Solar Panel Theft: A New "Green Industry"?

What takes a couple of hours to steal, and can bring $15,000 on the black market? Solar panels. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, solar panels are the "theft du jour." These panels are often installed in remote areas that see little weekend traffic. They can bring hundreds of dollars each via online auctions or black market sales, and an experienced crew can haul away 50 panels in two hours. An enticing target indeed.

Several companies have responded to this threat with new security products ranging from tamper proof bolts to laser tagging.

This is how the security industry grows: new technologies result in new ways to steal or exploit those technologies, which results in new security products. Theft is the mother of invention.