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Wine Country is experiencing an unusual crime spree. The target of the thieves isn't an expensive merlot or pinot, but something less fruity: solar panels.

The latest hit happened at an undisclosed winery in Rutherford early Monday morning. The Napa County Sheriff's Office says 25 solar panels worth $30,000 were stolen.

It is the 16th theft of solar panels in Napa County since January 2008. Ten of the businesses were wine-related. That adds up to about $400,000 worth of panels.

The majority of the thefts happen late at night or early in the morning at rural locations, Capt. Tracey Stuart said. She added that she thinks the panels are probably being resold.

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Solar panels are valuable and unfortunately the more unscrupulous in our society are realizing that too. Around the world there's been a marked increase in the theft of solar panels, with people losing up to tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment in single incidents.

While a solar array may be covered under your home contents insurance policy (and it's a good idea to check that it is) , it doesn't do anything towards the trauma of being a victim of theft and may also increase your insurance premiums.

In most states it is still illegal to have explosive booby traps, death rays, acid bombs, steel jawed traps and high voltage electrification deterrents as a means of protecting your investment from criminals, but with a little bit of ingenuity and common sense you can certainly frustrate their efforts without causing grievous bodily harm to offenders, as desirable as that might be. The great thing is many strategies are quite cheap to implement; especially given the value of your investment.

Here's some handy tips for solar panel security.

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Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
signing off