. "One time, 39 panels were stolen and the other time 20 panels. The replacement cost was probably $75,000 between the two thefts."

Faced with the $1,000 replacement cost for each solar panel, as well as additional costs to repair damages incurred during the thefts, Honig installed a security system and camera. The system recently alerted deputies that suspicious activity was occurring near the solar panels in the vineyard. As a result, three suspects were apprehended.

"The security motion camera at Honig's detected somebody who wasn't supposed to be there. It was 4 o'clock in the morning," Thompson said. "Our guys had a four and a half minute response time. The deputy who responded was a K-9 unit. He was able to put his dog, 'Crespo,' on a track that led him to where two of the three guys were found."

Honig is not the only victim in his region of Napa County.

"In the same time frame, there were about 12 other wineries and/or vineyards that thieves hit in our area, so this was a real issue for us," Honig said. "Our solar installer told me that Rutherford—our sub-appellation of Napa Valley—has the largest amount per capita of solar installations anywhere in the country."

Investigators say thieves may be associated with rings that send stolen solar panels out of state or out of the country, or the panels are being sold in California to contractors who are not concerned with their origin.

"Even though we caught this one crew, I think there is going to be more coming. That is why we are being real proactive about getting out and seeing where panels are and giving suggestions," Thompson said. "Most of my days are now spent visiting different solar locations and giving suggestions on how these panels can be better secured."

At Honig Vineyard and Winery, the "electricity farm" generates enough power to run the winery, including cooling and bottling.

"We have always tried to be innovators in doing things that create a small footprint for society, but also benefit our own business and the sustainability of our family," Honig said. "A large amount of producers are going this direction."

But he and his fellow growers are up against thieves who, Thompson said, use every tool at their disposal to target growers, including the Internet.

"In the world that we live in today, anything can be found on the Web. You can do a lot of research and find out a lot of things. There is a belief that thieves are using GoogleEarth, where solar panels can be seen," Thompson said. "Some of these wineries and vineyards have upwards of 4,000 panels on their properties. Suspects are scouting out panel locations and even taking photographs."

The Napa County Sheriff's Office will hold a Crime Prevention and Safety Fair on Dec. 12 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Yountville Community Hall, where it will offer information on preventing solar panel thefts.

Protect solar panels from thieves

Thefts of solar panels have become an increasing problem in rural areas. Here are tips to prevent such thefts, offered by the Napa County Sheriff's Office Problem Oriented Policing Program:

Map the panels with serial numbers. That way, solar panel owners can tell which panels have been stolen. This will also allow law enforcement officers to prove that recovered property is stolen.
Use locking bolts to secure solar panels, to make removal more difficult. Some owners have placed epoxy over the bolts so that the panels become even harder to remove. Other security methods include running aircraft wire through all the panels to secure them to the frame, or placing a weld that secures the panels to the frame or the bolts.
Place tamper-evident stickers with the owner's name on all the panels. If the panels are stolen, the stickers will show the rightful owner.
Use alarms on solar panels. There are several companies that install alarms that are specifically set up for solar panels.
Use security cameras to cover your solar fields, so law enforcement officers can view suspects and possibly identify them. Some companies have systems with 24-hour monitoring, which can help to catch suspects in the act.
Place a fence around the panel systems to make getting to the panels and removal of the panels harder for thieves.
Contact law enforcement agencies immediately to report any suspicious people or vehicles. Provide descriptions of suspects and vehicles (including license plate numbers) to aid in the identification process.
If you recognize suspicious behavior or you have become the victim of a crime, do not disturb the crime scene; that will ensure the integrity of any potential evidence.

(Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)

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