A major theft of 38 solar panels in Manzanillo, Cuba, highlights a growing national problem. Discover the details of these crimes and what authorities are doing to combat this rising threat. . According to Spotter Global, theft from solar farms was expected to rise throughout 2024, with growing demand for panels making them both easier to sell and more valuable to steal. This certainly seemed to be the case, as between January and August 2024, there were at least 70 reported offences. . According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity has been growing at an average annual rate of around 33% over the past decade. This rapid expansion has brought about a corresponding rise in the number of solar panel installations, both residential and. . Stolen solar panels are winding up on eBay and Craigslist where unwitting customers quickly buy them up, making themselves complicit in the crime. Schools and churches, generally unoccupied at night, have been hit hard by this brand of theft theft, but no buildings are especially immune. Some. . With copper prices rising, inflation driving up the cost of living, and organized criminal gangs stepping up operations in the United Kingdom and across Europe, solar project owners need to be more conscious than ever of security. In June this year, a farmer who had £70 000 worth of high-tech equipment stolen believes a gang spied on his premises with a drone.
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