Will bird poo affect solar panels?

lightspeed

Hi

I'm considering getting solar panels for my semi detached house in Balbriggan Dublin. Some of you might be aware that we are plagued by seagulls who will poo everywhere and are constant.

I'm interested in solar panels but are they going to stop working after few weeks/ months when covered in seagull poo?

Will any financial savings on electricity costs be offset by paying someone to clean the bird poo off the solar panels every few months?

Anybody else live in Balbriggan area or similar with solar panels and found them still to be effective?

graememk

Generally the rain is enough to clean ours off. It's glass so will wash off faster than slates/tiles

If you look at it a different way, how dirty is your roof as is?

DC999

I'd agree. We're a year i to solar and rain clears it. I am on this forum maybe 1.5 years and never seen people having problems with it.

Best time to get solar is in the past. 2nd best time is now :) Go for it

micks_address

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120812357#Comment_120812357

same here... was quite a bit on the back panels on the roof during May especially as it didnt rain but once the weather changed it washed them pretty quickly

Fingleberries

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058303886/will-bird-poo-affect-solar-panels

There seem to be a few houses around the Balbriggan and surrounding area (aka. Seagull Central) that have solar panels installed. During the warm spell recently bird droppings have stayed on the panel for a couple of days, but one rain shower later and it was cleared off.

creativedrinker

I’m in a seagull area with a few nesting on my neighbours roof, I got some poop during the dry spell but once the rain came it gave them a good clean, with the poo they still worked, prob a few watts down but still tan the house and more

con747

Unless you have some Quetzalcoatlus nesting nearby I wouldn't be concerned. Before anyone asks I had to look that up!