Emailing "Not Green (and Completely Wrong): Solar Panel Theft"
It been a long time since we've spotlighted some decidedly un-green behavior. And
this short item on solar panel theft from the Daily Camera is definitely one of them. It's enough to make you want to take measures to secure your solar panels (if you're lucky enough to own some).
Investigators from the Boulder County Sheriff's Office are trying to figure out who made off with $11,800 worth of solar panels from Walden Ponds north of Boulder.
Sgt. Brian Lindsey said the panels, which measure about 5-feet by 4-feet and weigh 107 pounds each, were in crates awaiting installation.
In this case, it was an easy score since they were yet to be installed. But that doesn't mean that thieves won't scramble up onto your home. This reminds me of
The New York Times story from a couple of months ago about people that had their solar panels ripped from their roofs by thieves. Adding insult to injury, the pricey solar gear is showing up on eBay.
Police departments in California — the biggest market for solar power, with more than 33,000 installations — are seeing a rash of such burglaries, though nobody compiles overall statistics.
Investigators do not believe the thieves are acting out of concern for their carbon footprints. Rather, authorities assume that many panels make their way to unwitting homeowners, sometimes via the Internet.
Last November, someone tried to sell solar panels stolen from a toll road in Newport Beach for $100 each on eBay. Detectives from the local police department entered the bidding and won the panels, which were worth nearly $1,500 apiece, according to Sgt. Evan Sailor, a Newport Beach police spokesman.
No good deed goes unpunished, unfortunately.