By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept

News Junction

Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
  • Home
  • World News
    World NewsShow More
    Investment banks lift China growth outlook after surprise trade deal with U.S.
    Investment banks lift China growth outlook after surprise trade deal with U.S.
    May 13, 2025
    First group of white South Africans lands in U.S. under Trump refugee plan
    First group of white South Africans lands in U.S. under Trump refugee plan
    May 13, 2025
    Seattle Storm set roster for 2025 season
    Seattle Storm set roster for 2025 season
    May 13, 2025
    Chiefs superfan Xaviar Babudar, or ‘Chiefsaholic,’ sentenced to more time in prison after bank robbery spree
    Chiefs superfan Xaviar Babudar, or ‘Chiefsaholic,’ sentenced to more time in prison after bank robbery spree
    May 13, 2025
    Where in the world are babies at the lowest risk of dying?
    Where in the world are babies at the lowest risk of dying?
    May 13, 2025
  • Business
    BusinessShow More
    Ukraine blows up bridges to consolidate its positions in Russia
    Ukraine blows up bridges to consolidate its positions in Russia
    August 18, 2024
    Commentary: AI phones from Google and Apple will erode trust in everything
    Commentary: AI phones from Google and Apple will erode trust in everything
    August 18, 2024
    The most famous Indian Dishes – Insights Success
    The most famous Indian Dishes – Insights Success
    August 18, 2024
    Life on the road as a female long rides cyclist
    Life on the road as a female long rides cyclist
    August 18, 2024
    UK inflation rises to 2.2%
    UK inflation rises to 2.2%
    August 18, 2024
  • Cryptocurrency
    CryptocurrencyShow More
    Strategy Pumps Fresh .34 Billion Into Its Crypto Coffers
    Strategy Pumps Fresh $1.34 Billion Into Its Crypto Coffers
    May 13, 2025
    Coinbase (COIN) Shares Jump 8% Post-Market on S&P 500 Inclusion
    Coinbase (COIN) Shares Jump 8% Post-Market on S&P 500 Inclusion
    May 13, 2025
    Price predictions 5/12: SPX, DXY, BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, ADA, SUI
    Price predictions 5/12: SPX, DXY, BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, ADA, SUI
    May 13, 2025
    Bitcoin profit taking at 6K the first stop before new all-time BTC price highs
    Bitcoin profit taking at $106K the first stop before new all-time BTC price highs
    May 13, 2025
    Quantum computing a risk to Bitcoin network: Blackrock
    Quantum computing a risk to Bitcoin network: Blackrock
    May 13, 2025
  • Technology
    TechnologyShow More
    How to Improve Your Spotify Recommendations
    How to Improve Your Spotify Recommendations
    August 18, 2024
    X says it’s closing operations in Brazil
    X says it’s closing operations in Brazil
    August 18, 2024
    Supermoon set to rise: Top tips for amateur photographers | Science & Tech News
    Supermoon set to rise: Top tips for amateur photographers | Science & Tech News
    August 18, 2024
    Scientists Want to See Videos of Your Cat for a New Study
    Scientists Want to See Videos of Your Cat for a New Study
    August 18, 2024
    OpenAI’s new voice mode let me talk with my phone, not to it
    OpenAI’s new voice mode let me talk with my phone, not to it
    August 18, 2024
  • Entertainment
  • Sports News
  • People
  • Trend
Reading: Rising trend in solar panel theft
Share
Font ResizerAa

News Junction

  • World News
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Trend
  • Entertainment
Search
  • Recent Headlines in Entertainment, World News, and Cryptocurrency – NewsJunction
  • World News
  • Business
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Sports News
  • People
  • Trend
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
News Junction > Blog > Business > Rising trend in solar panel theft
Rising trend in solar panel theft
Business

Rising trend in solar panel theft

Published July 27, 2023
Share
9 Min Read
SHARE

You can also listen to this podcast on iono.fm here.

JEREMY MAGGS: A very warm welcome. This is the Thursday edition, and let’s get straight to it. Solar panel theft is on the rise and warnings have been sounded to those who have them to better protect and insure their equipment. We’ll start the programme with King Price Insurance’s client experience partner, Wynand van Vuuren, who says solar panel theft is a growing trend. He joins us now. Wynand, a growing trend in the country; what’s behind it?

WYNAND VAN VUUREN: Every day we see these incidents and they just become more and more. Obviously, in the current state that we are in, in South Africa, everyone is after a solar panel and everything that goes with it. So unfortunately, the thieves, it’s high on the theft list and we see an increase in these incidents. I don’t think it’s going to become less; I think it’s just going to become more.

JEREMY MAGGS: And tell me, Wynand, are they expensive and are they easy to steal?

WYNAND VAN VUUREN: Very expensive.

If you go and have a look at the whole system, an average house in South Africa will cost you R150 000 and up.

Those solar panels are exposed, it is outside, it is attached to the roof, but not in such a way that it takes you long to dismantle them and to leave with it. I think that is the reason why it is targeted. It’s very, very easy to steal.

JEREMY MAGGS: And I suppose you’ll tell me there’s a growing black market here.

WYNAND VAN VUUREN: Yes, there is. I think now that the guys have seen that it is an easy item to steal, they go out and they create that market, and it’s really a problem.

JEREMY MAGGS: From your data, are there any particular areas in South Africa where solar panel theft is worse than others, or is this across the board?

WYNAND VAN VUUREN: It depends on the circumstances. We obviously see less of this in protected areas like the estates and so on where there is security, and there’s a lot better security on the perimeter. But where we do see problems is just in the normal neighbourhood, people are going and they install that, even on business roofs where it’s exposed and if it’s easily accessible.

Read:
SA power cuts: trend to get off the grid gathering pace
Going off the grid could deepen injustice for the poor

So on the one side, we know it’s important and it’s a very good thing to have proper insurance on it, you know that your insurer is always going to jump in and make sure that you are indemnified and they come and replace the panels. But if you want to protect your insurance history, which we also know is very important, that’s going to influence your insurance for the rest of your life.

It’s worth it to go and see am I exposed, should I rather secure my perimeter with electric fencing, a camera system, alarm systems and so on to make sure that it’s a lot more difficult for these thieves to target you, and that they will rather go next door if they’re looking for these items.

JEREMY MAGGS: Let’s look at insurance in a little bit more detail then. What insurance considerations need to be taken into account when installing solar panels?

WYNAND VAN VUUREN: There are a few that are very important. The first thing is you must know it forms part of your building. So you have to phone your insurer and say, listen, my building cover must go up with R200 000 or the amount or the cost of the items that you’ve installed. Your insurer will then do a premium adjustment if necessary and make sure that that is included in your [policy]. And also go through your policy wording and make sure that that insurer that you’ve chosen, we’ve got healthy competition in our country, is including theft and that they will come through for you the day when the need is there.

Then thereafter, the installer, the electrician who comes to install those items, is very important. He must be accredited, he must give you that certificate, that CoC [Certificate of Compliance] after the work is done to confirm that everything was done according to the book.

If people have doubts, you can also contact the Department of Labour, and make sure that the electrician is listed there and that they’re accredited to do it. I just quickly want to mention here that we also see daily the mistake where people buy a generator instead of these solar panels as an alternative power supply. They take it home, install it themselves completely incorrectly, and you set your house alight. That’s going to create problems when it comes to claims. So make sure that you always make use of a certified electrician who can do things right.

JEREMY MAGGS: Wynand, are you starting to see people claiming either for generators or for solar panels, but they’re falling short on the procedures and the documentation that you’ve outlined to me?

WYNAND VAN VUUREN: Yes, we do see that. Here at King Price, we go and we make sure that we know the circumstances that the client was in at the time when everything was installed. Say there was an electrician who came in and he gave all the information that you will ask as a normal person to make sure that he is accredited. He gave you a certificate at the end and you say, listen, everything was correctly installed, and later there’s a fire, part of your house burned down. We see that the installation wasn’t correctly done, then at least we know that you as the insured did everything that you could.

Read: Home power backup systems – electrical engineers answer your questions

In circumstances like that, your claim must be settled, your house repaired, everything replaced as it was, and the insurer can then go after that electrician who didn’t do the work correctly. So no problems for you. So the best is to make sure that your insurer has insured everything, you’ve done everything on your part as far as you could, and then you won’t have problems in future.

JEREMY MAGGS: Well, that certainly is good advice and obviously a trend to watch in the future. Wynand van Vuuren, King Price Insurance’s client experience partner, thank you very much.

Read:
Eskom reckons there’s 4 400MW of rooftop solar installed in SA
Think carefully before selling excess solar to Joburg’s City Power
Eight hacks for living with load shedding

#Rising #trend #solar #panel #theft

TAGGED:panelRisingsolarThefttrend
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Email Copy Link Print
Share
What do you think?
Love0
Sad0
Happy0
Sleepy0
Angry0
Dead0
Wink0
Previous Article BarnBridge (BOND) token takes to the sky weeks after SEC probe scare BarnBridge (BOND) token takes to the sky weeks after SEC probe scare
Next Article The limits of our personal experience and the value of statistics The limits of our personal experience and the value of statistics
- Advertisement -

Latest Post

Strategy Pumps Fresh .34 Billion Into Its Crypto Coffers
Strategy Pumps Fresh $1.34 Billion Into Its Crypto Coffers
Cryptocurrency
Investment banks lift China growth outlook after surprise trade deal with U.S.
Investment banks lift China growth outlook after surprise trade deal with U.S.
World News
First group of white South Africans lands in U.S. under Trump refugee plan
First group of white South Africans lands in U.S. under Trump refugee plan
World News
Coinbase (COIN) Shares Jump 8% Post-Market on S&P 500 Inclusion
Coinbase (COIN) Shares Jump 8% Post-Market on S&P 500 Inclusion
Cryptocurrency
Price predictions 5/12: SPX, DXY, BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, ADA, SUI
Price predictions 5/12: SPX, DXY, BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, ADA, SUI
Cryptocurrency
Seattle Storm set roster for 2025 season
Seattle Storm set roster for 2025 season
World News
- Advertisement -

You Might Also Like

Kenya’s private sector activity in sharpest fall in 39 months on GenZ protests
Business

Kenya’s private sector activity in sharpest fall in 39 months on GenZ protests

August 6, 2024
WSJ News Exclusive | Ligado Networks Seeks to Restructure Debt Again to Ease Satellite Deal
Business

WSJ News Exclusive | Ligado Networks Seeks to Restructure Debt Again to Ease Satellite Deal

August 3, 2023
The Upheaval at America’s Disappearing Nursing Homes, in Charts
Business

The Upheaval at America’s Disappearing Nursing Homes, in Charts

August 22, 2023
Southport suspect named as Axel Rudakubana as PM meets police
Business

Southport suspect named as Axel Rudakubana as PM meets police

August 1, 2024

About Us

NEWS JUNCTION (NewsJunction.xyz) Your trusted destination for global news. Stay informed with our timely and accurate reporting on diverse topics, including politics, technology, science, entertainment, sports, and more. Count on us for unbiased and reliable updates at your fingertips.

Quick Link

  • About
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact

Top Categories

  • World News
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Sports News
  • Trend
  • People

Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

    © 2023 News Junction.
    • Blog
    • Advertise
    • Contact
    Welcome Back!

    Sign in to your account

    Username or Email Address
    Password

    Lost your password?