Video surveillance systems for solar farms
How much does a single day of downtime cost a 1MW solar farm? We asked Diego Demetrio, General Manager of DAB Centro Operativo Srl, a company specializing in technological monitoring and integrated security supervision: "It's not a simple question - it depends on the time of year, the latitude and the incentive the plant receives. On average, though, we're talking about roughly €1,500 a day." Over a week, that is around €10,500 - before adding the cost of stolen panels and cabling.
Why solar farms are a target
Isolated, sparsely monitored locations; large surface areas; no staff on site; terrain that can be flat or hilly; vegetation that, if not maintained, can block camera sightlines. Theft is the most frequent event (panels and copper cabling both have a resale market), alongside vandalism, both of which halt energy production.
What to look for in a system
- AI-based video analysis that detects intrusions, line crossings and unauthorized movement in real time
- Low false-alarm rate - the system needs to tell a real event from a false one
- Full perimeter coverage, especially where an intruder could enter without being easily detected
- Fast, reliable detection and alarming
What aylook brings to a solar installation
- IDL video analysis that works with any camera, including cameras already installed
- Detection range up to 35 metres, suited to large open areas
- Training that can be tailored to the site, reducing false alarms from irrelevant movement
- Integration with alarm panels, automatic lighting and access control
- Anti-Tampering PRO, which flags attempts to block, blind or move a camera
- Interactive, multi-level graphic maps - useful where rows of panels look nearly identical and pinpointing the exact camera matters
- Forensic search across long recordings, to retrieve the relevant footage quickly after an incident