AU2012266842B2

AU2012266842B2 - Method for theft-prevention monitoring of solar modules and solar installation having a multiplicity of solar modules for carrying out the method

Info

Publication number: AU2012266842B2
Application number: AU2012266842A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Oliver STRECKE
Original assignee: VIAMON GmbH
Current assignee: VIAMON GmbH
Priority date: 2011-06-07
Filing date: 2012-06-05
Publication date: 2015-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 2032-06-05
Also published as: CN103748619A; MX2013014250A; EP2718916A1; CN103748619B; WO2012167909A1; DE102011106221B4; ES2602277T3; MA35260B1; DE102011106221A1; IL229740A; EP2718916B1; BR112013031403B1; BR112013031403A2; IL229740A0; ZA201400053B; AU2012266842A1

Abstract

A method for theft-prevention monitoring of individual solar modules (2a, 2b) in a solar installation (1) having a multiplicity of solar modules, wherein the solar installation (1) has an electronic monitoring unit (12a, 12b) which transmits status information, such as in particular the generated voltage and temperature of the modules, to a server (30) via a long-range data communication network (28), and generates a warning signal when a solar module (2a, 2b) is removed from the solar installation (1), is defined by the fact that a first monitoring unit (12a) is connected to a first solar module (2a), and a second monitoring unit (12b) is connected to a second solar module (2b) of the solar installation (1) in order to exchange data with one another via a further short-range data communication network (26), that the first monitoring unit (12a) on the first solar module (2a) has the function of a slave in the short-range data communication network (26), which slave transmits local status information to the second monitoring unit (12b) via the short-range data communication network, that the second monitoring unit (12b) performs the function of a master in the short-range data communication network (26), which master transmits the local status information of the first solar module (2a) and the local status information of the second solar module (2b) in cumulated form to the server (30) via the long-range data communication network (28), and that when the data exchange between the first monitoring unit (12a) and the second monitoring unit (12b) is interrupted, the first monitoring unit (12a) assumes the function of a master which transmits an alarm signal and/or status information to the server (30) via the long-range data communication network (28). The invention also relates to a solar installation (1) having a multiplicity of solar modules (2, 2a, 2b) for carrying out the method.

Description

1 METHOD FOR ANTI-THEFT MONITORING OF SOLAR MODULES AND SOLAR SYSTEM WITH A MULTIPLICITY OF SOLAR MODULES FOR CARRYING OUT THE METHOD FIELD The disclosure relates to a method for anti-theft monitoring of solar modules and a solar system with a multiplicity of solar modules for carrying out the method. BACKGROUND The use of photovoltaic solar modules today represents a significant growth market since the generation of electrical current from sunlight by means of solar modules is not only environmentally friendly and sparing of resources, but the electrical current can also be efficiently transferred and can be converted to almost any other form of energy. Moreover, sunlight is available free of charge in almost unlimited quantity, which further increases the incentive to build large solar systems with a multiplicity of solar modules, e.g. with some 100 to 10000 modules. A recent development, however, is the theft, often on a large scale, of the solar modules used in such solar systems due to their not inconsiderable price. This is particularly the case with solar systems which are installed remotely from towns or cities. The stolen modules can be onsold or used by the thieves themselves in smaller systems. The damage caused to the owners and the loss suffered by insurers of such systems have recently increased recently for this reason, so that increasingly higher insurance premiums are demanded by the insurers or systems in critical environments are no longer insured at all, taking account of this development. Although devices and methods of protecting solar modules from the risk of theft already known from the state of the art, the devices required for this are comparatively ineffective and expensive. A method is known, therefore, for surrounding all the systems with a fence which provides only limited protection without additional monitoring devices, such as a camera and access warning devices, such fences can be easily negotiated by thieves, particularly in the case of 2 remote green-field systems. The additional use of electronic surveillance devices, such as contact wires which surround solar systems and snap when an alarm signal is generated, as well as cameras with which the systems are monitored suffer from the disadvantage that additional security staff are required to record the alarm and continuously watch the monitors to which the camera images are transmitted. This increases the operating costs of such systems considerably. There is the added problem that generally a plurality of systems is monitored simultaneously from one central centre which, in the case of green-field systems, is normally located several kilometres from the systems, so that in the event of a theft it takes some time for the security staff to reach the system concerned. Since the law enforcement agencies are generally also alerted in the event of an actual theft, some additional time elapses, which enables the thieves to get away with the stolen solar modules. A method is known from EP 2077588A2 for providing the solar modules of a solar system with GPS and GSM units that enable a solar module to be tracked by radio. The reference to prior art in the background above is not and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that the referenced prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia or in any other country. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE Applicant has recognised that since each solar module generally requires its own GSM unit, which must therefore also be equipped with its own SIM card of a mobile network operator, the costs of operating such solar modules are considerable if only because of the large number of SIM cards that have to be acquired and the connection charges incurred in operating the GSM units. Moreover, because of the long distances between transmitter and receivers, the GSM units requires a great deal of electrical energy to make the radio connection compared to short-range radio connections, e.g. Bluetooth connections. This electrical energy must be supplied by the solar modules, which is not a problem during the day, with high solar radiation, but which at night and on days with little or almost no solar radiation, and also in the case of snow, requires an additional battery with sufficient capacity, increasing the costs once again.

3 Further Applicant has recognised that it would be advantageous to provide a method and a solar system with a multiplicity of solar modules for implementing the method to enable the costs of effective anti-theft protection when operating such solar systems to be reduced. According to one aspect of the disclosure there is provided a method for anti-theft monitoring of individual solar modules in a solar system with a multiplicity of solar modules, wherein the solar system has an electronic monitoring unit which transmits status information such as, in particular, the voltage generated and temperature of the modules, via a long-range data communication network to a server, and which generates a warning signal if a solar module is removed from the solar system, wherein, a first monitoring unit on a first solar module and a second monitoring unit on a second solar module of the solar system are interconnected for the data exchange via a further short-range data communication network, in that the first monitoring unit on the first solar module performs the function of a slave in the short-range data communication network, which slave transmits local status information via the short range data communication network to the second monitoring unit, in that the second monitoring unit performs the function of a master in the short-range data communication network, which master transmits local status information on the first solar module and local status information on the second solar module in accumulated form via the long-range data communication network to the server, and in that the first monitoring unit performs the function of a master when there is an interruption in the data exchange between the first monitoring unit and the second monitoring unit. According to another aspect of the disclosure there is provided solar system with a multiplicity of solar modules for implementing the method according to any one of the preceding claims in particular, wherein each solar module has a sealable connection box receiving terminals for the electrical interconnection of a plurality of solar modules of the solar system, wherein, a first monitoring unit is assigned to a first solar module and a second monitoring unit is assigned to a second solar module, the first and second monitoring unit are of essentially identical design and each comprise an electrical basic board and an electrical additional board that can be connected to the basic board, which additional board comprises a microcontroller, a short-range data communication module connected to it and activated by it, in particular a W-LAN module, a Bluetooth module or ZigBee module, as well as a long-range data communication module that can be activated by the microcontroller, in particular a GSM module, and the basic board and/or the additional board has a shape adapted to the shape of the interior of the connection box and can be locked in the interior of the connection box by mechanical fixing means, wherein the first monitoring unit on the first 4 solar module performs the function of a slave in the short-range data communication network, which slave transmits local status information via the short-range data communication network to the second monitoring unit, the second monitoring unit performs the function of a master in the short-range data communication network, which master transmits local status information on the first solar module and local status information on the second solar module in accumulated form via the long-range data communication network to the server, and the first monitoring unit performs the function of a master when there is an interruption in the data exchange between the first monitoring unit and the second monitoring unit. Further features of the disclosure are described below and also in the dependent claims at the end of this document. According to the disclosure a method for anti-theft monitoring individual solar modules in a solar system having a multiplicity of photovoltaic solar modules comprises, for example, a plurality of one hundred solar modules, an electronic monitoring unit, which transmits status information such as the electrical voltage generated by one or more modules, the temperature of the monitors etc., relating to a long-range data communications network, to a server. Here this information can be transmitted, for example, by means of a prior art GSM mobile data transfer device such as that used in mobile telephones, for example. This enables the systems to be operated largely autonomously and without grid-bound network connections, even in remote locations. The electronic monitoring unit, which preferably contains a microcontroller and which is discussed in greater detail in the following, ensures in this case that when one or more solar modules are removed from the solar system, a warning signal is generated which is transmitted via the long-range data communication network to the server, which transmits it further to a monitoring centre, for example, where the warning signal is transmitted as an acoustic or optical warning signal, for example, via a loudspeaker and/or a monitor. According to the disclosure a first monitoring unit is arranged on a first solar module and a second monitoring unit is arranged on a second solar module, which units are interconnected for exchanging data via a further short-range data communication network, via a Bluetooth network, a ZigBee or W-LAN network, for example. Here the first monitoring unit on the first solar module performs the function, according to the disclosure, of a slave in the short-range data communication network, which slave transmits 5 local status information, such as its own status, its own network address, or even the exact voltage generated and/or the temperature of the solar module, etc., on which the first monitoring unit is arranged, via the short-range data communication network to the second monitoring unit. Here the second monitoring unit performs the function, according to the disclosure, of a master in the short-range data communication network, which master collects the local status information on the first solar module, as well as local status information on the second solar module, ant transmits it cumulatively, preferably at predetermined intervals, via the long-range data communication network to the server. If the data exchange between the first and second monitoring unit is interrupted, which is particularly the case in the event of theft of the first solar module, when the same is removed from the close-range data communication network, for example when the removed solar module is loaded into a transport vehicle and taken away, the first monitoring unit on the stolen module performs the function of a master which in this case itself transmits an alarm signal and/or also the status information to the server via the short-range data communication network, which information can be determined, for example, by means of a GPS module assigned to the first monitoring unit, or by means of a GSM module by direction finding. The advantage of the disclosure is that if the solar system is operated properly, only a single GSM module is active in the master monitoring unit and the status information is transmitted to the server at predetermined intervals, for example every one to two or even more hours. On the other hand, the monitoring units acting as the slave, several of which are provided inside the solar system, whilst they may have a GSM data transfer unit, nevertheless remain active until the short-range data communication connection is cancelled, and the solar module removed from the short-range data communication network itself performs the function of master. This enables the operating costs, which are incurred solely by the GSM transmission of the status information to the server, to be reduced to a minimum, particularly in the case of very large solar systems with a multiplicity of solar modules, for example one hundred or even one thousand solar modules. A further advantage provided by the use of the method according to the disclosure, consists in the fact that there is a reduction in the costs of operating the short-range data communication network, which is, in particular, a short-range radio network which firstly requires less current than the long-range radio operating via GSM or satellite or the like, and secondly does not incur any provider charges since Bluetooth networks, or even W-LAN or ZigBee radio networks are free radio networks.

6 Because each of the preferably larger number of first monitoring units, which operate as slaves when the solar system is operated properly, also performs the function of a master if the second master monitoring unit fails, a redundancy is advantageously provided which offers greater security in the event of a failure of the otherwise single master monitoring unit. The provision, according to the disclosure, of a second single master monitoring unit operating independently when the solar system is operated properly, offers the further advantage that the status information on the entire solar system can be processed centrally by the master data monitoring unit even before it is transmitted to the server and optimised in terms of redundant data. According to a further concept on which the disclosure is based, the first monitoring unit and/or the second monitoring unit record/s its/their own geographic position after an interruption in the data communication via the short-range data communication network, in particular via a global positioning system (GPS) or a mobile network (GSM), and transmit/s it independently as status information via the long-range data communication network to the server. In this case the current geographical position of the first monitoring unit after the interruption of the short-range data communication network, i.e. the position of the solar module concerned after removal from the solar system, is stored, preferably continuously, at predetermined intervals in a memory of the first monitoring unit, wherein the position can be obtained, for example, via a GPS module also contained in the first monitoring unit, and/or determined by means of the positioning methods available in the mobile network when a mobile connection is established whilst the stolen solar modules are being transported away from the site. This provides the advantage that the local position - and hence the path of the stolen solar modules - can be tracked even in regions where no long-range data communication network is actively available. Similarly it can be advantageously demonstrated afterwards, on the basis of the position data stored in the second monitoring unit, that the stolen photovoltaic modules are being transported along a certain route, which may also be an advantage in terms of criminological traceability of a theft. In order to supply the first monitoring unit reliably with electrical energy during its removal by means of a vehicle, provision is made here for the first and/or second monitoring units to be equipped with batteries which supply the electronics of the monitoring unit with current when 7 the solar modules themselves are not generating energy, for example at night or even in sealed, darkened transport vehicles. In the preferred embodiment of the disclosure provision is also made for the first monitoring unit, and preferably also the second monitoring unit, to record its/their own geographical position and/or the current acceleration of the monitoring unit, for example via a prior art acceleration or even position sensor. The monitoring unit, i.e. the microcontroller contained in it, compares at predetermined intervals the current geographical position and/or acceleration of the monitoring unit with a predetermined setpoint, i.e. the previous position and/or the angle of inclination and/or the normal acceleration, the latter generally amounting to 0 m/s 2 in calm conditions. If the value or values recorded repeatedly deviate/s from the predetermined value, or lie(s) outside a predetermined tolerance range, the monitoring unit transmits an alarm signal to the master concerned via the short-range data communication network, which master transmits it on to the server. The embodiment of the disclosure described above has the advantage that the energy requirement of the monitoring units can be further reduced because the prior art position sensors such as those that are also used, for example, in mobile telephones, have an infinitesimal energy requirement and monitoring of the modules over a long period of time is only possible by battery operation, for example when the solar modules are covered with snow for several days or weeks on end. A further advantage which is provided in the last mentioned embodiment consists in the fact that the removal of a solar module from the solar system itself then results, within the time provided, in an alarm signal which is actively transmitted via the short-range data communication network to the active master when the intervals within which the status information is regularly transmitted via the short-range data communication network to the master monitoring unit are considerably longer and amount to several hours, for example, in order to reduce the energy consumption of the system to a minimum. According to a further concept on which the disclosure is based the solar system comprises a multiplicity of fist solar modules on which is arranged a first monitoring unit which, together with further solar modules which have no monitoring units, are arranged in an array of solar modules. The first monitoring units of the first multiplicity of solar modules are in this case connected by the short-range data communication network to a single second monitoring unit for the data exchange of local status information and alarm signals, which unit compares 8 the status information of all the first solar modules and transmits the status information, preferably in accumulated and processed form, to the server. In this embodiment of the disclosure the solar module on which the second monitoring unit forming the master in the short-range data communication network is located is preferably arranged in the area of the centre of the array of solar modules, and the solar modules which are provided with the first monitoring units are located n the area of the outer edges of the array. This embodiment of the disclosure has the advantage that the solar module which carries the second master data transfer device, which transmits the alarm signal to the server when one or more of the data transfer units arranged in the edge areas is/are removed, is removed much later than the first edge-side solar modules in the event of a theft. Consequently the period of time in which the alarm signal is transmitted continuously to the serve by the master data transfer unit, in order to trigger a theft alarm, is greatly extended and gives the security staff and the law enforcement agencies correspondingly more time to take appropriate measures and search for the location of the theft. In the embodiment of the disclosure described above, preferably only 1% to 30%, and in particular preference only 3% to 5%, of all solar modules of the solar system are equipped with a first monitoring unit which are interconnected by the short-range data communication network for data exchange. This provides the advantage that the costs of anti-theft protection are once again substantially reduced compared to a solar system in which all the modules are equipped with a corresponding first monitoring unit, or a second monitoring unit, without this detracting from the anti-theft protection. Compared to a fence which is erected around the entire system, or a camera which monitors the system round the clock and whose images have to be constantly evaluated by competent security staff, it is possible, with the embodiment of the method according to the disclosure described above, to monitor the entire system cost effectively by means of modules that are arranged in a dispersed fashion, some of which are sleeping modules. According to a further concept on which the disclosure is based, the first and/or second monitoring units arranged on the solar modules are, as already mentioned, supplied with electrical energy by an assigned battery after the solar modules are removed, in order to transmit the alarm signal and/or the status information to the server via the long-range data communication network at one or even a plurality of predetermined times after the removal 9 of the solar module concerned. For this purpose the solar modules have corresponding GSM units which are only activated in this particular case and are provided with a mobile connection to the relevant server via the long-range data communication network. This provides the advantage that the systems can be monitored even during the night hours when, as experience shows, the activity of thieves is most intense. Moreover, it is also possible to locate the stolen solar modules over a period of weeks, even when the modules are transported in a truck after their removal, for example, and are no longer supplying energy themselves. In the embodiment of the disclosure last described it is also possible, by means of an dynamic adaptation of the intervals of time between the predetermined times at which an alarm signal and/or the geographical position data are transmitted by a stolen solar module to the server via the long-range data communication network that is activated in this case, for these times to be dynamically variable, thus enabling the monitoring time to be additionally and advantageously extended even where the battery capacities are comparatively low. Finally provision may be made for the solar modules to feed the electrical energy generated during the day into an electrical supply network via an inverter, and for the first and second monitoring unit, at night in the event of a snow fall, when the solar modules themselves do not generate any energy, to obtain their electrical energy required for operating the short range data communication network and also the long-range data communication network from the supply network by means of the inverter via which the electrical energy is fed into the electrical supply network when solar radiation is present. This ensures that the batteries are always fully charged, event at night or when snow falls, so that in the event of a theft the full capacity of the battery is available for direction finding purposes. Moreover, the number of charging/discharging cycles of the batteries is considerably reduced by the operation of the short-range data communication network or long-range data communication network , resulting in an advantageous extension of the life of the same. It has also been shown that because of the comparatively low electrical energy demand of the short-range data communication network, and also because the merely sporadic transmission of the accumulated status information by the master monitoring unit, the energy demand of the device according to the disclosure is generally very low, so that correspondingly favourable, smaller batteries with a low capacity are sufficient.

10 According to a further concept on which the disclosure is based, the data are preferably not transmitted via the short-range data communication network continuously but at predetermined intervals, which may amount to one transmission per hour, for example. Similarly, in the preferred embodiment of the disclosure, the data are also transmitted to the server at further predetermined times, e.g. every 6 hours or more, in order to reduce the energy demand and also to reduce the costs associated with the data transmission via the long-range data communication network. Because the data are transmitted at predetermined intervals, i.e. in predetermined time slots, there is not only a considerable reduction in operating costs, but there is the added advantage that the second master monitoring unit can also detect a fault, e.g. failure of one of the first monitoring units, by the fact that this unit is not transmitting the status information within the predetermined time. If no transmission of data takes place within the predetermined time, even from one or more further monitoring units, this is recognised as a theft or as serious damage, and a corresponding alarm signal is transmitted to the server by the second monitoring unit. Finally provision can be made, according to a further concept on which the disclosure is based, for the first and/or the second monitoring unit to monitor the module voltage of the assigned solar module, and for alarm signals and/or data on a recorded voltage curve to be transmitted via the long-range data communication network if the curve of the module voltage changes according to a predetermined pattern. This provides the possibility that in addition to monitoring by an acceleration or position sensor installed, irregularities in one or more of the first solar modules equipped with the first monitoring units are detected at an early stage. The alarm signal can therefore be transmitted, for example, when the module voltage is suddenly reduced several times when solar radiation is present within a predetermined time, e.g. within 10 minutes, which indicates that the modules have been removed. Similarly it is also possible, with this embodiment of the disclosure, to detect faults, e.g. local contamination of solar modules, at an early stage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The method according to the disclosure is described in the following description taking the example of a solar system with a multiplicity of solar modules for implementing the method, with reference to the drawings. In the drawings: 11 Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of a solar system according to the disclosure, with a total of 5 x 5 solar modules, in which the first solar modules with the first monitoring units are arranged in the four corners, and in which the solar module with the second monitoring unit is arranged in the centre of the array, Fig. 2 shows a diagrammatic spatial representation of a connection box arranged on the solar modules of the solar system in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 shows an elevation of the open connection box with an inserted additional board inserted, Fig. 4 shows a diagrammatic representation of the underside of a connection box with an additional board inserted, to illustrate the position of the direction finding module, and Fig. 5 shows a diagrammatic spatial representation of the connection box with the additional board of Fig. 3 placed on it, with the housing cover open. As shown in Figure 1, a solar system 1 comprises a multiplicity of solar modules 2, each solar module 2 of which has a sealable connection box 4, which is mounted on the underside of the module and whose interior 6 can be sealed water-tight by a cover not shown in greater detail. As can also be deduced from the representation in Figure 1, a total of four solar modules 2a, for example, which are designated in the following as first solar modules 2a, and which are arranged in the four outer corners of the array shown, are assigned a first electronic monitoring unit 12a, each of which is received in the connection box 4 shown in detail in Figures 2 to 5 as an additional board 8b, which is plugged into a basic board 8a shown in the representation in Figure 2 by the piggyback method. According to the representation in Figure 1 each of the solar modules 2 of solar system 1 is provided with a connection box 4, identical in shape, which box contains at least basic board 8a shown in Figure 2, which is connected by housing openings 16 and terminals 18a, to the two electrical feed cables 20 by which the electrical connection of each solar module 2 is made to neighbouring solar modules or also to an inverter, not shown. Basic board 8a, in all solar modules 2 of solar system 1, is connected by means of a soldered or clamp 12 connection, to contact tags of the associated solar module 2, not shown in greater detail, which connection is preferably provided by terminals 18b, which are also arranged on basic board 8a. Bypass diodes 5, which prevent the reflux of the electrical current in the case of short circuiting in one or more photovoltaic elements of a solar module 2, are preferably also provided on the basic board in order to bridge the photovoltaic element in such a case. As may also be deduced in detail from the representations in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, four pin-type fixing means 10, by means of which additional board 8b is permanently connected to basic board 8a, after being plugged into it, can preferably and in particular screwed onto basic board 8a. Here additional board 8b contains the actual electronic components of the first electronic monitoring unit 12a, as well as second monitoring unit 12b, preferably with a construction identical to it, which latter unit is arranged in the centre of solar system 1. First and second electronic monitoring unit 12a and 12b each comprise a microcontroller 22, a direction finding module 23, which is preferably a GPS module received in basic board 8a to improve the radio connection to a satellite inside an opening 3 shown in Fig. 4, as well as a short range data communication module, in the form of a ZigBee module 25, which is connected to microcontroller 22 and activated by it. Short-range data communication module 25 serves to transmit status information on the relevant first solar module 2a, which is transmitted via the short-range data communication network, denoted in Fig. 1 by arrow 26, to the centrally arranged second monitoring unit 12b. Assuming proper operation of solar system 1, second monitoring unit 2 here performs the function of a master, and first monitoring units 1 2a perform the function a slave within short-range data communication network 26. The status information consists, for example, of the position and/or acceleration of additional board 8b of a monitoring unit 12a, and preferably also the current module voltage or power of solar module 2a and further parameters such as, in particular, the geographical coordinates recorded by direction finding module 23, all detected by a sensor on additional board 8b not shown in greater detail. A long-range data communication module that can be activated by microcontroller 22, in the form of a GSM module 27 with assigned SIM card holder, is arranged on additional board 8b, which module makes a radio connection via a long-range data communication network, denoted by arrow 28 in Fig. 1, to a remote server 30, which receives and processes the local 13 status information on the four first solar modules 2a. Second electronic monitoring unit 1 2b is in this case distinguished from first electronic monitoring unit 12a merely by the fact that it performs the function of master in the short-range data communication network, which activates the long-range data communication module 27 and causes the status information preferably processed previously by microcontroller 22 of second monitoring unit 12b to be transmitted to the server. Although additional boards 8b of all four first electronic monitoring units 12a shown preferably also have a long-range data communication module 27 with a SIM card, these modules are not activated during proper operation of system 1, so that advantageously no transmission charges or telephone costs are incurred. Not until one of the four first solar modules 2a is stolen from system 1, thus interrupting the data exchange between first monitoring device 12a of this first solar module 2a, until then operating as slave, and second electronic monitoring device 12b of the central second solar module 2b, operating as master, does first electronic monitoring unit 12a on the removed module 2a, perform the function of a master and activate long-range data communication module 27 on additional board 8b of first electronic monitoring unit 12a. As soon as first electronic monitoring unit 12a has activated long-range data communication module 27, the microcontroller on additional board 8b of the removed first data transmission unit 12a transmits an alarm signal and preferably also the current position data on direction finding module 23, which it receives from it continuously or also at predetermined intervals. Second monitoring unit 12b in the centre of solar system 1 preferably also transmits an alarm signal to central server 30 in the case of an interruption of the short-range radio connection to one of the first monitoring units connected to it for data exchange, which server transmits this alarm signal, for example, to an alarm centre in acoustic or visual form. As may also be deduced from the representations in Figures 3 and 5, a power pack 24 is also arranged on additional board 8b, which power pack is preferably connected to a battery, not shown in greater detail, and also, via feed cables 20, to an inverter, not shown in greater detail either, via which inverter the electrical energy generated by solar module 2 is fed into the supply network. The battery, which is preferably charged by charging electronics of power pack 24, supplies the relevant first electronic monitoring module 12a on module 2a with electrical energy in the event of a theft, so that the data transmission via long-range data communication module 27, operating as master in this case, can be maintained for several weeks, even in the dark, in order to track the path of the stolen solar module, for example, on the basis of the position data received by server 30. If at the same time a plurality of the stolen first solar modules 2a are removed together in a vehicle, and are 14 stored together in a building, the transmission of the position data is carried out preferably exclusively via monitoring unit 12a, operating as master, of the solar module 2a first removed from short-range data communication network 26, and the other first monitoring units 12a of first solar modules 2a removed and stored together perform the function of a slave in short-range data communication network 26 then automatically formed until the battery capacity of the master is exhausted because of the continuous transmission of the position data via GSM module 27 of master monitoring unit 12a and the long-range radio connection is interrupted. After the failure of master monitoring unit 12 one of the previous slave monitoring units 12a then performs the function of master once again until its battery capacity is also exhausted. This generally results in a much longer operating time of monitoring unit 12a in the stolen first modules 2a because the energy-sapping GSM connection is preferably always made by one monitoring unit 12a via long-range data communication network 28, whereas the other monitoring units 12a only exchange data via short-range data communication network 26 on the stolen modules 2a, which is associated with a much lower electrical power demand. Microcontroller 22 and/or long-range data communication module 27 and/or also a module for monitoring the electrical power of solar module 2, not shown in greater detail, and/or short-range data communication module 25, are preferably designed as modules to be plugged into additional board 8b in order to be able to expand the functions of first and/or second electronic monitoring units 12a, 12b, or replace, for example, a ZigBee short-range data communication module with a Bluetooth module or a WLAN module.

15 LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 1 Solar system 2 Solar module 2a First solar module with first monitoring unit 2b Second solar module with second monitoring unit 3 Opening in the basic board 4 Connection box 5 Bypass diode 6 Interior of the connection box 8 Board unit 8a Basic board 8b Additional board 10 Fixing means 12 First electronic monitoring unit 14 Second electronic monitoring unit 16 Housing opening/ cable screw connection 18a Terminal 18b Terminal 20 Electrical supply network 22 Microcontroller 23 Direction finding module (GPS) 24 Power pack 25 Short-range data communication module 26 Short-range data communication network 27 Long-range data communication module 28 Long-range data communication network 30 Server

Claims

1. A method for anti-theft monitoring of individual solar modules in a solar system with a multiplicity of solar modules, wherein the solar system has an electronic monitoring unit which transmits status information via a long-range data communication network to a server, and which generates a warning signal if a solar module is removed from the solar system, wherein a first monitoring unit on a first solar module and a second monitoring unit on a second solar module of the solar system are interconnected for the data exchange via a further short-range data communication network , the first monitoring unit on the first solar module performs the function of a slave in the short-range data communication network, which slave transmits local status information via the short-range data communication network to the second monitoring unit, the second monitoring unit performs the function of a master in the short-range data communication network, which master transmits local status information on the first solar module and local status information on the second solar module in accumulated form via the long-range data communication network to the server, and the first monitoring unit performs the function of a master when there is an interruption in the data exchange between the first monitoring unit and the second monitoring unit).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic monitoring unit transmits status information on the voltage generated and the temperature of the solar modules.

3. The method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the first monitoring unit and/or the second monitoring unit records its own geographical position, after an interruption in the data communication via the short range data communication network, and transmits this independently, as status information, via the long-range data communication network to the server.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first monitoring unit and/or the second monitoring unit records its own geographical position via a global positioning system (GPS) or a mobile network (GSM).

5. The method according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, 17 wherein the first monitoring unit records its own geographical position and/or the current acceleration of the monitoring unit and transmits an alarm signal via the short-range data communication network when it deviates from a predetermined setpoint within a predetermined period of time.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the solar system comprises a multiplicity of first solar modules, each first solar module having a first monitoring unit arranged on it, which unit, together with further solar modules, are arranged in an array of solar modules, and the multiplicity of first solar modules is connected by the short-range data communication network is connected to a single second monitoring unit for the data exchange of local status information and alarm signals, which latter is preferably located on a solar module in the region of the centre of the array of solar modules.

7. The method according to Claim 6, wherein 1 to 30% of all solar modules of the solar system have first monitoring units which are interconnected via the short-range data communication network for the data exchange.

8. The method according to Claim 6, wherein 3 to 5% of all solar modules of the solar system have first monitoring units which are interconnected via the short-range data communication network for the data exchange.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and/or second monitoring unit arranged on a solar module is supplied with electrical energy by the solar module and/or by a battery assigned to the monitoring unit, after the removal of the solar module from the solar system in order to transmit the alarm signal and/or the status information at one or a plurality of predetermined times via the long-range data communication network to the server after the solar module is removed.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the solar modules feed the electrical energy generated by them during the day via an inverter into an electrical supply network, and the first and second monitoring units obtain their electrical energy required to operate the short-range data 18 communication network and the long-range data communication network from the supply network via the inverter.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and second monitoring unit transmit data via the short-range data communication network at predetermined times, and/or the data exchange takes place via the long-range data communication network with the server at further predetermined times.

12. The method according to Claim 11, wherein the first and second monitoring unit transmit data via the short-range data communication network at least once per hour.

13. The method according to Claim 11 or Claim 12 wherein the data exchange takes place via the long-range data communication network with the server at least every 6 hours.

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and/or the second monitoring unit monitor the module voltage of the assigned solar module, and the alarm signal and/or data on a recorded voltage curve are transmitted to the server via the long-range data communication network if the curve of the module voltage changes according to a predetermined pattern.

15. A solar system with a multiplicity of solar modules for implementing the method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a first monitoring unit is assigned to a first solar module and a second monitoring unit is assigned to a second solar module, the first and second monitoring unit are of essentially identical design and each comprise an electrical basic board and an electrical additional board that can be connected to the basic board, which additional board comprises a microcontroller, a short-range data communication module connected to it and activated by it, a long-range data communication module that can be activated by the microcontroller, , and the basic board and/or the additional board has a shape adapted to the shape of the interior of the connection box and can be locked in the interior of the connection box by mechanical fixing means, wherein the first monitoring unit on the first solar module performs the function of a slave in the short-range data communication network, which slave transmits local status information via the short range data communication network to the second monitoring unit, the second monitoring 19 unit performs the function of a master in the short-range data communication network, which master transmits local status information on the first solar module and local status information on the second solar module in accumulated form via the long-range data communication network to the server, and the first monitoring unit performs the function of a master when there is an interruption in the data exchange between the first monitoring unit and the second monitoring unit.

16. A solar system with a multiplicity of solar modules according to Claim 15, wherein each solar module has a sealable connection box receiving terminals for the electrical interconnection of a plurality of solar modules of the solar system.

17. A solar system with a multiplicity of solar modules according to Claim 15 or Claim 16, wherein the short-range communication module is a W-LAN module, a Bluetooth module or ZigBee module.

18. A solar system with a multiplicity of solar modules according to any one of Claims 15 to 17, wherein the microcontroller is a GSM module.

19. The solar system according to any one of Claims 15 to 18, wherein the electrical basic board is connected to contact tags of the associated solar module by means of a soldered or clamp connection, and the microcontroller and/or the long-range data communication module and/or a module for monitoring the electrical power of the solar module and/or the short-range data communication module can be plugged into the basic board and/or the additional board.