If you’ve heard about the overwhelming benefits of solar panels, you may have also heard a few things about solar panels and birds. In some ways, birds and solar panels have a love-hate relationship. Birds can harm solar panels and vice versa, but buying solar panels also benefits birds. Discover everything you need to know about birds and solar panels and shed light on this unique relationship.
Do Solar Panels Attract Birds?
Yes, solar panels attract birds, and there are two main reasons birds flock to your solar panels.
- Shiny objects and surfaces attract birds, including windows and solar panels.
- Solar panels offer a safe, warm place for birds to build their nests away from predators.
Do Solar Panels Kill Birds?
No, solar panels do not kill birds. However, aquatic birds can mistake their shiny surface for water, causing injury and death, and the number of avian deaths from flying into solar panels is higher in areas with more bodies of water, like the coast. In areas with fewer bodies of water, the number of birds crashing into solar panels is much lower.
How Solar Benefits Birds
Solar panels indirectly benefit birds. Here’s how:
Less Air Pollution
About two-thirds of our electricity comes from fossil fuels (coal, gas, and oil), creating air pollution. Air pollution harms all animals and affects air temperatures. Birds can detect subtle changes in their environment, and scientists are seeing changes in bird migration. Solar reduces air pollution and stabilizes temperatures, reducing the harmful effects on birds.
Habitat-Friendly
Roof-mounted residential solar PV panels do not disrupt bird habitats. Trees and nests remain intact, providing food and shelter for avian populations. While most residential installations are roof-mounted, large-scale installations and ground-mounted systems disturb plants and displace wildlife.
The Audubon Society, a bird conservation and advocacy organization, promotes residential photovoltaic panels as a renewable energy option.
Water-Saving
Solar power does not need water for operation. Electricity production uses water extensively. Here’s how:
- Generation: Generators produce around 65 percent of electricity, requiring water for cooling,
- Fuel extraction: Drilling for natural gas, coal, oil, and uranium requires water from nearby rivers and lakes for cooling. They also produce wastewater that pollutes local soil.
- Refining and processing: The refining process uses large amounts of water for processing.
Can Birds Damage Solar Panels?
Yes, birds can damage your solar panels. Birds and other small animals build nests under your panels, restricting airflow and causing your solar components to overheat. There is room underneath your solar panels for transmission lines, wiring, and other electrical components.
When birds perch on your panels, they leave droppings that cause corrosion. If droppings land on your inverter, they can reduce your energy output by up to 30 percent. Worse, bird droppings harden quickly, making them difficult to remove.
Bird nests loosen, washing down your roof and into your gutters. The debris causes blockages and odors. Monitor your solar panels, clear debris quickly, and take measures to prevent birds from nesting.
How to Bird-Proof Your Solar Panels
Whether you are a homeowner considering solar panels or you already have them installed, there are steps you can take to reduce bird problems. Solar panel bird-proofing methods include wire mesh, roof spikes, plastic predators, and regular maintenance.
Wire Mesh
Having wire mesh installed around the perimeter of your solar panels creates a physical barrier to prevent birds and other small animals from nesting underneath them. It also reduces the amount of debris caught underneath your solar panels. Because solar panels are challenging to access, it’s best to hire a professional for wire mesh installation.
Bird Netting
Bird netting is a lightweight, flexible material designed to keep birds away. Install the inexpensive material around your solar panels as a bird deterrent. Unlike heavy wire mesh that has sharp edges, bird netting will not add weight to your system or harm animals.
Roof Spikes
They sound vicious, but roof spikes, or bird spikes, won’t hurt birds. Roof spikes make landing and nesting uncomfortable, deterring the birds from sticking around. While roof spikes aren’t the most attractive bird prevention method, they are effective and cost-efficient.
Plastic Predators
Plastic predators, like owls, scare birds away. Birds have difficulty differentiating between real and fake predators. Farmers have used the same deterrent strategy for ages by utilizing scarecrows. Many homeowners opt for solar-powered decoys that move their heads and flap their wings for added protection.
Regular Maintenance
Keeping your system clean and free of debris and nesting materials discourages birds and small critters from roosting under your solar panels. Experts recommend cleaning your solar panels twice per year to control dirt and buildup. Consider hiring a professional for your solar panel cleaning if your house is two stories or more.
FAQ About Birds and Solar Panels
Solar panels don’t work for everyone. If you’re in the following situations, solar panels may not be for you.
• You have low energy needs.
• You have low electricity rates.
• Your area has year-round inclement weather.
The lake effect is the way solar panels look to birds. Their shiny, reflective, often blue surfaces look like water, especially when the panels line a solar farm. Hoping for a bite to eat, birds dive into the solar panels, harming or killing themselves.
Experts, scientists, and bird lovers cannot agree on an exact number, but the number of bird deaths caused by solar panels is low compared to other human-related factors like building collisions, habitat destruction, and climate change.
How Can Solar Panels Benefit You
According to the Department of Energy, there are five major benefits to solar panel installation for your home.
- Solar panel systems are affordable. The average cost is around $20,000, before the federal solar tax credit.
- Installing solar saves you money on your electricity bills. The amount you save depends on net metering policies, system size, and efficiency.
- With battery storage, your lights stay on when the power grid goes down.
- PV systems increase your home’s value.
- You only need sunshine to power your solar panels, making them climate flexible, even in the wintertime.
If you’re ready to install a solar system or need maintenance performed on your existing installation to clear out nesting materials, let RoofGnome connect you with a local professional so you can start saving money on your utility bills and increase your solar energy efficiency.
Main Image Credit: Pxfuel
