Solar tech theft rising in Germany amid supply bottlenecks

From pv magazine Germany

The theft of PV modules and other solar technology is increasing in Germany.

The Criminal Police Office of Saxony has already sounded the alarm. There were 27 such crimes in the state in the first half of 2021.

The year before there were 24. In the first six months of this year, however, the officials counted 34 cases. Damages from the first half of the year alone in Saxony surpassed €250,000.

In the past two weeks alone, there have been a number of reports, including the theft of 114 solar modules from a construction site in Arzberg, Germany. About €30,000 ($29,790) of solar tech was also stolen in Nauen, Brandenburg, for example.

The authorities said that the thieves are members of organized gangs that use vans to steal PV tech. Components are most frequently stolen from large commercial rooftops and ground-mounted systems, but thieves are increasingly targeting smaller residential systems, too.