It is one of the most common questions we get asked on site, and the answer is a clear yes. Bird proofing is one of those jobs that is cheap and simple to do while the scaffolding is up, and a real headache to sort out later. In this post I will explain what bird proofing is, why pigeons are such a problem under a solar array, and why we fit it as standard on every installation across Cambridgeshire.
What bird proofing actually is
Bird proofing is a black wire mesh that runs all the way around the edge of your solar array. It clips to the panels and closes off the gap between the panels and the roof tiles. That gap is small, but it is more than big enough for a pigeon to get under, and once they are under there they treat it as a sheltered, predator free spot to nest.
The mesh is barely visible from the ground. It is black to match the panels and the frames, so from the street you would struggle to spot it at all. What it does is simple. It stops the birds getting in.
Why pigeons under your panels are a real problem
If you search online you will find people on both sides of this. Some will tell you they have had their system fifteen years with no mesh and never had a problem, so it is a waste of money. Others will tell you they had no trouble for ten years, then the pigeons moved in, told all their mates, and now there is a party under the array every night.
That is the issue. You do not know which camp you will fall into, and by the time you have a problem the scaffolding is long gone. When pigeons nest under panels you get nests, droppings, mess down your roof and walls, and sometimes dead birds. The droppings are acidic and they are not kind to your roof over time.
I will give you a real example. We were once asked to look at a system on a school. It was about fifteen years old and it did have bird proofing, but the mesh had failed at some point, most likely from footballs hitting it. Pigeons had got underneath, nested, and then could not get back out. They died under there. The maggots then made their way up into the roof void, dropped down into the classrooms below, and those classrooms had to be closed for two weeks while the bodies were removed and the mess cleaned up. The birds cleared off for a while, then came straight back. We told the school that unless they bird proofed it properly with a metal mesh the whole thing would just happen again. We fitted mesh all the way around and they have not had a problem since.
Why we fit it while the scaffold is up
This is the part that really matters for your wallet. Fitting bird proofing during the installation, while the scaffolding is already in place, is quick and straightforward. It adds very little to the job because the access is already there and paid for.
Doing it later is a different story. In ten years’ time, when the scaffold is long gone, bird proofing an existing array means one of three things:
- Hiring scaffolding again, which is a significant cost for what is otherwise a small job.
- Someone working off ladders, which on a roof is dangerous and something we will not do.
- A roped access specialist, usually a climber in their spare time, who will harness up and abseil across your roof to fit it. They are welcome to it. It is not something we would take on.
None of those options are cheap or simple, and the first one alone can cost more than the bird proofing itself. So the sensible thing is to do it once, properly, at the same time as the panels.
A word on working safely
You will come across companies that fit solar over ladders to save money, and some that would happily fit bird proofing the same way. We always use proper scaffolding for everything we do on a roof. If you fall from a roof onto the ground you do not bounce. It is either a life changing injury or worse. It is simply not worth it, for us or for anyone working on your home, so we never cut that corner.
The bottom line
Bird proofing is one of the cheapest forms of insurance you can buy for a solar system. You may not need it in the first year or two, but over the lifetime of the array there is a good chance you will, and by then it is expensive and awkward to retrofit. Fitting a black mesh skirt around the panels while the scaffold is up keeps the pigeons out, keeps your roof clean, and means you never have to think about it again.
We fit bird proofing as standard on every solar installation we carry out across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. If you are weighing up solar for your home and you want it done properly the first time, give the office a call on 01480 400607 or request a survey through our website and we will talk you through it.
Jason Pope
Owner, Selec Group