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“The biggest impact has been a sense of confidence. DeterTech’s intelligence allows rapid deployment, and a UK-based team monitoring our sites 24/7, communicating effectively with police, means incidents are dealt with faster and better outcomes.”
Solar farms have long suffered from opportunistic cable theft, but the rising price of copper and other key components is increasingly attracting organised criminals, able to cause more damage. The financial hit from an individual incident can exceed £100,000 in damage and downtime per night. If that’s below the insurance excess threshold, it leaves the asset owners to absorb the cost. The frequency of incidents has been increasing recently compared to previous years, in part driven by the visibility of solar assets via online mapping. Despite the deployment of various traditional security measures, the challenge has proven persistent and hard to conquer. Schroders Greencoat, a specialist asset management firm with significant solar holdings, wanted to take a proactive, intelligence-led approach to deter, detect and disrupt criminals before damage was done. Where thefts occurred, they were looking to provide intelligence to police to secure criminal convictions – a powerful deterrent for the future.
They partnered with DeterTech to assemble a flexible and multi-layered security arsenal, collaboratively designing and deploying bespoke solutions to meet specific site risks -prioritising proactive prevention rather than reactive reporting. Its foundation is DeterTech’s crime intelligence insight, built in collaboration with police forces and asset owners. It provides early warning alerts of incidents occurring regionally, enabling Schroders Greencoat to escalate security at vulnerable sites – fast. The tools used include SmartWater forensic marking, intelligent SmartRecon cameras to detect unauthorised access and provide immediate image verification, and rapid-response deployment of Portable Intrusion Detection units (PIDs).
DeterTech’s technology, intelligence reporting and 24/7 monitoring – staffed by UK-based operators, often with policing backgrounds – have transformed Schroders Greencoat’s response capability and confidence in protecting their solar assets. Rapid deployment and enhanced visibility enabled faster alarm response and police intervention, which reduced thieves’ dwell time on site and limited damage; Sites with SmartRecon cameras saw a 50% drop in average capacity impacted compared to sites without. Sites with PIDs experienced zero further thefts.
The intelligence-sharing model has become a highly effective tool for reporting, risk management and resource planning. The partnership is now moving towards a formal framework agreement, recognising DeterTech as the leading provider of renewables security.
