Solar panel bird proofing: the $500 job that saves you thousands

Nobody thinks about birds when they're getting solar installed. You're busy comparing panel specs, checking rebate eligibility, and getting quotes from installers. Birds are about the last thing on your mind.

Then six months later you hear scratching on the roof at 5am. You look up from the backyard and there's straw poking out from under your panels. Droppings streaking down the glass. And when you get someone up there to take a look... it's not great.

Bird damage is one of those problems that starts small and gets expensive fast. The good news is it's completely preventable. And cheap to fix compared to what happens if you ignore it.

Think about it from a pigeon's perspective. Your solar panels create this perfect sheltered gap between the panel and the roof. It's warm (panels radiate heat underneath), it's dry, it's protected from predators, and there's a nice flat surface to build a nest on. It's basically a free Airbnb with heating.

In Australia, the usual suspects are pigeons, mynas, starlings, and noisy miners. Pigeons are the worst offenders because they're persistent nesters — they'll keep coming back to the same spot year after year, building on top of old nests until you've got a solid mat of straw, feathers, and droppings packed under your panels.

And here's where it stops being a minor annoyance and starts costing you money.

Bird droppings aren't just ugly. They're acidic. When droppings sit on your panels, they create hot spots — sections of the panel that heat unevenly, which degrades the cells and permanently reduces output. A solid splatter of pigeon mess can cut that panel's output by 20-30%. Across a whole array with droppings building up over months... you're losing real money on every power bill.

But it goes deeper than the panels themselves.

Let's cut through the noise. There are four main approaches people try. Only one of them actually works long-term.

The process is straightforward. A decent installer will knock it out in 2-3 hours for a standard residential system. Here's what happens:

Professional bird proofing for a standard residential solar system in Australia typically runs between $350 and $700. For larger systems or steep roofs, it can push towards $1,000-$1,500.

Technically, yes. A 30-metre mesh kit with clips costs around $150-$250 from places like Pestrol, Bird Control Australia, or Aussie DIY Solutions. If you're comfortable working on a roof and have tin snips, pliers, and some patience... it's doable.

But there are a few reasons to think twice.

First, you're working at height around an electrical system. One slip, one wrong move near DC cabling, and you've got a problem that's a lot more serious than pigeons.

Second, if the mesh isn't installed properly — gaps at corners, loose clips, mesh not tensioned to the roofline — the birds will find their way in. You'll have wasted the money and the Saturday afternoon.

Third, quality matters more than you'd think. Cheap galvanised mesh from Bunnings will rust and fall apart within a couple of years on a hot roof. Then you're up there again doing it all over. Spend the extra on PVC-coated stainless steel — it's rated for 10+ years in Australian conditions.

If you're going to DIY it, at least make sure any existing nests and droppings are cleared out first. Sealing birds inside is cruel and illegal under Australian wildlife protection laws.

The absolute best time is when your panels are being installed. It's cheaper (the installer is already on the roof with the right gear), it's faster, and you never give the birds a chance to move in.

If you're getting quotes for a new solar system, ask every installer what they charge to add bird mesh at the same time. Some include it in the price, some charge a small add-on. Either way, it'll be less than getting someone out later.

The second-best time is right now — before nesting season kicks off. In most of Australia, pigeons breed year-round but peak between September and March. Getting mesh installed before spring means you're ahead of the rush and ahead of the birds.

If birds have already set up shop, a professional can humanely remove the nests and any chicks before installing the mesh. Baby birds are relocated to wildlife carers. It's all done within the rules.

Bird proofing isn't glamorous. Nobody puts it on their Instagram. But it's one of those boring, practical things that quietly saves you a fortune over the life of your system.

PVC-coated stainless steel mesh, clipped to the frames, tensioned to the roofline, installed by someone who knows what they're doing. That's it. That's the whole solution. One afternoon, one invoice, and you never think about it again.

Your panels keep producing. Your roof stays intact. The pigeons find somewhere else to live.

Everyone wins. Except the pigeons.