How to keep birds away from your panels?
Birds can be a major problem for solar panels. They will not only often sit on top, and leave droppings all over the place but also go under the panel and mess with electronic components.
In this post, we will talk about how to prevent birds go under our panels, as well as keeping them far from our roof as much as possible.
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1. Install a bird mesh
A bird mesh is a net made of wire or plastic and installed around the perimeter of the solar panels. It seals the gap between the solar panels and the roof. Here is the important thing you should pay attention to.
Bird nuisance problems change from region to region depending on the type of bird. There are different bird types of meshes designed to block different birds.
Here is a maximum recommended mesh size for different birds.
- Sparrow: 19mm
- Starling: 28mm
- Pigeon: 50mm
- Seagull: 75mm
Obviously, the tighter the mesh opening, the more expensive the mesh will be especially if you have a lot of solar panels or your roof has the pitch. Therefore, choose the mesh size that best meets your needs.
Bird netting is also another option, and usually cheaper than meshes. However, it may not provide the same level of protection since the net can move during a strong wind, or material birds can get caught up in the netting.
Clean up before the installation
Before installing your mesh, make sure to clean up any droppings from under the panel. Look for any food, or nest items that may be attracting birds.
Seal Off Completely
Make sure not to leave any openings, otherwise, you may trap birds inside. A lot of times birds can not get out from the places they got in and end up dead. Also, do not forget to monitor the sealed area every once.
Get help from the professionals
Working on the roof can be dangerous. Also, if you don’t know what you’re doing, it won’t work out as you have wanted.
That’s why hiring an expert is important so that they can handle these tasks with ease and make sure everything goes according to plan as smoothly as possible.
It is best if your meshes are installed together with your solar panels. But if this is not possible you may want to get help from professionals with experience in solar panel installations or at least with roof repairs.
2. Install Roof Spikes
Spikes may not be as pretty to look at, but they’re quite effective in keeping birds away from an area.
Spikes make it uncomfortable for birds to roost on or around your solar panels and will keep them off the roof where other protective measures can’t reach. Pairing spikes with something like netting is a great way of preventing birds from creating unwanted messes to your solar power system.
Roof spikes are usually made of metal or plastic. Metal ones are made of stainless steel which is less visible than their plastic counterparts if you are concerned about preserving your home’s appearance. Stainless steel also resists rust well, although it is not 100% protected from it.
Plastic spikes are made of strong polycarbonate material and a cheaper alternative to metal roof spikes. They can be a particularly attractive option for those who want to match their roof spikes with their home’s decor.
3. Invest in Plastic Predators
You may have seen them in your yard or on a local golf course: plastic predators that look like owls, hawks, and vultures. These stationary creatures are meant to scare away birds from the area with their realistic design and even sometimes sound effects.
There are many ways you can keep pigeons away from your property. You could install a prohibitive high-tech bird of prey on the roof, which will scare them and other birds for years to come. This should be done in conjunction with netting or other strategies that work well too; they all go hand in hand.
4. Keep Your Property Clean
Birds need something to eat, and making the space around your home uninhabitable for them will help encourage them to go elsewhere. To this end, keep your yard and garden clean and ensure there are no food sources around your home.
This is especially important if you have a flat roof, as it becomes a virtual bird paradise or, worse, their toilet.
If you have rubbish bins outside or near any windows where birds can see them from the sky (skyline), keep trash under a lid so birds don’t mistake those garbage cans as an easy place for lunch with all its tasty treats waiting inside.
5. Regularly maintain your solar panels
Solar panel maintenance is necessary to keep your solar energy system in good working order. Birds like to build their nests on the panels, and their droppings can harm them.
Make sure you clean your system on a regular basis, repair any cracks or mounting issues as soon as possible before they become more expensive to fix later, and hire a professional service for an expert inspection of how well they are doing their job once in a while.