Pigeons and house solar panels

[TransAmDan]

We seem to have pigeons camping over night under the solar panels. Not sure if they have nested. The panels provide shelter from the wind and possibly some heat in them from heating up in the day.

The panels are mounted on horizontal unitstrut, so there must be atleast 6cm for flying rats to get under the panels.

You can use mesh to go around the panels to keep them out, I have seen this on a couple of houses now. There are companies that can remove any nests that are there and fit the mesh.

The side of the house you could do off laders, may need scafolding for the front. I have contacted 2 companies that specialise in removal of pigeons and adding mesh. Neither of them have come back. Why set up a company and not get back to people?
One I dont a few days ago looks like a live chat on thier webiste, but its automated and ends up going via facebook. The other company I contacted over a month ago, and nothing back.

Fingers crossed I hear from someone soon. Havn't a clue what it would cost.

 

[saleen 192]

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[TransAmDan]

Well went to Thruxton on Sunday in the Trans-Am met at Wills house. There was a few of us going, took 4 cars including. Had a spare seat, so offered Wills cousin to hop in. We got chatting, he works for a scalfolding company. They have done pigeon nets before. So sent him a photo of the house to get a quote from the boss.
Got a quote back early Monday, I'm happy with the price, they are coming Friday to do the job. Result.

Dont know why other companies never got back. Even if they said they were too busy it wound't be soo bad, but just heard nothing.

 

[TransAmDan]

Scafolding is up. Turned out there was a missunderstanding, they only do scafolding, not the pigeon mesh.
So found a supply of the mesh and solar panel clips etc... So I have the kit. I worked out I need 28.5meters, the kit is 30meters.

Start of the pigeon mesh is going up. Done the bottom line as I can reach that. Gonna need ladders for the rest. There is scafolding around the front of the house. The roof is flatter so should be able to walk on that. just need a long ladder to get up on the scafolding.

 

[saleen 192]

you can get 3 more panels of that roof yet b4 you fit the mesh,

 

[TransAmDan]

Yeah, tempting. However anytihng I do to the old system I loose my FIT payments, which is around £700 a year. So going to keep that system as it is. The inverter on that system is a 4kw one, so in theory couldn't take more,as the panels around the front are not facing the same way, so you wont max out both faces at the same time.

I need to borrow some ladders. There is a guy up the road with a Chevy truck, I saw him up a ladder the other day. So I could try him.

 

[saleen 192]

Hire a ladder you can afford it with all this nice weather saving you money with solar energy LOL,,,,,

 

[TransAmDan]

While I was up on the roof, I spotted some weird patternd inside the panel.

Close up. Looks like it could be going bad. Going to poston a Solar panel forum too.,

 

[saleen 192]

Not good and all in same place along panel as wel

 

[TransAmDan]

Almost looks like water damage and the tracks are burnt out. Perhpas too much heat from the sun. Although we are not in the hottest country, Its odd isn't it.
Damage in manufacture thats got worse over the years they have been up there.

 

[Will]

That looks weird Dan. Maybe water got in and froze during winter?

 

[chris68coupe]

Similar pattern on both panels, I would think manufacturing problem.

 

[saleen 192]

Agree with chris as it's same same pattern

 

[TransAmDan]

Yeah could be a manufacture fault, the two lines are on the same panel.
The earlier picture of the two lines was zoomed into this red ringed area.

 

[renchero]

pigeons????

 

[TransAmDan]

pigeons????

Good point, Quite possible. The front is glass/polycarbonate, no visible damage from the front. The back is some form of substrate. If it was damaged from the back the blue would be damaged too. Its like it's within the multiple layers.
Still thinking of manufacturing issue possibly.