A solar panel installation is an effective way to produce clean energy for your home and combat rising electricity bills. Solar panels can benefit your property in several ways, but be warned, pigeons love them too. While you are busy enjoying sustainable energy, you may be unaware of pigeons making themselves at home beneath your new solar panels. Jewel Renewables are solar panel installation experts, and we have put together this helpful guide to pigeon proofing. Follow our tips, and your solar panels will continue to function at their best for many years to come. Don’t let birds ruin your solar panels, start pigeon proofing today!
Can Pigeons Damage Solar Panels?
Modern solar panels are manufactured with the adverse British weather in mind and are made from durable and weather resistant materials. While high quality solar panels are installed already equipped with effective weatherproofing in place, the same can’t be said for pigeon protection.
Pigeons can cause irreparable damage to your solar panels and compromise their performance. Why are pigeons such a problem exactly? Well, bird droppings not only look unpleasant, they contain high levels of acidity too. It can be hard to believe, but pigeon waste is corrosive enough to cause structural damage to your solar panels and cause them to wear prematurely.
Solar panels work by converting the sun’s natural energy into electricity for your home. This complex process can be disrupted if bird droppings cover the PV cells on the surface of the panel. Also, if pigeons decide to perch on your panels, their long talons can scratch the surface and cause performance issues.
Pigeons can also make nests under solar panel installations and encourage more pests and insects to your roof. While not all homeowners have pigeon problems, it is often more cost effective to pigeon proof your solar panels as soon as they are installed, effectively preventing any bird-related problems in the future.
Solar Panels - Top Pigeon Proofing Tips
As you can see, pigeons can make a mess of your roof and damage your solar panels. The last thing you want is to invest in solar panels just for birds to interfere with the energy making process, leaving you with underwhelming results.
If you want to pigeon proof your solar panels - and we highly recommend that you do - follow our expert advice:
1. Install Bird Mesh or Bird Blocker Products
When it comes to bird nests, the law is on the side of our feathered friends. Once a pigeon starts creating a home under your solar panels, there is nothing you can do. It is illegal to remove an active bird's nest, and you will need to wait until the pigeons have moved on before clearing the nest away. However, installing bird mesh between your roof and the solar panels will make it impossible for pigeons to set up camp. Bird mesh is securely kept in place with steel clips, but it will not stop pigeons from perching on top of your solar panels or depositing their waste on the PV cells.
Similar to bird mesh, bird blocker products stop pigeons from nesting underneath solar panels. Bird blocker is made from plastic and forms a barrier that pigeons can’t break through. Even the most determined of birds will have a hard time removing a bird blocker strip.
2. Install a Solar Skirt
Solar skirts have a sleeker finish than mesh or plastic based bird barriers. These products are made from high grade aluminium and are clamped into place. Birds will not be able to nest beneath your solar panels and solar skirts also have an attractive appearance.
3. Make Your Roof Less Appealing
Pigeons love to perch on roofs, but only if the conditions are comfortable! If you want to keep pigeons away from your solar panels, you need to make your roof less hospitable. Common pigeon proofing methods include adding a ‘decoy bird’ to your roof space. Placing an artificial owl on your roof may be all that is needed to keep pigeons away from your solar panels. If a decoy doesn’t seem to be working, installing anti-roosting spikes may be a better solution. This pigeon proofing method involves installing a strip with long spikes to your property’s roof. Pigeons will not be able to perch comfortably and will fly off in search of a more appealing nesting spot.
4. Clean Your Solar Panels
To ensure optimum energy production, we suggest cleaning PV solar panels once every six months. However, if you have a pigeon problem, you may want to wash your panels more frequently. If your panels are covered in pigeon waste, the dirty areas will struggle to allow the sunlight to penetrate effectively and convert into electricity for your home. The easiest way to remove bird droppings from solar panels is to spray them clean with a garden hose.
When it comes to pigeon proofing your solar panels, it makes sense to do so during the installation process. If you wait to protect your solar panels from birds, damage may have already occurred, or there may be a nest underneath by the time you get around to carrying out the work. Pigeon-proofing your solar panels right away means you will not need to pay for scaffolding again in the future, and it will allow your installation to be protected right from the start.
Make Your Own Energy With Jewel Renewables Solar Panels
Jewel Renewables supply and install solar panels in Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire and the surrounding areas. With solar panels in place, homeowners can create their own green energy and save money on rising electricity bills. Our high quality solar panels are made using state of the art technology and our weatherproof designs can achieve high yields in all conditions.
A solar panel installation can boost the value of your property and make it possible for you to enjoy a passive income by selling energy produced back to the National Grid. To discuss a solar panel installation with our solar experts at Jewel Renewables experts, call us on 01252 939 597 or fill in our online contact form.
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