Bird proofing: what happens if you skip it.

Angel Oquendo Owner, Sunshine Solar Panel Cleaning · Waianae

On Oahu it's feral pigeons, spotted doves and zebra doves. They're everywhere on the island, they flock, and they nest on ledges and under overhangs. A rooftop solar array is a ledge with a roof on it: shaded, warm, dry, off the ground, out of reach of cats and mongoose. Once one pair moves in, the rest follow.

What they do under there

• They nest. Sticks, feathers and droppings packed into the gap block the airflow the array needs to stay cool, so panels run hotter and make less power. The debris also holds moisture against the roof and the racking.
• They foul the glass. Droppings are corrosive to the panel coating, and each one shades a few cells. A shaded cell stops producing and can turn into a hot spot. Rain doesn't take it off; it bakes on.
• They chew and pull. Pigeons peck at cable insulation and pull loose wiring for nest material. Exposed conductors under a roof you can't see mean shorts and fire risk.
• They clog the gutters. Droppings, feathers and nest debris wash into the gutters and downspouts, and water backs up under the roof edge.
• They breed and come back. A roost that isn't sealed becomes a colony. Noise at dawn, smell, mites that find their way indoors, droppings on the lanai and the cars.
• The clean-up is a PPE job. Built-up droppings carry things you don't want to breathe when they're disturbed. That's why clearing a colonised array is our job, not a homeowner with a hose.

One of our customers had eleven nests come out from under her panels on the first visit. Her review says the panels hadn't worked that well since they were installed five years earlier.

What we do about it

There's not a set price for bird proofing, because no two roofs are the same. We go over and do a bird assessment, on video, and from the assessment we tell you exactly what you need: netting or spikes, and what size.

• Assessment first. We film what's under your panels and show you.
• Clean-out. Nests and droppings come out and the panels get cleaned. If you skip this, you seal the mess in.
• Mesh sized to the gap. Some are 6 inch, some are 8, some are 10. It's clipped to the panel frame, nothing drilled into your roof.
• Fitted to the roof. Spanish tile, standing-seam metal and shingle each take a different fit. Different roofs need different bird proofing.
• Spikes where they perch. Ridge lines and ledges.
• Humane. It keeps them out. It doesn't hurt them.

If they come back

Call us. Some bird problems are stubborn. One customer's took several visits, with more than one method, and we kept coming back until it was handled. That's how it works.

Related

• Bird proofing service
• Residential solar panel cleaning