This case study will explore an ongoing solar farm security project including how we navigated and dealt with a very key issue that arose on-site.
The Client
We were approached by a client in the United Kingdom for the 24/7 guarding and patrolling of a new solar panel site.
The site is 56 acres, with difficult terrain and adverse weather conditions in the area.
In initial talks with the client, they requested a single guard to patrol the site throughout the day, and one guard to patrol the site throughout the night. Soon, the client asked us to double their night guards to two per night instead of one but to keep the day guards as just one.
We went along with the client’s wishes, though we did recommend that they may need more guards. At first, the client wished to keep things as they were.
The Problem
Due to the client’s wishes to keep the guard number low; issues inevitably occurred:
- 56 acres is too large a land for only two guards to patrol. This is what caused the issue.
- The terrain of the land can also be difficult to walk through when the weather is bad.
- This unfortunately left the site more open than we would usually like to potential breaches.
- As a result, there was a security breach one night that resulted in the theft of high-value materials.
This was a risk that we were aware of, and was therefore why we had initially suggested that the guarding of the site should be upped.
The Solution
One of our area managers met with the team on the ground to discuss how to proceed.
Once again, we suggested an increase in not only the nighttime guards but the daytime guards too. More guards to cover the site would decrease the risk of further breaches and thefts, as each guard would have less ground to cover while patrolling.
The client asked what our specific recommendations would be, and decided to go with our proposal of five guards throughout the night, and three guards throughout the day, minimizing the risk of security breach while remaining within the client’s budget.
Also at our suggestion, we placed sensor alarms, cameras, and lighting as added layers of security should an area be left uncovered, and also placed a 4×4 vehicle on the site so that guards could travel around when the terrain is not walkable.
Since we have increased the number of guards on this site and installed the additional security measures of lights, cameras, and alarms, the client has reported no further issues or concerns.
We are continuing to work with this client, and should any further issues arise, we will continue to advise the client on how to prevent this.