As with all rooftops, various creatures can create a home on top of yours.
Whilst this can be an annoyance, animals nesting on your rooftop can rarely cause damage to you or your home.
However, as solar PV installations increase, wildlife nesting on your rooftop in and around your panels could cause damage to yourself and your property.
Overall, wildlife nesting in and around Solar PV can decrease the system’s efficiency.
Natural movement of birds can loosen wiring connections to Solar PV. Squirrels are also known for biting into electricity cables.
Nesting build-up can also interfere with panel ventilation.
The gaps between the roof and other panels act as ventilation to keep the electricity system cool. Nesting build-up can interfere with the ventilation system, heat up and cause an electrical fire. The nest will also, unfortunately, acts as kindling for the fire.
However, the largest problem facing Solar PV efficiency is not an obvious one… no guesses?
That’s right… bird poo.
Bird poo reportedly accounts for anywhere between 46.42% and 89.18% of efficiency lost in solar PV. When left to fester, it can cause permanent damage to the panel.
Lovely…
Ultimately, surrounding wildlife to your home can undo the hard work and precision taken by installers and, therefore, lead to expensive repairs.
What consumers need to do is address these potential issues before they occur.
Some of the solutions that can prevent damages caused by wildlife to your solar PV include:
- Kites and robotics in the shape of predator birds to scare away nesting wildlife.
- Installing audio components of high pitch frequencies to deter creatures.
- Putting up fencing or netting to prevent wildlife from returning to your roof.
These are just some of the solutions that can prevent your rooftop solar pv from becoming damaging or needing replacement.
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