Would you exhibit Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa outside? In an environment with no fences or security? Looking after a piece of art in such an environment is not an easy task, and the same applies for any object of value in a PV power plant. viamon’s Bas Zapf talks us through the process…
A piece of art normally is shown in an extremely controlled environment; well-lit, guarded by walls and glass, surrounded by security guards and video cameras. And yet the valuables of a PV power plant cannot be secured with such measures – it is the very nature of a photovoltaic power plant to be exposed.
This is why securing the perimeter is not enough. Working together with a security expert and applying the paradigm of securing the object itself will raise the security level significantly. At the same time, there is a very good chance of saving a lot of money – just by thinking slightly differently.
viamon’s GPS-based electronic anti-theft system is built around this paradigm. The technology is hidden in just a few PV panels and sometimes even in micro inverters. As soon as a thieves start to remove an object, the device raises an alarm and tells the owner its whereabouts.
The progress in technology supports owners of PV systems to protect their assets, but it is not only the technology that raises the bars for the criminals. When implementing a security system you have to look at the system as a whole.
