My solar panel experiment turned into a bird bath disaster last Thursday

I set up a small 100 watt panel in my backyard in Nashville to see if I could cut my electric bill by even $5 a month. Everything was going fine until a flock of crows decided my panel was the perfect spot for their afternoon hangout. They left so much mess that the panel stopped working after just three days. I spent my Saturday afternoon scrubbing bird droppings off glass instead of saving the planet. Has anyone else had wildlife ruin their solar setup like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowan26216d ago

Oh man, I feel your pain. I had a pair of mockingbirds turn my 200 watt setup into their personal bathroom last summer in Austin. I tried putting those plastic owl decoys nearby but they just sat on top of them like they were laughing at me.

grant90116d ago

Funny you say that @rowan262, but honestly I think the birds just add character. I mean yeah they poop on stuff but that's nature doing its thing, right? Maybe it's just me but those plastic owls never worked for me either, they just got claimed as perches too. A dirty panel is still better than no panel at all, and the birds probably keep some bugs away that could chew through wiring or something. People get too worked up about a little bird crap when the real enemy is tree shade or dust.