Photovoltaic solar energy has become the second largest source of energy in Brazil, reaching a generation of 23.9 gigawatts (GW) of operational power. The information was released by ABSOLAR - Associação Brasileira de Energia Solar Fotovoltaica and shows record growth in the sum of the capacity of power plants and self-generation systems (homes, buildings, and companies), with an increase of 59.4% in 2022. There were over BRL 113.3 billion in new investments, and the projection for 2023 is 42% growth.
However, with the popularization of solar and photovoltaic systems and farms, crimes in the sector have been increasingly frequent, such as invasions, thefts, and illegal sales of solar energy equipment and accessories.
For example, in May 2022, a police operation arrested a criminal organization that caused a loss of over 3 million reais with the theft of equipment in the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and, Maranhão. In July of the same year, a man was arrested in Bahia for the crime of receiving stolen property, after being found in possession of solar panels valued at BRL 170,000.
"Solar farms are facilities with a large amount of area and are usually located in more remote regions, and criminals may see these places as an opportunity to invade and steal equipment and accessories and even commit vandalism. Therefore, security managers need to strategically equip themselves against this type of action, and the main way to do this is by applying solutions that can anticipate an approach, whether it be people, vehicles, or drones," said Hen Harel, security expert, and CEO of Ôguen.
SensoGuard’s standalone buried seismic detectors are also strategic equipment for perimeter security. The solution acts invisibly on the invader, discreetly identifying human steps, vehicles, and excavations, detecting the invader who tries to enter the property, especially in more vulnerable areas of the property, such as dense vegetation and forest.
Another solution that has been gaining more market share is automated drones. The aircraft developed specifically for monitoring, rescue, emergency, rapid response, patrols, and inspections are capable of performing active security on the property, providing a unique aerial view for the control center operators, being able to reach difficult-to-access locations, such as areas with dense vegetation and very steep.
By attaching additional resources such as speakers, sirens, and thermal cameras, the drone becomes an effective tool for carrying out a rapid response in case of an occurrence, bringing the situation of the event to the operators quickly and making the first dispersal treatments of the invaders.
With video analytics based on artificial intelligence, the drone can identify abnormalities and suspicious situations during a patrol, communicating in real-time to the control center about the situation.
"Given the growth of solar farms, we brought to Brazil the Easy Aerial drone capable of staying in the air 24 hours a day, without interruptions, connected to a power cable. The aircraft covers millions of square meters and acts as an aerial guard that never rests. If the operators need to perform free flights, the drone can disconnect from the cable, which falls smoothly with a parachute attached", explained the commercial and operations director of Ôguen, engineer Kleber Reis.
"Solutions like this come to bring protection and security to the energy sector, as a criminal action can cause incalculable losses to the property. Both radars and drones can be used in the rental mode, avoiding a high initial investment with the acquisition of equipment, and a full technical and experienced team carries out the project, identifying the vulnerability points, the needs of the installation and bringing the complete solution," concluded Kleber.
The 3D Perimeter Security developed by Ôguen focuses on protecting the installations by land, sky, and sea, seeking to protect the property from any threat by combining radars, seismic detectors, and automated drones, ensuring complete coverage of the company.
To learn more about how radars and drones work, visit: www.oguen.com or contact us at (11) 9 9676-7297.