Although it’s very rare, squirrels or pigeons sometimes set up home under solar panels. It’s warm and cozy in the gap between solar panels and the roof, creating an attractive nesting environment for these critters.
A nest found by Built Well Solar
Fewer than 1% of Built Well Solar’s thousands of customers have experienced this type of issue–sometimes not for many years after their PV installations–but when they do, the New York solr installer has been known to go above and beyond to help. Built Well Solar has a special service company, solarcritterstop.com, to address these situations.
“Over our 17 years in business, we’ve actually rescued a few critters who have made their homes under solar panels,” said Built Well Solar founder and CEO Dan Sabia. “Our love of nature and the planet is not limited to our switching homeowners and businesses to solar energy.”
A few years ago, on a bitterly cold day, one of Built Well’s solar installers rescued abandoned baby squirrels. Discovered in a nest under a customer’s solar panels, the baby squirrels were shaking from the cold and squeaking. The installer scooped up the tiny “pups,” wrapped them in a sweatshirt and placed them on the dashboard of a Built Well service truck with the defroster on to warm them, and sought out an animal rescue volunteer to nurse them back to health and release them back into the “wild” of their neighborhood.
More recently, one of Built Well Solar’s lead installers, Sean Hughes, relocated several baby squirrels and some of their nesting materials to a wooded area alongside a customer’s home. In this case, when the mother squirrel returned, she stood perched on the ridge of the house staring bewildered at the empty place where her nest had been, her fear and anger almost palpable. “We weren’t sure if she would attack us or what she was going to do,” Sean said. Luckily, Sean later saw the mother squirrel in the woods reunited with her young.
A Built Well Solar installation with the Solar Critter Stop solution
“While we love and respect our fellow creatures, they are no joking matter when it comes to PV systems,” explained Nancy Hiler, Built Well Solar’s COO. Squirrels have been known to chew on wiring because it’s often coated with nut- or vegetable-based oils that they love. This can expose wiring, cause damage, even cause system shutdowns. Pigeons can bring other issues. Their damp nests and debris can damage roof shingles. And, pigeons can carry disease, leave unsanitary and unsightly droppings, and create a noise nuisance.
“We have actually formed a service company now to address and to prevent critter issues, SolarCritterStop.com,” Nancy said. This critter stop solution shields electric wiring from debris, birds, rodents and small animals to protect the solar arrays. It is strong enough to hold up to animals, but thin enough to provide airflow under the modules for optimal production.
News item from Built Well Solar and Solar Critter Stop