How to pigeon proof your solar panels

What you can expect to pay for pigeon-proofing your solar panels will depend on the method you opt for, whether you do it at installation or retrospectively, and how big your panels are.

The Eco Experts suggest that £500-700 is a typical cost of pigeon-proofing existing solar panels.

Nesting pigeons are partial to the warmth offered by solar panels and tuck themselves and their nests between the roof and the panels, happily protecting their eggs and unaware of the chaos they are causing.

But nesting pigeons aren’t the only problem. Pigeons perching on your chimney stack, TV aerial or an overhanging tree can leave behind a trail of mess on your panels. Or – even worse – damage them with their sharp talons when using them as a landing pad. And if that wasn’t enough, birds can attract bugs, rodents and other vermin, compounding the possible damage.   

Meanwhile, Ben Robinson, director at solar installation company Cambridge Solar, is more concerned with the effect of the pigeon mess than the pigeons landing on panels. “If the panels are well made, they can cope with it as they are tested for impact,” he says. “The bird mess affects the panels’ output though, so that needs to be cleaned off.”

Solar company Deege Solar also states on its website: “The droppings contain a high level of acidity, which can cause erosion to wires and even damage the surface of your solar panels.”

It’s worth saying that not everyone finds this a problem. The RSPB installs solar panels at its bird reserves – as we explain later.

“Every home is different,” says Ben Whittle, renewables technical manager at the Energy Saving Trust, “but if you think that birds will become an issue, it would be worth considering protecting your panels at the time of installation.”

Robinson recommends checking to see if there’s a pigeon issue in your area before installing any solar panels. “It’s always best to look at any neighbours’ roofs with solar panels and see if they’ve got any pigeon-proofing,” he says, “because fitting pigeon-proofing retrospectively is very expensive. You’ll need all the scaffolding to go back up again, which is very costly.”

Why you can’t remove nesting birds

“It’s illegal, with some rare exceptions, to deliberately take, damage, or destroy a nest,” says Nigel Symes, head of business conservation strategy at the RSPB. “This would include preventing birds’ access to an active nest through netting, from the first moment a bird starts building it. As soon as a bird puts down its first twigs, it is protected until nesting is over.”

“To be safe,” says Symes, “it’s best to wait until September to remove a nest, as birds can lay multiple eggs throughout spring and summer.”

There are several ways to birdproof your solar panels to ensure you gain the optimum output from your green energy investment.

Bird mesh is added between the roof and the panels to prevent pigeons from nesting underneath. The mesh is attached with steel metal clips that run around the perimeter of the panels. While it will prevent pigeons from nesting, it won’t stop pigeons from perching on your rooftop or chimney stack and leaving their corrosive mark.

Bird blocker is similar to bird mesh, as it forms a barrier around the perimeter of the solar panels to prevent birds from nesting underneath. It’s made from a strip of needle-like lengths of plastic that are attached to the panel with a clip, which the birds will find impossible to remove.

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Anti-roosting spikes, as the name suggests, make a particularly uncomfortable perch for a pigeon and stop them from settling on your roof. However, they are not as discrete as mesh or netting. They are available in plastic or stainless steel.

As an alternative to wire mesh, a solar skirt will fit around the perimeter of your solar panels. It provides a sleek effect without gaps and does not pierce the roof or the solar panels.

Apart from the products designed specifically to prevent birds from accessing your solar panels, other deterrents are cheaper and still effective at keeping birds away, such as pigeon decoys.

For instance, a decoy owl will prey on a pigeon’s instinctive fear of this predatory animal.

If you’re worried about birds nesting under your solar panels, there is an alternative. “You could always try putting up a nest box to encourage them to nest somewhere that works better for you,” says Symes, adding a cautionary note…” although pigeons won’t use a nest box.”

Although there are many concerns that birds, especially pigeons, damage solar panels, the RSPB has a different viewpoint, and demonstrates this by installing solar panels at its nature reserves.

“Renewable energy is essential for wildlife and people,” says Symes. “Climate heating is causing real challenges for many species in the UK and abroad. So, by using rooftop solar panels on your home, you’re not only helping to tackle the climate crisis, you’re helping to tackle the twinned biodiversity crisis at the same time (and if a bird uses your solar panel as a place to nest, it’s another added benefit).”

Pigeon poo can decrease the efficiency of solar panels as it covers the panels and reduces the surface area that the sun can penetrate.

“All solar panel systems will build up some dirt over time,” says Whittle. “Rainwater will mostly keep them clean but small amounts of dirt and debris will settle, for example, from bird droppings, road pollution or nearby trees. It’s a good idea to have panels cleaned regularly,” he advises, “to ensure they’re working effectively. And lots of window cleaners are beginning to offer these services.”