Solar panels are an excellent investment for your home – but they can also become an excellent home for some unwanted neighbours!
That’s right… Solar Panels are the perfect spot for inquisitive birds, pigeons in particular, to set up home. Due to the design and layout of on-roof PV systems, the sheltered space can be a tempting warm and safe space for our feathered friends and offer them the perfect place to roost.
This can be a real headache for the homeowner. Not only do pigeons create unwanted mess, noise and disruption, they can ultimately wreak devastation on your PV System including loss in efficiency and significant electrical damage. In our latest blog post, we take a look at the potential issues that birds can pose to your PV system, and the solution available to deter those pesky pigeons!
Noise disruption
If birds decide to set up home under your roof array, you are likely going to experience unwanted noise disruption. From their shuffling and scurrying along the roof tiles, to the prolonged vocal cooing, you could quickly become frustrated by the constant disturbance, particularly at night time and those early hours of the morning when you are trying to sleep.
Unwanted damage
In addition to the noise frustration, birds can also pose significant damage to the electrical components of your PV system. Birds are inquisitive, and the interior and exterior wiring can prove too tempting for some. Birds can easily bite or peck their way through wiring, causing significant problems to a panel OR your whole system. Birds nests can cause further issues to the structure of your roof due to their weight, and their falling debris can lead to further problems with guttering and drainage systems.
Reduction in efficiency
Believe it or not, the efficiency of your panels can be seriously degraded by pigeons. Imagine having birds continuously climbing your panels – their sharp claws will scratch and cause damage to the panel facia. If you are unlucky enough to have a large number of pigeons who enjoy perching on your system, the constant presence will inevitably cause a decrease in performance as the panels do not benefit from enough sunlight. You then get to another unsightly and hazardous complication – bird droppings. Of course this is a ghastly sight, particularly in large amounts, but pigeon droppings are corrosive which in time will cause damage to your panels and shorten their life span. Pigeon droppings also contain a plethora of diseases, creating a potential hazardous environment for humans particularly.
What is the solution?
Bird proofing kits are readily available, and a recommended option to consider when installing an on-roof PV system. At GB Solar, we use a steel mesh, PVC coated bird deterrent kit, which is fitted around the panels and prevents access for birds. The kit it’s self is more aesthetically pleasing than what we would see with bird spikes, and is made from durable materials that are designed to withstand harsh weather conditions, making them a long-lasting solution.
It’s always wise to look at bird protection when your panels are being installed, as opposed to a later thought. The cost of adding bird protection to your PV system installation will start from around £400, but the size of the array is factored in when providing a cost and will increase for bigger systems. The cost can also increase for more ‘complex’ roof layouts.
Whilst we can retro-fit bird protection to an existing system, you must expect a more substantial cost. This is because scaffolding costs will need to be factored in.
