Make sure your solar panel is not for the birds

Solar panels are being installed on residential and commercial properties at an increasing rate.

These panels are a significant investment and bird damage is an oft overlooked factor when it comes to protecting the system.

Large accumulations of bird nesting or guano can reduce the lifetime of solar panels and roofs. Birds may also try to make off with a stray wire when they build a nest.

Vanguard Wildlife Solutions provides solar panel exclusion to prevent birds from nesting underneath solar panels. A solar panel bird deterrent reduces the headache of clearing bird nests under solar arrays.

The company recently installed several solar panel exclusions for a residential development in Massachusetts, where pigeons were nesting underneath the solar panels.

"Birds could be seen flying in and out of the solar arrays all around the neighborhood," said Co-owner Liz Frieling. "During a couple of these projects, we even had to coax a pigeon out before clearing the nest and sealing off the array."

This is a no-screw system that provides a secure barrier without drilling any holes.

The exclusion screen is nearly invisible from the ground, and it provides a secure barrier that prevents birds, critters, and debris from getting under solar panels. The PVC-coated material will not scratch panels and it is secured using tension.