Top 5 Tips to Protect Your Residential Solar Panels from Birds

Introduction

Around the world, solar panels have boomed in popularity, and the benefits that come with placing solar panels on residential rooftops are tremendous.

However, one problem might not have been mentioned by your solar panel installer – pest birds! Birds can cause significant damage to your investment, so we’ve compiled a list of solar panel proofing tips that can help protect your residential property.

Keep everything clean
Fake birds of prey
Mesh
Spikes
Solar panel servicing.

So, stay with us to discover our top five tips for protecting your residential solar panels from birds.

#1 – Keep everything clean

The hot climate usually associated with the US means that solar panels are hard to keep clean. The build of any dirt or debris is hard to be displaced without rainfall or human intervention. Furthermore, birds are commonly known to nest under residential solar panels, gathering nesting material and droppings in the process. Why is this a problem? Unfortunately, over time, the build-up of dirt and material from birds will gradually make your solar panels less effective – resulting in a significant drop in energy gathered from solar panels. Consequently, to protect your solar panels from birds, you must clean the panels around once a year. You have a couple of options, choose a professional solar panel company or do it yourself. We must point out that without the correct safety equipment, this could be dangerous and therefore strongly recommend contacting a professional.

#2 – Fake birds of prey

A not very common method of protecting residential solar panels from birds is to use falcons and fake birds of prey. This method of scaring birds is fantastic; it’s humane and cost-effective. This low-cost, bird deterrent can be a successful measure to prevent birds like pigeons from nesting under your solar panels. This type of protection method should only be used before birds nesting under solar panels. If birds are already present, then the fake birds of prey will not work. Fake birds of prey are easy to install and require no power from batteries or electricity. It may be an effective method to deter a small number of pigeons but for a more robust and effective technique you should towards implementing one of the other ways – such as spikes and mesh.

#3 – Mesh

One popular method of protecting solar panels is to fix mesh around the sides of the residential panels. This method stops birds from accessing the area, as it will be blocked off with mesh. This innovative method is built to keep all birds from your residential solar panels, protecting your investment from damage. This method is easy to install and can be removed for cleaning and maintenance.

#4 – Spikes

A relatively new product, spikes are a humane way of protecting your residential solar panel from birds. They cause no pain to the birds; instead, they act as a wall to prevent pigeons and other birds from gaining access to the area and having the ability to nest under the panels. Bird spikes are known as a high-quality method of stopping birds. The base is manufactured to perform at the highest temperatures and winds. So, no matter your environment and location, spikes should be your first choice. A tip from solar panel proofing experts, Integrum Services, is to invest in high-quality spikes that will not rust or change color over the years. This will help you keep the birds of your residential property and allow them to continue to look great.

#5 – Solar panel servicing

One proactive approach to preventing birds is to have your solar panels serviced – and often. This method is easy to do yourself with the correct protective equipment. However, as always, we recommend using a professional cleaning team to get the job done safely and effectively. You can purchase a solar panel servicing kit that will come with biodegradable soap, a cleaner, and a brush. Make sure to mix the soap into a bucket of water. Finally, you will need to start to gently wipe the solar panels, removing any grime or dirt that is beginning to build up. For healthy and safety, we recommend you do not climb up onto the roof, and instead use a long pole to clean the panels – as this allows you to stay on the ground. If you keep on top of your cleaning, it may be possible to use a hosepipe to remove any build-up of dirt, which means in the long run, fewer calls to a solar panel maintenance team. An important point to mention, don’t use any rough materials when cleaning your residential panels. Rugged materials could cause damage to your investment and in the long run, could lead to them needing a repair.

Conclusion

Ultimately, residential solar panels are a perfect nesting place for pigeons and other birds. The warm shelter that comes from the solar panels means they are a magnet to birds. Over time, the build-up of debris from birds can cause severe damage to your solar panel investment and can reduce their effectiveness. The result can be costly, requiring repairs to damaged wiring, panels and parts. Therefore, we recommend being proactive with your investment and using our five tips to stop pest birds damaging your residential solar panels.