Servicing · Bird proofing
Solar panel bird proofing
Pigeons nesting under your solar panels? We clear the nests, clean the panels, check the cabling for damage and fit black mesh around the array so they can’t get back in. Our own engineers, on any installer’s system, across England, Wales and Scotland.
Mon–Fri 9:00am–5:00pm · Clear written quote before any work starts
Talk to us about solar, batteries or repairs.
Call 0800 156 0191, Monday to Friday, 9:00am–5:00pm, or send us a message through our contact page.
MCS certified
NAPIT registered
TrustMark approved
Fully insured
England, Wales & Scotland
Signs of nesting
Is this what you’re seeing?
- Pigeons walking in and out from under the panels
- Droppings on the glass that the rain doesn’t shift
- Twigs, feathers and nesting material in the gutters
- Cooing and scratching from the roof, often first thing in the morning
- A smell in the loft, or small insects near the loft hatch
- Lower generation than the same month last year
Why they nest there
Why pigeons nest under solar panels.
Feral pigeons are descended from rock doves, which nest on cliff ledges. A solar array on a pitched roof gives them the same thing: a sheltered gap a few centimetres high, warmed from above by the panels and out of reach of most predators. Once one pair moves in, others follow.
Cleaning the glass on its own won’t change that. The birds return to the same gap, so the droppings return too. The gap has to be closed.
What it does to your system
What nesting birds do to a solar system.
Droppings on the glass
Unlike dust, a dropping blocks light completely from the cells underneath. Because the cells in a panel are wired together, one covered patch pulls down more than just that spot and can create a hotspot.
Nests block drainage
Nesting material builds up along the bottom edge of the array and in the gutters, so water sits where it shouldn’t and moss takes hold.
Cabling and connectors
The DC cables and connectors that join the panels sit in the gap the birds are living in. Twigs rub through insulation, birds peck at it, and droppings are acidic. Damage here can take a string of panels out, and it only shows up when someone looks under the array.
Mites and smell
Pigeon nests carry bird mites and other insects, and old nests and droppings smell. Both can find their way into the loft.
What we do
Nests out, panels clean, mesh on.
One visit, in this order.
Check before we start
We look for active nests with eggs or chicks before touching anything, and talk you through the options if we find one.
Clear the nests
Nesting material, droppings and debris are removed from under the array and from the gutters, bagged and taken away.
Clean the panels
Purified water and soft brushes, the same method as our solar panel cleaning — no pressure washers, no detergents.
Check the cabling
We look over the DC cables, connectors and the underside of the panels for pecking, rubbing and corrosion, and tell you if anything needs repair before it’s closed in behind the mesh.
Fit the mesh
Black mesh around the outside edge of the array, with either clip-on fixings that grip the panel frame with no drilling, or drilled fixings where the layout calls for them. The engineer explains which suits your array before starting.
Check it’s generating
We check the inverter is generating normally and note the reading before we leave. If anything needs attention, you get a clear written quote before any work starts.
What moves the price
What makes one proofing job cost more than another.
We don’t publish a price list, because no two arrays are the same.
- Panel count. More perimeter means more mesh and more fixings.
- Access. A roof that can be reached safely from a ladder or tower is the cheap end. A two-storey house with no safe standing point needs scaffold or a platform — we arrange it if it’s needed, and it’s shown on the quote.
- How long the birds have been there. A fresh pair is a few handfuls of twigs. Several seasons of nesting means bagging up a lot of material and clearing the gutters.
- Cleaning at the same time. It adds a little to the visit but saves a second call-out.
- Damage found. If cabling or a connector has been pecked through, that’s a repair, and we quote it separately rather than bury it in the proofing price.
You get a clear written quote before any work starts.
One visit
Cleaning and proofing, together.
Proofing without cleaning leaves the droppings on the glass. Cleaning without proofing means the birds are back within weeks. Doing both in one visit means one set of access equipment and one engineer on the roof. If your system hasn’t been looked at in a while, a full solar panel service can be added to the same visit.
It doesn’t matter who fitted your panels, or whether they’re still trading. We install and repair solar systems as well as proof them, so the engineer fitting your mesh is the same engineer who can spot a failing connector or an inverter fault while the array is open.
Questions
The things people ask before they ring.
Not answered here? Call 0800 156 0191, Monday to Friday, 9:00am–5:00pm.
Is it legal to remove pigeons from under solar panels?
All wild birds and their active nests and eggs are protected by law. Feral pigeons are one of a small number of species covered by general licences that allow nests to be removed in certain circumstances, but the rules are specific. So we check what’s under the panels before we start, and if there’s an active nest we talk you through the options on the day.
Will the mesh damage the panels?
Clip-on fixings grip the aluminium frame, so nothing is drilled into the panel or the roof and the panels stay on their rails. Where a drilled fixing suits the array better, the engineer shows you where it goes and why before any work starts, and you choose.
How long does proofing last?
Mesh is designed to last for many years, so in normal circumstances it’s a one-off job. It only needs looking at again if a storm lifts it or roof work disturbs it, which we can check during an annual service.
Can you do it without scaffolding?
Often, yes. A bungalow, a single-storey extension or a roof with a safe standing point can usually be done from a ladder or tower. A two-storey house with no safe access needs scaffold or a platform. If it’s needed, we arrange it, and the written quote tells you which applies to your roof.
Do you clean the panels at the same time?
Yes. Nest clearing, a purified-water clean and the mesh are normally done in the same visit, so you don’t pay for the access twice. We check the system while we’re there and note the inverter reading before we leave.
Related
Related services.
Solar panel cleaning
Droppings, moss and grime removed, with a system check included.
Solar panel servicing
An annual health check that catches faults early.
Solar panel repair
Diagnosis and repair for the whole system, from any installer.
Ready when you are
Pigeons under your panels? Tell us about it.
We’ll call you back to arrange a visit, and you get a clear written quote before any work starts. Mon–Fri 9:00am–5:00pm.