Solar Panel Theft Protection- It's Easier Than You Think!
Feb 10, 2012
Solar Panel Theft Protection
Solar panel theft, especially in remote commercial and residential applications, is becoming a major concern. Relatively easy to steal, panels are sitting on roofs or at ground level, and are often not secured by any anti-theft solution. While there are many options available, it's important for the solar industry to think about the cost/benefit ratio and choose an option that is maintenance free while lasting the lifespan of the panels. For the past several years Bryce Fastener Inc. has been manufacturing special keyed fasteners for various solar installations across the country and it has proven to be very effective. The new Raptor™ head design combined with the Key-Rex drive can be installed in place of standard fasteners at a fraction of the cost of any other security device. There are three key features to the fastener making it a quick, cheap, but very efficient security choice in protecting solar investments.
1. Security
Raptor™, with the Key-Rex drive, is NOT a standard tamperproof fastener. The design is custom made and customer specific. Bryce Fastener uses cold heading technology to punch a key code into the head that only the customer bit can remove… no two customers have the same key code. It is designed to repel drills, bolt cutters, tamperproof screwdrivers, hammers, vice-grips, grinders, and crowbars. Customers who have tested all forms of security have eliminated the need for camera's, alarms, fences, and just use Raptor™.
2. Strength
Installation is power driven the exact same way the installer would normally install panels on mounts. Raptor™ is engineered to prevent the fastener from loosening from thermal expansion and contraction. Its patent pending design spreads the load over a wider surface area than any other fastener on the market, making a stronger joint. The serrations resist loosening 30% better than a lock-washer. Large drive permits high torque installation, no need to retighten later.
3. Grounding Potential
It accents grounding because the claw like serrations are angled to scrape through anodizing, doubling up on the grounding effect of the screw.
If you currently have or are planning to install solar panels and you want to secure them, understand these points…security cameras will take a nice picture of your solar panels leaving and the person that took them but the panels will still be gone…fencing is unsightly expensive and easily cut and the panels can still be removed…alarms are expensive and can be disabled and in remote areas the response time for authorities can be long giving thieves plenty of time to escape.
Locking keyed fasteners stop the theft from happening in the first place. They are the easiest to install, they are the most effective they are by far the least expensive option on the market today.