This company are a rare gem, I had a very unusual problem following a failed firmware upgrade on my GivEnergy kit. I then found out GivEnergy were in administration and had dismissed all their support staff! None of the usual fixes to try and restore my inverter comms would work, and I looked everywhere, forums, GivEnergy youtube support videos - even AI couldn't figure it out. My installer was talking about huge sums for system replacements, and being vague / evasive about if they'd even install replacement GivEnergy inverter. Enter Solar Tech Support, reassuring and knowledgeable from the very start, I've learnt loads about my solar system though the friendly chat while my engineer worked as he diagnosed the problem and figured out a fix procedure that I've not found anywhere else - amazing. If you need solar system repairs - especially if you like me have been left high and dry by GivEnergy, I cannot recommend this company enough. Give them a call.
Solar panel bird mesh — anti-pigeon protection
- No drilling, no adhesive
- Does not affect panel warranty
- Every install includes a full array review
A bungalow is from £995; a two-storey house is from £1,495 with the scaffold included. Both cover nest clearance, mesh, clips, fitting, and the array review. Confirmed in writing before anything is booked.
Book bird mesh installationCombine with a health checkVery very helpfuland so quick. Made sure that a non expert like myself understood what the problem was and how to resolve it.
Any long suffering Givenergy customers are strongly recommended to use solar tech support. They fixed my battery issue in couple of hours.
We decided to treat ourselves to an upgrade to our existing solar system, and after a little searching, it became evident that Ron and his team provide the service and support we required. Decommissioning and recommissioning our new SunSynk inverter and a wall-mounted Fogstar battery (which is of substantial size and weight compared to the original) was completed swiftly and competently. The installation was perfectly executed, and all upgraded paperwork for the increased battery export capacity was handled by Ron. I have no hesitation in recommending this team of support technicians to you.
My GivEnergy hybrid inverter + battery system had worked faultlessly for 3 years when it suddenly stopped charging and discharging the battery. On contacting my supplier, who had used a sub-contractor for the installation work, I was provided with an email address at GivEnergy but, as it turned out, this is only for GivEnergy Software who are not able to assist. A Google search led to the Solar Tech Support web site, which contains a wealth of helpful information. I requested a remote solar diagnostic, and after providing Ron access to my inverter, he was able to identify and fix the problem within minutes. I am very impressed by Ron’s expertise and knowledge, which included useful information on the current state of GivEnergy Ltd. I would thoroughly recommend Solar Tech Support.
My Givenergy system went offline, so I lost control of it. Ron from STS and Craig from Norfolk Solar were most helpful in diagnosing the problem by phone. Full marks for their patience and ability.
Why birds under solar panels are a real problem
The cavity between a solar panel and the roof is warm, sheltered from rain, and protected from predators — exactly what pigeons, starlings, and squirrels are looking for. Once birds establish a nesting site, the problems compound quickly.
Sharp nesting materials (twigs, wire) abrade DC cabling insulation. Squirrels will actively gnaw through cables. Damaged insulation creates arc risk and, in the worst cases, fire risk. Cable damage is the most serious consequence of bird nesting and may not be visible without removing panels.
Bird droppings on panel glass create shading that disproportionately affects string output. Partial shading from droppings can reduce output by 5–15% on affected strings. Droppings also scratch glass if left long-term, causing permanent micro-abrasion.
Nesting materials trap moisture under panels, promoting moss growth and panel frame corrosion. Blocked ventilation under the panels increases inverter temperature during summer and reduces efficiency. Debris around DC connectors increases corrosion risk.
Pigeons nesting under panels create significant noise — scratching, cooing, and activity from before dawn. Heavy accumulation of droppings adds weight to the roof and can block guttering. In severe cases, compacted nesting material under panels restricts airflow and creates a fire fuel load.
What solar panel bird mesh is
Solar panel bird mesh is a purpose-made mesh that attaches to the outer edge of the panel frame using stainless steel clips. It covers the gap between the panel perimeter and the roof, physically preventing birds from entering. What the mesh is made of, and how it is fixed to the array, are the two things that separate a job that lasts from one that does not.
We use EnviroGuard, a galvanised steel mesh with a PVC coating. The galvanising deals with corrosion, the PVC coating takes the weather, and the aperture is tighter than the chicken wire a lot of cheaper jobs are done with. Chicken wire is the giveaway on a budget install: it is cheap, the holes are bigger than they need to be, and it does not last on a roof. The mesh is matched to your panels as well: black on black-framed panels, silver on older silver-framed ones, so it reads as part of the array rather than as something bolted onto it.
Clips hook onto the aluminium panel frame. No drilling into the panel, no adhesive, no penetration of the roof. The mesh rolls inward under the panel to contact the roof tile, closing the bottom gap. The alternative you want to avoid is tek screws driven straight into the panel frame, which is quicker for the fitter and voids your panel warranty, because it is a hole through a sealed frame that the manufacturer never sanctioned. Adhesive bonded to the frame is the other one to avoid, since it is difficult to remove if a panel ever needs servicing.
Bird mesh protects the entire underside of the array by covering the perimeter. Internal gaps between panels are not an entry point — birds cannot fly laterally under a mounted panel. The perimeter (especially the bottom edge) is where exclusion is critical. A correctly fitted mesh requires no maintenance and should last 15–20+ years.
How bird mesh installation works
A professional installation for a typical 12-panel array takes 2–4 hours. The process below applies to standard pitched-roof domestic installations.
Before any mesh is fitted, we inspect the array from the roof. We check for existing nesting material, visible cable damage, droppings accumulation, and any debris that needs clearing. If we find evidence of cable damage — abrasion, insulation stripped by squirrels — we document and advise on whether a cabling inspection is needed before proceeding. Fitting mesh over damaged cables traps the problem and makes future access harder.
Any existing nesting material is removed before mesh is fitted. Leaving nests in place traps moisture, creates a continued habitat that birds will attempt to re-enter, and may also create a fire fuel load. Droppings are cleared from the panel perimeter and guttering if accessible. For large or established nesting sites, specialist cleaning may be recommended before mesh fitting.
The exposed outer perimeter of the array is measured and mesh cut to fit. Each straight section is cut and fitted individually. On complex roof shapes (hipped roofs, arrays split across two pitches), each section is measured separately. Corner pieces are folded or cut to suit the array geometry.
Stainless steel clips are fitted to the outer panel frames at approximately 300mm centres. The mesh is then clicked into the clips, pulled taut, and the bottom edge rolled under to contact the tile surface. On each panel row, clips are fitted top, bottom, and sides — the mesh wraps the full outer perimeter of the array.
The entire perimeter is walked after fitting. We check for any gap wider than 20mm, paying particular attention to corners and the bottom edge where the mesh meets roof tiles. Gaps at tile junctions are the most common re-entry point — small filler sections are fitted where needed. A final check from ground level confirms the mesh is not visually intrusive.
Bird mesh installation pricing
Two prices, and what separates them is the property rather than the array. Both include the full array review below. Everything is confirmed in writing before anything is booked.
Single-storey, supplied and fitted. Mesh, stainless clips, clearance of existing nesting material, gap sealing at the tile line, and the array review.
Everything above, plus the scaffold, which is included rather than added on afterwards. A two-storey roof does not get worked on without one.
The scaffold is most of the difference, and it is genuinely expensive. We would rather charge for it than send an engineer onto a two-storey roof without it, so it is priced in rather than offered as an option. If a quote for the same house comes in well under this, it is worth asking how they intend to get up there and how long they intend to stay.
What can move either figure: panel count, a multi-pitch or hipped roof, awkward ground for the scaffold, and prior bird activity heavy enough to need specialist clearance before mesh goes on. We confirm the figure after seeing photographs or the roof itself, never on the day.
What we check while the access is up
Getting to a roof safely is the expensive part of any roof job. If a scaffold is going up for bird mesh, that is the right moment to look properly at the installation underneath it rather than mesh over the top of it and leave. Solar is meant to save you money, not cost it, and a system with a fault sealed under new mesh does the opposite. Every bird mesh install includes the following, at no extra charge. That is the difference the price is paying for. We are not bird mesh fitters who happen to own a ladder, we are solar engineers, and while the access is up you get an engineer looking properly at your array instead of mesh being stapled over the top of it.
A general look at how the array was actually put on: rail alignment, bracket spacing, panel seating, and whether the roof has been treated properly. Most owners have never seen their own roof, and a good many arrays were fitted in a hurry by a company that no longer exists.
Clamps are what hold the panels to the rails. They work loose over years of thermal cycling and wind loading, and a loose end clamp is how a panel starts to move. We re-torque the mid and end clamps across the array while we are on it.
The mesh goes on a clean array. Droppings, moss and general grime come off while we have the access, which is the one time it can be done without paying for the access twice.
This is the important one. Factory-fitted connectors on the panel tails are rarely the problem. The connectors an installer crimped on site are, and in our experience they are the main reason roof-mounted systems fail. We check every man-made MC4 is made off correctly, and where it is not we replace it, crimp it properly and tighten it. A poor crimp runs hot, and it does it out of sight under the panels.
Where the DC cables pass through the roof they must be protected against mechanical abrasion. An unprotected entry works away at the insulation every time the cable moves, and it is a fault that takes years to show and is expensive by the time it does.
Cable should be supported off the tiles, not resting on them. Cable lying on a roof chafes, holds water and gives birds and squirrels something to pull at. Where we find it unsupported we tie it up properly as part of the job.
Anything we can put right on the day is put right on the day. Anything larger is written up with photographs so you can decide what to do about it, and we say plainly whether it needs doing now or can wait. Anything larger than a same-day fix is written up with photographs so you can decide what to do about it.
Before booking bird mesh — what to check
If birds or squirrels have been under your panels for more than one season, inspect DC cabling before fitting mesh. Damaged cabling should be repaired before the array is sealed — once mesh is fitted, accessing the cable run requires removing sections of mesh. If your generation has dropped without explanation, cable damage may be a contributing factor. Contact us for a combined inspection and mesh quote.
Many homeowners combine bird mesh fitting with a solar system health check. While on the roof, we inspect panel condition, DC connector security, string cabling, and overall array health. This avoids two separate roof visits and provides a complete picture of your system.
Bird mesh does not require planning permission in England, Scotland, or Wales for standard domestic installations. Listed buildings or properties in conservation areas may have restrictions on external alterations — confirm with your local authority if in doubt. In most cases, bird mesh is a permitted development with no approval needed.
Where we fit bird mesh
Which price applies depends on the property rather than the array, and that follows the local housing stock. These pages set out what that means where you are.
Our home city. Victorian terraces with steep, narrow roofs, and MC4 water ingress on roughly one in three of the older arrays we inspect.
A third of the district is terraced, and two different roof coverings are still in service, which changes the detail at the tile line.
Oldham, Rochdale, Ashton and the Pennine fringe, where wind loading works clamps loose faster than lowland installs.
Conservation areas and listed buildings, and what the council actually says about roof-mounted solar.
Related guides
Combine with bird mesh fitting — panel inspection, cable check, and array health review while on the roof.
If birds have damaged cabling or DC connectors, repair before sealing the array with mesh.
Overview of all solar system upgrade options — EPS, extra battery, inverter replacement, and more.
If bird droppings or cable damage are causing generation loss, this guide covers underperformance diagnosis.
Bird mesh — frequently asked questions
Ready to protect your panels?
We fit EnviroGuard PVC-coated mesh on clip fixings, clear existing nesting material, and review the array itself while the access is up: clamp torque, MC4 connections, cable support and the roof entry point. Tell us whether it is a bungalow or a two-storey house and roughly how many panels, and we will quote it in writing.
- Clip-fixed — nothing screwed into your panels
- Clamps re-torqued, MC4s checked, panels cleaned
- Written quote before work begins
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