Rooftop solar panels make a warm, sheltered home for pigeons in winter
Pigeon droppings are acidic and can damage the panels
Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, disturbing an active nest is illegal
It looks like UK homeowners and renters with plug-in solar panels have a new and terrifying enemy: pigeons. The benefits of plug-in solar are well known: while they won’t wipe out your energy bills altogether they’ll pay for themselves by lowering your electricity usage from the grid. But nobody told us about the pigeon poop. The Cooldown has spotted a fascinating thread on Reddit’s SolarUK subreddit where a would-be buyer asked for words of wisdom from more experienced solar users: what things should they look for? And in among very practical suggestions, one issue kept swooping in: birds, specifically pigeons. Why pigeons could be a problem for your plug-in panels
If like me you live near a pigeon owner, or if you’ve been in the city center lately, you’ll be vividly aware that pigeons poop. A lot. That poop is no ordinary poop. Pigeon droppings are a health hazard, and contain uric acid…