PV arrays (solar panels) are often mounted to stand above roof tiles and this has created a modern phenomenon: pigeons have discovered that the panels offer wonderful cover for nesting.
There are advantages to having solar panels but Pigeons often nest under them and cause serious problems. The noise nuisance and bits of nest material rolling down the roof and into the garden are inconvenient but the health risk associated with pigeon guano (droppings) and the distress of finding pigeon eggs or, worse still, squabs (a young, flightless pigeon) in the garden and it’s clear that this is a problem that needs a solution.
Help is at hand. Pestend have extensive experience stopping pigeons nesting under solar panels and can help you, too. Depending on the panel manufacturer, we use a metal mesh (clipped into the underside of the frame) or a row of ‘fingers’ bonded to the side of the panel. In either case, the result is the same: the gap between the panel and the roof is closed off. Critically, neither option needs any holes to be drilled or any damage to the panels so your panel’s warranty is maintained. Our approach also allow air to pass freely under the panel to help with cooling (PV panels reduce efficiency as they heat up) and is done discretely, neatly and professionally. Pestend aim to leave the customer with a long term fix that is maintenance and worry-free. More images of proofing work we’ve undertaken can be seen here by clicking this link to our picture gallery. We won’t detach or remove any panels – that could affect your warranty – and we’re very careful not to disturb any of the power cables during our work. Naturally, we check the panels are securely fixed and don’t carry excess voltages on the frames as part of our own safety checks and, as you’d expect, Pestend Ltd. carry Public Liability Insurance should the worst happen.
Each installation requires a site survey to check how we can access the roof and manage the risk of having people working at height. Once we have reviewed access and discussed any concerns or observations with the homeowner, we’ll be in a position to offer a quote.
In most cases, we can work directly from ladders but, occasionally, safe access will require scaffolding. In this event, Pestend partner with a scaffolding specialist to make sure we get what we need in terms of platform heights, returns and the like so we’re happy to arrange the installation and removal of scaffolding on the occasions we have to use it.
Of course, if we do need to use an access platform then it makes sense to consider any other jobs that can be done while it’s in place: repainting the soffits and barge boards, for example. In these cases, we can ask our partner company to remove the scaffolding at a later date or install it earlier so you can make the best use of the resource. The bulk of the cost is in the erection and removal; having it in situ for an extra week or two usually doesn’t add significantly to the price.
We are sometimes asked if we also offer a panel cleaning service. Solar panels are exposed to the rain and angled to catch the most sunlight so the faces are generally self-cleaning and don’t need regular attention – and once the pigeons stop roosting on them, they shouldn’t continue to collect dirt that won’t simply get rained away.