Renewable energy company EarthSure has introduced an anti-theft system called S.AS (Solar alarm System) designed to stop green thieves in their tracks. The company claims the system will stop green crime which is on the rise in the US. It uses magnetic switching devices embedded within the side walls of the solar panels that trip an alarm system whenever a solar panel gets moved or lifted.
Users of solar power, especially in California, have been hit with a rash of stolen solar panels and the monetary damage these thefts produce is thousands of dollars in each case. These stolen solar panels have showed up on eBay and Craigslist and the thefts have become so prevalent that there is even a black market for these panels.
The S.AS system can be installed on any existing solar panel configuration and will be manufactured within new solar panels. Similar to alarms coming standard in most cars nowadays, EarthSure predicts solar panels will also come equipped with alarm systems right from the initial installation.
Ray Saluccio, CEO of EarthSure, says “If you would put an alarm on a USD20,000 car, why wouldn’t you put an alarm on a solar panel investment of USD40,000? It’s sad that these ‘green thieves’ are taking equipment that is helping the environment. It’s just not right and we at EarthSure plan on stopping them.”
EarthSure reps have also been speaking with some insurance companies about giving a discount to those individuals with a S.AS, similar to the discount they give auto insurers if their car has an alarm.
Between the safeguarding of the panels and the potential discounts from insurers, S.AS will entice more people to install solar panels, hence increasing the amount of renewable energy made and decreasing the need for non-renewable energy - which is what EarthSure is all about.
