What can you do to prevent muses and their nests under solar panels? And what can and cannot be done with this protected bird species? These are important questions, because sparrows under solar panels can be problematic. For you and the animal itself. In this article we explain what you can do.
We all know this known bird species. There are two common types of sparrows. The tree sparrow can be found in agricultural cultural land, at farms and on the edge of villages. And the house sparrow, a bird that lives mostly in towns and villages. House sparrows preferably live in proximity of people, especially in ‘messy’ places where there are many small niches and holes to build nests . Males and females are quite different in appearance. Males are reddish brown with gray and brown. And females have a mostly brown plumage.
Sparrows are in decline, because the number of breeding pairs has decreased by around 50% over the last 40 years*. The house sparrow is also a protected species in most countries. What does this mean? That you must not intentionally disturb them, touch their nests, harm or catch them.
The house sparrow breeds from late March to August. House sparrows like to build their nest near the nests of the rest of the colony. Nests are often built under roofs and in small spaces on the outside of buildings. Increasingly, sparrows also breed under solar panels. Solar panels give the sparrows a lot of shelter . For owners of solar panels, this bird is a potential problem. Because where birds live, there are feces, as well. These droppings often end up on top of the solar panels and cause various problems such as loss of efficiency. It can even be (fire) hazardous.
The nest of a sparrow often consists of all kinds of materials, such as twigs, straw, feathers and hair. If you discover a sparrows nest under your solar panels, it is wise to act immediately. Why? Because the nest material is dangerous and can damage the solar panels.
Sparrows build their nest under the solar panels, because they are protected from outside dangers and the weather. But that space under the solar panels has an important function. It is instrumental for good ventilation and in consequence for the performance, efficiency and longevity of solar panels. The compactness of the sparrow’s nest prevents ventilation .
In addition, excrement and nesting material contaminate the solar panels and can prevent the optimal absorption of solar energy. Problematic? Yes. Because this can reduce the efficiency of your solar panels. The nesting material, which the sparrow together accumulates to build the nest, can cause scratches in the foil at the bottom of the solar panels.
Once a sparrow has decided to build his nest there, it's hard to get them to leave. They breed almost all year round and are habitual animals, which in this case means that they return to the same nest.
To avoid discomfort and even danger, it is best to place BirdBlocker bird protection. BirdBlocker is designed by solar professionals with over 20 years of experience. It is easy to install, fits on every known panel on the market, is the proven solution worldwide and comes with ten years of product warranty. BirdBlocker will give you the peace of mind of a well-engineered solution produced in the Netherlands, that does what it says on the tin.
BirdBlocker ensures that the sparrow has no opportunity to build a nest under the solar panels. It also ensures optimal ventilation of the panel.
*In the Netherlands