Bird Droppings On Roof Mounted Solar Panels
Roof mounted solar arrays have become havens for bird populations. The recently installed solar panels offer protection from the wind and rain where birds used to just perch on roofs. Because of this, a lot of residential solar arrays currently have birds building their nests beneath them. According to information provided by Clean Solar Solutions’ clients, these birds are damaging the wiring beneath the solar panels and resulting in system failures. Below is an illustration of the mess that birds can make beneath solar panels.
When birds build nests beneath solar panels, homeowners can face some extremely annoying issues. One particular annoyance is the early morning noise the birds make. Residents frequently tell us that they are awakened at 4:30 a.m. in addition to the commotion the birds inevitably leave behind on the roof, which cascades into the home’s gutters and causes obstructions.
But it seems that the solar panels installed on business rooftops are having the most issues as a result of bird droppings. An increasing number of arrays that have adjacent bird populations are coming into view. The droppings cause hotspots in the panels, which lead to cell failures.
We don’t have to speculate about the numerous issues that these kinds of bird dropping levels on the solar panels will cause. There will be a significant loss of output and hotspotting. Furthermore, we are confident that no asset owner or investor would want their array to appear this way from an aesthetic standpoint.
What Is The Effect Of Bird Droppings On Solar Panels?
Even though it’s not the most romantic topic, the real effects of bird droppings on solar panels should be addressed. The solar industry in the UK has been developing for more than 5 years, and some hard lessons have been learned. But are bird droppings really that much of a problem for solar panels? Installing larger, more advanced, and more difficult solar arrays and dealing with feed-in tariffs occupied the early days. As you can see, the birds have been enjoying themselves while observing everything from above!
The truth is that little families of pigeons under residential arrays have turned solar panels into a contemporary haven. However, large colonies of seagulls and migratory birds find warmth, cover, and perfect nesting places in roofs and bodies of water. Nesting areas cause enormous issues with bird dropping near solar panels. We are not unable to sidestep the problem.
Too frequently, bird droppings on solar panels are an underappreciated and ignored issue. That is, until its too late. While cleaning solar panels, Clean Solar Solutions has been swanning around and has been shocked by what we have seen: bird droppings blight solar panels, sometimes to the point where an entire solar array is rendered nearly useless. Additionally, even for experts in solar panel cleaning, effectively eliminating hard, baked-on bird droppings has become a challenging task with a steep learning curve.
Here are a few instances of bird droppings on solar panels that CSS has seen while traveling throughout the UK, along with the short- and long-term effects of these encounters.
Protecting your investment
A major challenge faced by solar panel owners is making their panels impervious to birds.
The birds may begin to proliferate over time and harm your solar panels. The accumulation of bird droppings and nesting materials may be the cause of this.
Bird droppings are not only a frequent problem for solar panels, but they can also obstruct the sunlight that the panels require in order to generate electricity.
The panels may also sustain damage due to the acidic nature of the bird droppings.
They are not going to leave, even if you can persuade them to.
Birds can cause significant harm to your solar system over time, including to the panels themselves, the wiring, and the cabling. A buildup of nesting materials and bird droppings is the cause of the damage.
Make sure you have some sort of bird proofing in place to keep them from building a nest beneath your panels.
Using wire mesh is one of the best ways to safeguard your panels.
This mesh encircles the panels’ outer edges and wraps around the whole panel length, reaching the roof tiles. It should also prevent other creatures from getting in. Typically, this procedure is used as soon as the panels are installed.
To keep birds out of the panels, most businesses use a clip-on system that fits over the wire mesh. It is necessary to use high-quality mesh and specialized clips to prevent panel damage and to keep your panel warranty valid.
Spikes are occasionally used to keep birds from landing on the panels, but they aren’t always as successful as they seem.
Other options include using sonar pulses, affixing a plastic bird to the roof, or hiring a professional hawk, but we typically discover that bird-proofing the solar panels takes care of the issue!
Additionally, we would always suggest that any work be performed by professionals in order to maintain warranty validity and for reasons of safety.
FAQ
How do you clean bird poop off solar panels?
Do birds bother solar panels?