The police, government and renewable energy sector have collaborated to create a comprehensive security guide.
The UK police, government authorities, and renewable energy industry have worked together to produce a detailed security guide for protecting the country’s growing solar energy assets.
Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI) noted that solar infrastructure is expanding rapidly and needs safeguards against organised crime, disruptions, and deliberate interference.
The Secured by Design Solar Farm Guide, developed by Police CPI in partnership with the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership (NICRP), sets out a proportionate, risk-based approach to protecting solar farms.
As solar power becomes a key element of the UK’s national critical infrastructure, the initiative aims to support environmental goals with strong security measures.
The guide draws on expertise from policing, government, and industry to secure the solar facilities that supply electricity to homes, businesses, and transport systems across Britain.
With the government seeking to double the country’s solar capacity to provide clean energy by 2030, protecting these high-value installations from criminal activity is viewed as an important economic and operational concern.
Police CPI said the document is aimed at developers, designers, operators, planning authorities, contractors, and security professionals involved in all stages of solar farm projects.
It offers practical recommendations for implementing suitable risk-based security steps to ensure safe and resilient renewable energy developments.
Preventing theft and criminal damage helps maintain reliable supplies of affordable clean power, avoids major repair and replacement expenses for operators, and builds confidence among local planners and communities that large-scale installations are well managed.
Guy Ferguson, CEO of Police CPI, described the guide as the result of effective partnership working and stressed that organised crime impacts all parts of critical infrastructure as the UK increases its dependence on renewables.
Ferguson added that sustained focus is needed to support police and those responsible for protecting these resources, and he expressed thanks to all contributors while hoping the document proves useful to developers, local forces, communities, and planners.
Robin Edwards, NICRP project lead, called the guide a significant advance in protecting the renewable sector and highlighted the benefits of partners collaborating on shared threats.
Chris Hewett, CEO of Solar Energy UK, welcomed the guidance, noting that theft — especially of cabling — hinders efforts to achieve permanently lower energy bills and urged members to apply its recommendations.
Victoria Kent, head of renewable energy underwriting at Aviva, described the document as an aligned industry and police standard for solar farm security and said the company was pleased to have contributed to its development.
Heather Gurden of Essex Police said the force’s Designing Out Crime officers helped create the guidance and advocated a layered security approach with targeted protection for high-value assets to support national energy supply.
Carole Jones, crime prevention team leader with Northamptonshire Police, said the guide supplies useful practical advice for those involved in developing and protecting renewable sites in the county.
Kim Burnett, acting problem solving Designing Out Crime lead for Devon and Cornwall Police, noted the partnership effort across UK policing and the renewable sector and said the document sets out best practices to enhance resilience and reduce crime risks both locally and nationally.
The guidance is now available to developers, planners, operators, and security professionals across the UK to support secure growth of renewable energy infrastructure.
Originally reported by Security Journal UK on Jul 23, 2026.
