Solar Panel Pigeon Protection in Norfolk - Ten-Year Guarantee
It’s reported that Norfolk already has well over 1 million solar panels, supplying enough energy for some 800,000 homes, or one fifth of all the households in the county. And despite government cut-backs in grants and feed-in tariffs, it’s a figure that is set to keep rising.
There are solar farms from Downham Market to Cromer, Caister to Kings Lynn. Lightsource Renewable Energy alone has built six farms at the time of writing, made up of some 175,000 solar panels, with farm locations including Thetford, Ryston and Yelverton.
In terms of households contacting Norfolk solar panel companies to power their own homes, a map of solar panel take-up shows that South Norfolk has the highest density of installation, followed by the area known as Breckland.
Homeowners with solar panels have seen their feed-in benefits eroded by changes to government policy, but the county as a whole is regarded is regarded by the Solar Trade Association as one of the best places in the country to make the best of solar panels, because of the amount of sunshine. And the figures can still stack up if they are working efficiently.
Which isn’t always the case; pigeons in particular love solar panels, nesting underneath them and roosting on them. And they nest all year round in the UK. If you have solar panels, it’s odds on that sooner or later you will find yourself searching for Norfolk solar panel pigeon protection companies.
Gulls can leave their droppings on them too, especially on coastal areas. Any build-up of droppings on the panels shades the photovoltaic cells that convert the sun’s radiation into electrical current, meaning the performance is not what is should be.
The uric acid in droppings can erode the fittings, and pigeon guano is particularly toxic and should not be cleared up without the right PPE. The local council classifies pigeon guano as hazardous waste, and you need the right waste carrier’s licence to deal with and dispose of it (which we have).
Worst of all, the guano is a vector for serious disease and bacteria, which can easily transfer to humans and make us ill. All that and the nesting and roosting birds make a hell of a racket, and are a recipe for falling out with your neighbours. Yes, pigeons under solar panels is an unwanted issue that needs dealing with quickly, and with a long term solution.
The good news is that here at British Bird Control we can help through our specialist Norfolk solar panel pigeon proofing service. We know just how stop the pigeons getting underneath solar panels, so that they will move on, long term.
We offer a gilt-edged TEN-YEAR GUARANTEE with all our solar panel pigeon protection work in Norfolk and we cover most of the surrounding area including all of East Anglia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does solar panel pigeon protection cost? solar panels?
At British Bird Control we like to keep things nice and simple when it comes to the cost of solar panel pigeon protection, and we are very competitive indeed on price. Our cost structure is largely based on whether or not our operatives will require scaffolding to carry out the work safely.
We can usually work this out from a telephone consultation and a quick look at your property on Google Earth, and can often provide you with a quotation over the phone. We require a 25% deposit to book in. Call us on 0800 327 7293.
Pigeons are creating a mess on my solar panels and roof tiles. Can you clean this?
Providing you can provide an in-reach external tap, the work includes free-of-charge removal of mess and fouling from inside the gutters beneath the installation where we can get ladders to the gutters and where it’s safe to do so, and also a rinse down (not a full clean) of the panel surfaces.
This should shift any light build-up of fouling and dirt, but if you have a heavy build-up of fouling, algae and/or lichens on the panel surfaces a specialist chemical clean would be needed and this is not something we can offer as a pest control company.
We do not clean roof tiles which again is a specialist service and take no responsibility for blocked downpipes which can become clogged up with a build-up of fouling and are not able to help with this as freeing it requires specialist equipment. We treat where nesting has been going on regardless of whether we can safely get all the nests out with biocide.
Are pigeons affecting the performance of my solar panels?
If you have birds getting under solar panels and believe this could be adversely affecting the performance of the panels and the very reason you got them in the first place, please let us know during the telephone consultation.
We have teams that can evaluate and fix solar panel performance on the spot, but if this is the case we may need to make a separate visit before the solar panel proofing takes place to check whether there is a short circuit, broken solar panel inverter, or other electrical issue which would make it dangerous to be on the roof until fixed. Please also let us know if you think there are dead adult pigeons under solar panels when we talk on the phone – they may have been electrocuted!
