Before suffering from fecal damage. Pigeon measures for solar panels

Recently, many buildings have solar panels installed on their roofs, and the gaps between the roof and solar panels are perfect nesting places for birds. Various birds such as crows, sparrows, wagtails, and starlings live in these areas, causing damage such as noise caused by droppings and singing.

Among them, pigeons are the most frequently reported damage. If pigeon feathers, feces, nesting materials, etc. get inside the electrical system, it will cause malfunctions, and if the surface of the solar panel is contaminated with feces, the power generation efficiency will decrease.

Even though it is a newly built house, there are serious cases where the roof is full of feces every day, the noise is loud, and people are frightened by pigeons every day.

Why are there pigeons on solar panels?

Pigeons prefer to nest in high places where natural enemies such as cats, snakes, crows, and hawks do not attack. Many people have probably seen pigeons living on the balcony of an apartment building, the outdoor unit on the roof, or under the beams.

These sites are chosen as good nesting sites because they are less likely to be attacked by predators and are more accessible for transporting food to the chicks. Among them, the best location for pigeons is under the solar panels installed on the roof.

First of all, people rarely come because it's on the roof. In addition, there is a rain barrel that serves as a watering place and a feeding place nearby. Above all, the solar panel will serve as a shield from external enemies and rain and wind. It is the most comfortable place for pigeons to live.

In addition, their "homing instinct" is troublesome. They have a very strong attachment to return to their nests. Even if the nest is removed, it always tries to return to the place where the original nest was, and if it takes as long as 2 weeks, it will repeat this behavior for more than a month (If it gives up, it will build a nest in another place and the homing instinct to that place will be lost. Because it is born, it will not return to the place where the original nest was).

In addition, the neighborhood of houses with pigeon damage tends to be prone to pigeon damage as well. Pigeons are very good at finding comfortable places. If for some reason you are kicked out of the comfortable space between the solar panels, you will preferentially search for a nearby solar panel gap.

For this reason, the neighborhood of solar panels with pigeon damage is often dotted with places with similar damage. Pigeons gather more and more in excellent properties for pigeons. Damage progresses at an accelerated rate in proportion to the number of pigeons.

What you need to know about pigeon measures for solar panels

After knowing the above habits of pigeons, the important point is not to let them settle down. Once settled in, pigeons will cling to that place due to their homing instinct, making it difficult to take measures against pigeons.

By the time the owner becomes aware of the damage, there are many cases where birds have already built a nest behind the panel and there are chicks. It is desirable to take countermeasures before this happens, if possible, when new panels are installed.

In addition, it takes a lot of effort to clean up feces and feathers and remove nests. If countermeasures are delayed, all panels must be removed and countermeasures must be taken, resulting in a very high cost.

Things get even worse when the pigeons lay their eggs. Because it is subject to the "Wildlife Protection and Hunting Appropriate Law (Wildlife Protection Law)", it is against the law to remove nests containing eggs and chicks without permission.

If this happens, the only option is to wait until they leave the nest or get permission from the local government to remove the nest and then create an environment that makes nesting difficult. So how do you prevent pigeons from settling on your solar panels? It is to physically block the pigeon so that it cannot enter the gap .

Other methods result in temporary effects or no effect at all, resulting in wasted effort and cost. Also, even if you physically block it, I don't recommend cheap bird netting.

We often receive consultations saying, "I just want to do it cheaply," and I think it's perfectly natural to be concerned about the cost. However, there are also cases where the net breaks due to deterioration over time, etc., and birds enter through it and build nests, or in severe cases, birds that enter through the broken part are unable to escape and die as they are.

The following three items are important. Satisfying this will ultimately cost less in the long run.

1: Choose a physical intrusion prevention measure whose durability is reliable

2: Install 1 with proper construction

3: Take measures as early as possible

Inohoi's recommended intrusion prevention measures: Dedicated special fence

Inohoi recommends a special fence that has been specially developed to keep pigeons out of solar panels and as a nesting countermeasure.

Recommended point 1: Highly durable all-stainless steel

Both the mounting bracket and the fence are all made of stainless steel (SUS304) and are reliable made in Japan. In addition, it uses strong double-sided tape made by 3M that is weather resistant outdoors. It is highly durable, so you can rest assured that it will last for a long time.

Recommended point 2: Wide range of application

There are many types of mounting brackets that can be selected according to the site, and it is possible to fit various shapes such as flat roofs as well as tiled roofs. In addition, since the fence has excellent workability, it is easy to cut and bend to fit the site, and the scenery is excellent.

Recommended point 3: Maintainability

In general, drilling holes in solar panel components will void the manufacturer's warranty. With this fence installation, there is no need to drill holes, so you can maintain your solar panel manufacturer's warranty.

Since the fence can be attached and detached even after installation, maintenance of the solar panel equipment can be done easily. *Please be sure to check the regulations of each company regarding warranties.

• All stainless steel special fence
• Recommended when the frame is U-shaped

• Strut metal fittings that can hold firmly
• Slide metal fittings in places where telescopic metal fittings cannot be erected

Get a comfortable life without being bothered by birds

Bird damage prevention work for solar panels requires work in high places, and the cost tends to be high. The price and construction quality are proportional, but if there is a plan to build scaffolding for repainting the exterior wall of the building, you can reduce the cost by carrying out bird damage work according to the period of the scaffolding.

Please note that even if the damage is progressing, if the construction cost is too low, detailed work may be omitted or the installation may not be done carefully. In order to have a comfortable life without being bothered by birds, we recommend that you think long-term, not just temporary costs.

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