Best Way To Protect Your Solar Panels From Pests
After spending thousands of dollars on a solar panel installation to reap the benefits of an eco-friendly home, finding ways to protect your investment is vital. Nuisances like pests, birds, and other large critters will help themselves to your new upgrade if there aren't adequate protection measures in place. Let's take a closer look at some effective methods you can employ.
Consider the Installation Techniques Used
The location of your panels and the techniques used by the installation company may be a big factor in whether your solar panels deter or attract pests. Installing the solar panel array on your roof with low profiling may be your most significant defense against pest damage. But if the profiling is relatively high off the roof's surface without adequate layering, you may experience infestations that can ultimately weigh on the overall energy supply your panels provide.
Trim the Surrounding Trees
The trees surrounding your property and the area of your panel array will play a significant role in how you combat pests. In addition to trees serving as easy ways for pests to access your panels, the solar panels may not receive adequate amounts of sunlight if they are obscured by nearby trees. Hire a professional tree trimming company to ensure the clearance is sufficient for sunlight demands and bugs are not collecting near your panels.
Implement a Cleaning Schedule
Whether you plan to clean the array yourself or hire a professional, keeping the panels clean can combat buildups of debris or grime that may attract pests. Today's solar panels often include a hydrophobic coating that helps repel precipitation, which can help keep the surface clean. But you will have to manually keep the underside and edges free of bird droppings, tree droppings, or any other elements that could contribute to pests.
Install a Mesh or Nesting
Some pests can crawl through nesting or mesh, but installing one of these solutions is advantageous because birds and other critters will have a more difficult time getting through these materials. Pests, birds, and critters can eat their way through the vital wiring components that make the solar panel system function. Installing mesh or nesting is beneficial to mitigating these issues to avoid costly repairs or replacements.
The primary objective of your residential solar panel system is to provide your home with renewable energy and cost savings. It's advantageous to partner with the installation team to find ways to prevent pest infiltration to ensure long-term success and array integrity.
