It seems as though every facet of the residential and commercial construction industry is finding environmentally friendly alternatives to building. Low energy appliances, cost efficient materials and recycled hardware are just a few ways that builders are not only saving money over time, but helping the environment.
The alarm business is no different as more and more home and commercial security companies are choosing environmentally conservative alternatives. Most recently Protection 1, one of the nation’s largest security companies, has announced adding solar to its assortment of offerings. The announcement released on August 8th will soon allow the company’s 2 million customers to have the option to utilize solar security system as early as September 2014.
This is great timing for consumers interested in solar who are seeking more options as the solar industry has grown 60% this last year. Despite the growth there are still limited options for residential and commercial consumers alike. A large company like Protection 1 adding solar powered security to its product offerings is big news for both solar and security industries.
This announcement comes on the heels of other security companies adding solar just a short time previously. The first security company credited with adding solar is Vivint, who back in 2011 announced Vivint Solar. Then earlier in 2014, the newer California-based GHS Interactive Security made news when they announced their new partnership with Solar Universe, a leading national residential solar company. The partnership was intended to offer residents with the option of bundling solar energy offerings with home security systems in one seamless, cost-efficient package.
As solar security systems increase in popularity, further ways these systems can be used are popping up. Detroit’s Heidelberg Project, an urban sculpture park mixing vacant yards and empty houses with artistic themes, completed installation of a solar-powered security system in June 2014. The project is intended to assist with urban decay, however fell victim over the last year to several cases of arson, resulting in the loss of as many as 6 houses. The solar security system is intended to protect the project with at least 10 cameras, a centralized DVR monitoring system and solar panel streetlights.
Solar security systems can be more expensive in the initial install, however the long term savings can be well worth it. Protection 1 in their announcement plans to sell 1,000 security systems per month initially, allowing homeowners attempting to save on their overall energy bills the flexibility to lease the solar panels for as little as $0 down. As further competition in the solar security industry increases, hopefully the initial investments can also be mitigated.
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