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Solar panel bird proofing in Birmingham usually means one bird: the pigeon. The gap between a panel array and the roof is sheltered, dry and warm, which makes it an ideal nest site. Once pigeons move in, nesting material and droppings build up under the panels and down the roof, the scratching can be loud, and cables running under the array can get damaged.
How mesh works
The fix is to close the gap. Mesh is cut to fit the full perimeter of the array and fixed to the panel frames with clips, so nothing is drilled through the panels. Corners and the joins between panel groups are closed off as well, because a single gap is enough for a pigeon to get back in. Spikes along the ridge move birds off the top of the roof but don’t stop them getting underneath.
Before the mesh goes on, the old nesting material and droppings are cleared out and the cables under the array are checked. If they have been damaged, the repair is quoted separately.
Nests and the law
Timing matters. Gov.uk says all wild birds, their eggs and nests are protected by law, and that you must not disturb them while they are nesting or building a nest, and that a nest must not be taken, damaged or destroyed while it is in use or being built. So if there is an active nest, the work waits until it is empty.
Is it worth it?
Homeowners discussing quotes online have been asked for £650 to £760 for mesh on a domestic system, and another thread puts it at around £600. There is no published Birmingham average, so treat those as a rough guide. If pigeons are already under your panels, mesh is usually worth it. If you have never seen one, it may not be needed yet.
While the panels are being meshed, it is a good time to have them cleaned. Solar panel cleaning covers that, and solar panel maintenance checks the rest of the system.
What's included
- Array inspected for nests, droppings and cable damage
- Timing checked so no active nest is disturbed
- Nesting material and droppings cleared from under the panels
- Cabling under the array checked for damage
- Mesh cut to fit the full perimeter of the array
- Mesh fixed with clips to the panel frames
- Gaps at corners and joins closed off
- Before and after photos
How the options compare
Nesting under the panels
- Leave it
- Carries on and spreads
- Spikes or deterrents
- Often continues underneath
- Full mesh
- Blocked around the whole edge
Cables under the array
- Leave it
- At risk from nesting
- Spikes or deterrents
- Still at risk
- Full mesh
- Protected once the gap is closed
Mess and noise
- Leave it
- Ongoing
- Spikes or deterrents
- Reduced on the ridge
- Full mesh
- Stops once the birds can't get under
Panels drilled
- Leave it
- n/a
- Spikes or deterrents
- Sometimes
- Full mesh
- No, clip fixings
