According to foreign media reports, a solar company in western Sydney has experienced a theft of photovoltaic panels, with an employee of the company being charged for allegedly stealing and selling nearly 8,000 solar panels worth AUD 1.2 million (approximately USD 780,000).
The New South Wales Police confirmed the incident, stating that the suspected thief, a 37-year-old man, had stolen the panels from the company between May 9, 2023, and August 9, 2024, and sold them to third parties.
The suspect was arrested last Friday and charged with theft and dealing with stolen property. He has been granted conditional bail and is scheduled to appear in the Druitt Hill Local Court on December 18, 2024.
It is rare to see someone stealing solar panels given the current low prices of photovoltaic components. In Europe, where PV module prices are lower than some building materials, many residents even use solar panels as fences.
The last reported theft of solar panels occurred during the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, when many European residents, worried about an energy crisis and lacking power supplies for the winter, stole PV modules.
However, Australia, which does not face energy shortages and has relatively inexpensive electricity prices, has low demand for PV modules, making such thefts unusual.
Geographically, Australia is well-suited for solar energy development due to its excellent sunlight conditions, especially during summer, where the sun is visible almost all day, allowing most regions to enjoy long hours of sunshine. Yet, with a sparse population and being a major coal exporter, Australia has cheap fossil fuels and low willingness to develop solar energy. Additionally, Australia’s electricity prices are moderate globally, higher than the Asian average but lower than those in Europe and the United States.
In terms of the PV market, Australia’s growth is mainly driven by distributed PV, accounting for 68%. Residential PV accounts for the majority, with installed capacities of 2.5GW and 0.9GW for residential and commercial rooftop PV systems in 2023, respectively, meaning almost one in every three residences has a PV system installed.
However, Australia’s centralized PV market has been declining for six consecutive years until the end of 2023, indicating a sluggish PV market. The growth potential for the residential market is also limited given Australia’s vast land and sparse population.
