Stealing Solar Panels

[pseudo_mccoy]

I have trust issues so I built a lockable aluminum/ polycarbonate lid.



The lid is mounted to a safari basket and ladder rack combo I macgyvered together with hose clamps and u-bolts.

Steel bike locks hold the lid's back end Down (u-bolts on the front end to allow the lid to swing up). I used red loctite on all the important bolts.

I did all that because I kept imagining how easy it'd be for a thief with a wrench and a tiny bit of confidence to ruin me.

 

[concretebox]

I read a trick from bicyclist in New York: full the heads of the Allen key screws with super glue. It will dissolve with solvent when/if the owner needs to change the wheel, but makes it just a little too inconvenient for your average theif.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I read a trick from bicyclist in New York: full the heads of the Allen key screws with super glue. It will dissolve with solvent when/if the owner needs to change the wheel, but makes it just a little too inconvenient for your average theif.

That's an interesting idea. I had heard of using epoxy to fill screw heads, but that's permanent. A quick google search finds that acetone, aka nail polish remover, will dissolve super glue. Thanks, I will be adding this to my bag of tricks.

Regards
John

 

[akrvbob]

If you built a box and covered with something like plexiglass or Lexan to go over your solar panel I don't think that is a good idea.

Solar panels work best when they are cold and heat greatly reduces their effeciency. My guess is that box gets tremendously hot!!! I'd put a thermostat inside and see how much it's above the outside temps.

It's possible you solved a non-existent problem but created a huge one in it's place.
Bob

 

[pseudo_mccoy]

Also, the lexan itself reduces the panel's efficiency by something like 20%. I was willing to sacrifice some efficiency because 1) non-existing problems can sometimes be the worst kinds and 2) I already have more panel than battery so maybe it evens out.

I went into the project concerned about heat building up (read about that here back when i was lurking) so I did what I could to place vents along the sides. It's not so much a box as a somewhat loose lid mounted over a safari rack. I think there's good airflow going under and around the panels. I hope.

Next time it's hot out I'll put a thermometer up there. Good idea. Is there any general sort of danger zone temperature-wise that I should be looking out for?

 

[christine]

My feeling is that solar panels are the last thing someone would want to steal from my van. It'd be hugely inconvenient. Not only would it require a 12 foot ladder, it would also require two wrenches, cable cutters (or an MC4 cable detachment tool), and a buddy because even my small 100 watt panels are quite cumbersome to hoist above one's head. Unless the panels are only held on with thumbscrews or some kind of temporary mount, I wouldn't worry about someone stealing the panels. I'd worry about someone stealing the van's contents or the van itself first.

 

[akrvbob]

I doubt if the heat can actually damage the panel, it just greatly reduces it's efficiency.

I've never seen any statistics on it, maybe you can google it.
Bob

 

[pseudo_mccoy]

My friend Google agrees with you that heat is probably not going to break a panel. However, the loss of efficiency for a specific panel can be found using something called a temperature coefficient or "Pmax." ( http://www.civicsolar.com/resource/how-heat-affects-solar-panel-efficiency). This is supposedly provided by the manufacturer.

I'm terrible at math, but the article I linked gives an easy example for one of their panels. It says that for every degree (celsius) the temperature increases, the panels' efficiency decreases by about half a percent. I won't really understand what that means until I run the numbers for myself.

Sorry about the detour, back to the issue...

I'm glad it seems no one's had panels stolen. And I'm not saying it's something anyone else should worry about. Beyond the threat of theft, which luckily seems to be very low, my primary goal was to mount my panels in the most versatile way I could since the panels are portable.

For example, maybe someday I'll get out of the city. I like the idea of being able to park in the shade, easily take down my panels and then put them in the sun. When I need to, I put them back and lock em up. Also, if I'm in a bad place and need to go super stealth mode for whatever reason, I could theoretically remove the whole shabang and store it inside my van (I have room).

Again, I realize this is kind of specific and possibly a bad idea. Oh well, maybe I'll save some other paranoid passerby the trouble of building a lid.

 

[BigT]

I'd be more worried about someone seeing the panels and figuring I have a set of expensive batteries inside my van.
A coworker recently parked his 45' coach (aka a bus) in front of the office, and within a few days someone took all six of his batteries that were behind a locked panel on the side of the coach.

 

[MikeRuth]

My panels are tied together as a single unit now, I can barely lift them off the ground and that's without being tied to the roof rack.
for mine to be taken there would have to be at least two really stout dudes and a pair of bolt cutters to cut the wires. they would have to take it all, rack included as one big piece.

I'm not worried about it nearly as much now that I have them up and know what it takes to get them down. In fact there not coming down unless there being replaced!

Mike R

 

[sisterearth]

wow this is something I didn't even think about! I am hoping to get solar panels on my van this summer, providing I can sell some things on the old craigslist. I like some of the tips on here for securing them and making them less steal friendly! Good ideas!! ( this site is such a treasure of information and experience, I sure am glad I wandered in!!) Peace!