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Can you use an ember guard for solar panels?

In bushfire-prone areas, ember guard mesh covers cover any opening or roof cavity to protect from burning embers, including gutters, valleys, roof ventilation openings, fascia, ridges, and hips. 

So, is ember guard for solar panels? No. ScreenTech does not advise using ember guard mesh on solar panels as the design and installation methods hinder productivity and can void product warranties. However, ScreenTech does recommend other ember-proofing measures in BAL-rated areas. 

Ember guard mesh is not a suitable gutter guard product for solar panel protection. However, protecting your solar panels against the threat of ember attack. 

Read: The difference between ember and gutter guard

Ember guard vs solar panel bird mesh

installing solar mesh gutter guard

The differences between ember guards, gutter guards and solar panel meshes are essential to matching the right gutter guard products to the solution. 

What is the difference between ember guards and solar panel mesh? The two primary differences are the mesh hole size and installation. Ember guards must have less than a 2mm hole size, while solar mesh has a larger hole size to optimise solar panel productivity. Ember guards require screws and saddle fixtures, while solar mesh uses clips to prevent voiding the solar panel warranty. 

Solar mesh is designed to ensure the optimisation of the solar panel system. Solar mesh’s 12mm mesh gaps prevent possums, vermin and pest birds from nesting underneath the solar panels while also increasing breathability and decreasing moisture which can damage the panels. The physical barrier providing bird control reduces the flammable debris underneath the panels but will not prevent smaller debris and leaves.

Ember guard-compliant mesh stops leaves and debris from blocking the gutter and prevents ember attacks in bushfire-prone areas. Property is threatened by ember attack when windborne embers ignite waste, leaves and debris in gutters and roof spaces.

ember guard on klip-lok

Solar mesh installation uses clips instead of saddles and screws to ensure that the solar panel warranties are not void. Ember guard mesh cannot be safely secured to the panels without screws and saddles due to the material manufactured processing. 

Another minor difference between the two meshes is the coatings and colours. Colorbond® aluminium ember guards are powder-coated and steel ember guards are made from Colorbond® steel in over 25+ Colorbond® colours. Solar mesh is made from stainless steel or galvanised wire with a black PVC coating that is a non-combustible material. 

Read: Complete Guide Colorbond® Gutter Guard

SolarMesh & Ember Guard Comparison

The below table compares ScreenTech’s SolarMesh range and Ember Guard ranges:

Solar Mesh

Ember guard

Base Material

galvanised or stainless steel wire

aluminium, Colorbond® steel or bronze

Aperture size 

12mm

maximum 2mm

Application Type

solar mesh

ember guard or gutter guard

Coating/Colouring 

Black PVC Coating

powder coating D1010

Manufacturing Technique(s) 

expanded or extruded 

expanded, expanded single direction or machine-woven or extruded

Best Fit Solutions 

solar panel protection 

ember proofing, leaf guard against fine debris, bird, pest & possum proofing, reduce maintenance & safety 

Warranty

1-year

15-years

Bushfire Tested

n/a 

 AS 3959-2018 compliant

Fixtures 

Solar clips

BAL-12.5, BAL-19, BAL-29, BAL-40, BAL-FZ

Ember Guard Bushfire attack level (BAL) suitability

N/A

BAL-12.5, BAL-19, BAL-29, BAL-40, BAL-FZ

See our full range of gutter guard products.

Why bird-proof solar panels

  • Protect solar panels – Birds damage solar panels when bird droppings permanently corrode aluminium frames and stain the solar panel facade.
  • Protect your health – Stop bird infestation and prevent risk to the family’s health as birds carry transmissible diseases and parasites, including salmonella, bird mites and lice.
  • Improve property aesthetics – stop birds nesting under the panels to reduce other debris and litter around the property for better aesthetics.
  • Stop bird noise – bird species are nocturnal and many live in communal families. Cover your solar panels with SolarMesh for quieter living.
  • Void panel warranty – bird damage to solar panel electrical wiring void warranties by your solar providers. Installing solar mesh reduces maintenance costs and saves you money.

SolarMesh

Specifications

  • Base material: Galvanised or stainless steel
  • Coating: Black PVC Coating
  • Aperture: 12mm
  • Stand width: 1.0mm
  • Role Size: 200mm x 30m 

Features and benefits:

  • Compatible with Poly or Metal Solar clips
  • larger hole size to maximise airflow & efficiency 
  • Colours: Black
  • Warranty: 1-year 

See our SolarMesh range.

Why ember-proof solar panels

Solar panel bird proofing prevents leaves and nesting birds from habituating underneath the solar panels and protects against windborne embers. In bushfire-prone areas, 85% of homes destroyed occur due to windborne embers and not via direct fire contact. Therefore, gutter protection and solar panel protection are a must for any home in bushfire risk zones. 

According to Australian Standard AS3959-2009, ember guards must cover any opening or roof cavity to protect from burning debris in specific bushfire attack level areas. Homeowners are not legally required to cover solar panels with ember guard-compliant mesh

Ensuring commercial buildings and residential properties are adequately protected from a bushfire is the best solution to protect your home. Installing ember guards and leaf guards to meet Australian standards is the best protective gutter guard solution.

Read: Ember Guard Case Study: Yarra Ranges Special School 

TuffMesh® Emberguard

Specifications

  • LWG: 6.0mm
  • SWG: 3.0mm
  • Aperture: 1.6mm (average hole size)
  • Plate thickness: 0.8
  • Strand width: 1.2mm
  • Aluminum mesh

Features and benefits:

  • Strongest aluminium guard
  • One way mesh with added trough for maximum water collection
  • Complies with AS3959–1999
  • Australian Bushfire Standards
  • CSIRO tested flammability index of zero
  • Suitable to BAL 29
  • Akzo Nobel D1000 powder coating.
  • Powder coated in Australia
  • 25-year material warranty

Colour Options:

Basalt®

Classic Cream®

Cottage Green®

Dark Brown

Deep Ocean®

Dune®

Evening Haze®

Gully®

Ironstone®

Jasper®

Manor Red®

Monument®

Night Sky®

Pale Eucalypt®

Paperbark®

Shale Grey®

Surfmist®

Terracotta

Wallaby®

Windspray®

Woodlands Grey®

Zinc

See our full range of gutter guard & ember guard products.

Bushfire Attack Level Recommendations

BAL-Low to BAL-29

BAL-ratings require the specific gutter mesh, gutter guard and ember guard: 

  • BAL-Low indicates low risk from burning embers and the gutter guard choice suits your gutter protection solution and not the ember guard specified. 
  • BAL-12.5 indicates some risk of ember attack and the aluminium ember guard and the gutter guard must comply with BAL 12.5.
  • BAL-19 indicates a risk of ember attack, and the aluminium/steel gutter guard complies with BAL-19.
  • BAL-29 indicates a high risk of ember attack and aluminium or steel ember guards comply with BAL 29

In BAL-low to BAL-29, we recommend SolarMesh as the best solar panel protection solution. The aperture size protects from burning debris, leaf guard, and birds nesting under the solar panels. 

Read: 10 Architectural considerations for gutter mesh

corrugated roof ember guard

BAL-40 to BAL-FZ

In extreme bushfire risk areas with BAL-40 or BAL-FZ ratings, ScreenTech recommends using corrosion-resistant, non-combustible aluminium gutter guards as solar panel protection. In these areas, only steel and bronze ember guards meet ember guard compliance; however, in these cases, aluminium gutter guards secure the roof without needing to be screwed into the panels. The smaller hole size provides better protection against embers while also stopping birds nesting. 

ScreenTech also recommends gutter guard installation on solar panels requires professional installation and should not be undertaken as a DIY gutter guard solution. 

Read: Bunnings Gutter Guard Range Review 

Need gutter guard installed?

Want to know more? ScreenTech sends out Colorbond® gutter guard, ember guard and solar mesh samples. We include guides to architects and consult gutter guard projects and considerations.

Look no further than ScreenTech’s TuffMesh®,  GutterMeshSteelMesh and SolarMesh products. Our mesh suits Klip-Lok®, Trimdeck®, corrugated, tiled roofs and solar panels. Get in touch with a ScreenTech installation partner today for your gutter guard installation needs.

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Do all new homes need bird proofing?

Thousands of homeowners need to bird-proof their homes, but deciding to bird-proof a new home can be challenging as your customers usually only recognise a bird problem after signs of bird infestations.

Do all new homes need to bird proofing? Of course not. It wastes the builder’s resources and adds a financial burden to the new homeowner. However, most new homes built on green field sites around urban peripheries benefit from bird proofing measures.

Our research in cooperation with Melbourne gutter guard installers found that 83% of Melbourne homes that installed gutter guards as a bird proofing solution were under five years old.

Furthermore, the same research indicates that bird-proofing solutions were commonly built on greenfield sites around the periphery of Melbourne.

As humans build on naturally occurring nesting sites (Greenfields), those birds look for alternative nesting options – your customer’s brand-new home.

Continue reading to learn more about bird-proofing new homes and commercial buildings.

Need gutter guard installed?

When to bird proof a new home

bird proofing new homes

Bird proofing specifications on new build plans are rare. However, homeowners in greenfield areas are more at risk of infestation from pest bird species without early installation.

A bird proofing system is relatively cheap to install during construction stages as the available scaffolding is in place. A retrofit can cost thousands as legal safety requirements at heights will require framing, increasing costs by hundreds or thousands depending on property size.

Retrofit costs will also include bird removal services, maintenance and cleaning of the guttering system and solar panels, which is exceptionally costly for commercial properties.

Feathers, bird fouling and nesting material block gutters and downpipes after heavy rainfall, which can cause water damage to the gutter system and foundations.

Our recommendations for new buildings are as follows:

  • For brownfield sites, ScreenTech recommends waiting and responding if necessary;
  • For greenfield sites close to other new builds, look at the surrounding homes (i.e. if you can see bird proofing or nesting in gutters;
  • Bird proofing should be standard for homes using water collected by a rainwater harvesting system;
  • Bird proofing is the default for municipal builds on a greenfield, especially for schools where children may be exposed to bird-related diseases and contaminate tank water.
screentech commercial gutter guard project

When considering your greenfield site, ask yourself:

  • Is bird proofing already installed in nearby homes?
  • Will the home have solar panels?
  • Are birds standing on the roof of nearby homes?
  • Are there bird nests in the gutters of nearby homes? Are their nesting materials in drain pipes or that blocked gutters?
  • Do trees border the site? Is there any bird roosting in those existing trees? (Birds prefer a warm roof, gutter or solar panel to a tree.)
  • Do bird droppings accumulate around the property area?
  • Are pest birds local to the area, including pest pigeons, gulls, mynas, sparrows and starlings?

Bird proofing is a fundamental consideration in house design to prevent bird problems. Architects and builders can offer bird proofing to homeowners right from the start.

ScreenTech offers straightforward and expert advice on bird-proofing new properties.

 

Need gutter guards installed 

Why choose bird proofing over pest control services

Nesting memory

bird proofing against birds nesting in roof

Established bird nesting sites attract pest birds and other pests to that location. Pest birds rarely reuse an old nest; however, they will seek out other habitable spaces.

Baby birds have nesting memory, meaning offspring return to the same hatching site year after year – despite removing the original nest. Often, they nest in the opposite corner of your roof or gutter, causing blocked gutter and mess associated with birds.

Problem birds also carry transmissible diseases, such as worms and salmonella. The only way to stop them is to deny them access with a physical barrier.

Solar panel challenges

solar panel bird protection

The rise in solar panel installation on domestic homes across Australia correlates to bird infestations in new and older Australian homes. Birds nest in warm, sheltered places, ideally provided by the gap between the roof and solar panels. As such, bird-proofing mesh systems prevent birds from nesting underneath the panels.

Birds are territorial and destructive. It can cause lasting damage to solar panels, and often this damage is not covered under a warranty. The combination of flat surfaces on the roof and solar panels make pest control, cleaning and maintenance extremely challenging requiring a professional approach. Any solar panel damage during the cleaning and bird removal may not be covered under warranty and may cost customers thousands.

The only way to stop birds from nesting underneath solar panels is to install a physical barrier that allows light and moisture to permeate but denies birds and other animals access.

Order a sample pack with integrated gutter mesh samples. 

Bird proofing methods

Integrated gutter mesh system

Colorbond gutter guard system

An integrated gutter mesh prevents birds from accessing gutters, roof cavities, valleys, and other spaces birds use for nesting. A bird mesh system covers these areas deterring birds. It encourages healthy water flow through gutters creating a permeable protective barrier specially-manufactured to prevent birds from nesting and perching.

Solar panel bird mesh system

solar panel protection with solar mesh

SolarMesh is a wire PVC-coated stainless steel or galvanised mesh with a larger hole size than typical gutter guard mesh. The larger 12mm aperture ensures the panels don’t overheat and diminish panel energy collection. It is secured safely to the solar panels with clips that prevent damage and voiding the panel warranty.

 

Need gutter guard installed?

Pest control services

Most pest control is not a preventative measure. Most pest control includes removal, cleaning and control measures without installing them permanently. Some bird control measures include chemical bird control, which is toxic to other birds, including natives unlikely to nest on your roof.

Bird spikes

bird spikes

Bird spikes prevent birds from perching and roosting but may not prevent nest development. It is also the most visible of the measures from ground level. It is often applied with other bird prevention measures, such as an integrated gutter guard system, to provide commercial properties with 100% complete protection.

Bird netting

Like spikes, in conjunction with other measures, bird netting for commercial properties and large domestic homes prevent bird infestation. It can provide a 100% bird solution if installed as part of an integrated gutter mesh system. However, it will not deter smaller bird species and can trap birds if installed incorrectly.

Need gutter guard installed?

New home bird proofing benefits

Some benefits of bird proofing include:

  • Reduce the risk of property damage to commercial & residential property, including shingles, tiles and wooden fascias.
  • reduce gutter system blockages
  • Improved rainwater quality for tanks and rainwater harvesting systems.
  • Reduce risk to your family’s health as droppings and fouling carry transmissible diseases and parasites, including salmonella.
  • Reduce risk from other pests that are attracted to bird nests.
  • Improved property aesthetics as bird droppings are highly corrosive and acidic, leaving stains, discolouration and damage to outdoor structures.
  • Reduced nesting litter around roofing eaves, verandas and gutters
  • Reduce noise pollution caused by baby birds and nocturnally active
  • Improve solar panel life expectancy and energy output
  • Encourage native bird species in your garden.

 

Free bird proofing mesh samples

Want to know more? ScreenTech sends out samples and guides to architects and discusses projects and considerations.

Look no further than ScreenTech’s environmentally friendly, humane bird-proofing products. Our mesh prevents bird nests in gutters, roof valleys, walls and roof cavities. Get in touch with a ScreenTech installation partner today.

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6 reasons solar companies should offer Solar Mesh products

If you are not providing your customers with solar mesh, you’re missing out – BIG TIME!

Solar Mesh or solar skirts enhance the solar panels’ appeal when installed on rooftops. They essentially provide a clean and finished look to the solar panels as they cover up the wires and mounts exposed underneath the panels and prevent damage caused by birds and rodents. Installing a solar mesh is an affordable solution that will improve the performance of solar panels and increase your margins.

Let’s explore the added benefits of installing a solar skirt in greater detail.

Maximise Solar Power

Scaffold structures are erected to install solar panels for domestic and commercial purposes, and roof access areas are already built in many modern buildings. Thus, it is relatively easy for solar panel technicians to install solar mesh.

Solar skirts or mesh are designed to fit easily without time-consuming work such as measuring, cutting and bending. They can be pre-cut to size according to requirements and fitted with the scaffolding present.

Solar mesh is particularly useful for extending the life of a solar panel. Made up of a mesh-like material, solar skirts reduce maintenance cost and promotes ventilation around the solar panel. This is important to ensure that these precious and costly panels don’t repeatedly replaced.

An Inclusive Package

The benefits provided by a solar skirt is immense, and it is a great ROI given that it is simply a PVC coated wire mesh. Hence, it is beneficial for everyone, both for businesses like yourself and customers to get a combined package of solar panel plus skirt. It’s almost like a mobile phone cover to a mobile phone. Most clients would ask for it, and almost every one of them would appreciate the added product.

Solar panels provide clean energy services for both residential and commercial purposes to customers. When you provide solar skirts along with solar panels, they allow customers to have a one-stop-shop to get everything at the same place. This prevents them from dealing with outside contractors for just the solar skirt.

With this added product, customers will prefer the convenience and appreciate the value-add from buying a solar panel from you.

ZERO additional cost

It requires no training costs for the same technicians installing solar panels to do so for solar skirts in order to provide additional protection to the system. It is an added benefit with minimal effort.

As the solar panels can be easily damaged, installing solar skirts will enhance the safety of the system while utilising the same staff. They can be fitted within seconds and tightened with clamps easily and does not involve additional costs.

A Marketing Edge

Solar skirts are cost-effective and add elegance to the solar panel. They are easy to fit and snap into place to provide a clean and distinctive look. The catalogues including solar skirts add a marketing edge to your product line as they show customers the benefits of installing them. Easy-to-follow instructions, fast installation and fewer costs are some unique selling points that attract more customers to your range of products which can improve sales.

Multiple Colour Options and Price Points

With an unmatched product range, customers can choose from the various colours offered to suit their requirements.  Solar skirts have vast colour options available at multiple price points. Rather than selling products at fixed prices, you can price-match and introduce promotions according your customer’s preference.  This will generate more profit for your customers and help you capture a wider market share.

Preventing the Main Cause of Solar Panel Panic

Your customers love the environmental benefits of the solar panels, but wildlife gets in the way. It is important to highlight this point, especially to new customers, since birds and rodents are the number one cause of solar panels becoming broken. Birds and rodents prefer the space under the panels as they are dry and protect them from the elements of nature. Moreover, the heat generated from the panels provides a warm environment which they love.

Many customers tend to panic when their solar panel is broken or when they see a dead animal on it. Yes, these energy-generating panels are great but they are also the favourite of animals. Therefore, including a solar skirt into your line of products provides assurance to many customers about the issue.

Prevents Bushfire Risk

Debris and leaves get under the solar panel, which increase the risk of a bushfire during summer. Given the impact of the current Australian Bushfire episode, it is important to highlight to customers ways they can prevent occurrences of it from happening in their compounds. Everyone is keen to help out and get in on this as the bushfires have had a devastating impact on our communities.

Solar skirts prevent such accumulation of debris and improve the unrestricted flow of air around the panels. They will reduce the risk of embers that may start a bushfire. The aluminium screen products fit the Australian fire standards and will not ignite easily.

With these unique selling points, it is apparent that the ROI of including solar skirts into your range of products is huge! The solar skirts offer a huge number of benefits to customers, keeping them content with the product.

Time to include this product into your catalogue!

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Why Solar Mesh is a MUST & NOT an Optional Extra

Installing solar mesh on rooftop solar panels have become a necessity in Australia as it forms a protective barrier to potential bushfire threats. The installation prevent rodents, birds, and leaves from getting under the solar panels. This makes the solar mesh an absolute necessity and not an optional extra.

Bushfires have been raging through various regions of Australia destroying lives, business, and property. They have devastated our environment and neighbourhood. Accumulated leaf litter is one such factor that trigger bushfires. In the summer months, the accumulated dry leaves transform into dry fuel which increase the chances of a fire hazard.

It is best to protect housing and commercial property from the accumulation of dry leaves or nesting materials from roosting birds, especially under the space below the solar panels, as these may act as kindling for embers in a bushfire. A simple solar mesh will do the trick!

Solar Panel Bird Proofing protects from Damages Caused by Animals and Birds Nesting Underneath

Small birds and rodents prefer to stay in the space beneath the panels. These spaces protect the rodents from the elements, especially as they are dry and comfortable. However, they create a lot of mess on your customers’ rooftops and produce a rotten smell. The longer they remain, the greater the damage caused to the solar panels. Bird spikes are often  not an effective deterrent and other bird deterrents have mixed results.

Solar mesh prevent this from happening by bird proofing the solar panels. These leave no space for birds to roost and animals to rest underneath. The small mesh holes protect the panels from animals, but leave sufficient space for free airflow under the panels.

Though rodents do not cause any direct damage to the solar array, they bite into the wiring and the electric components, causing a short circuit in the wiring, which may lead to a fire hazard. When birds nest under solar panels, bird droppings accumulate in these spaces, which may then generate various types of diseases such as salmonella.

Pigeons have become prolific nesters under solar panels especially in Sydney and NSW. Pigeon proofing  solar panels will help keep these infestations away with a humane bird control solution

Solar Mesh Stop Debris Such As Leaves Collecting Under the Panels Which Become a Bushfire Hazard

Flammable debris like dry leaves have larger chances of igniting. It is feared that the leaves that pile up under the solar panel may be a cause for a fire waiting to take place. If your customer lives in a rural region where there are more trees, this causes a lot of concern to the people living there. Eucalyptus leaves are said to have oil content are considered easily flammable.  Flammable debris like leaves usually gather under the solar panels. Over a period of time, they accumulate as dry piles of leaves trap heat, which may also trigger a fire. This also worsens the efficiency of the solar panels.

Solar Mesh Prevent Wet Debris Accumulating Under the Panel That May Speed Up Corrosion on Metal Roofs

Storm and wet weather conditions can make the leaves under the solar panels wet and take a longer time to dry. The wet leaves corrode the metal roofs on top of the house, and there are chances of electrical arcing or equipment failure. If there is a build-up of ice from hail in the space under the solar panel, it may bring in an expansion strength, which puts pressure on the roof and the system. You can protect your customer’s precious solar panels from such hazards and prevent their investment from destruction with solar mesh.

Get High Quality Solar Mesh and Clips

At Screen Tech we have a range of options including UV stable nylon fasteners, Aluminium j hooks and aluminium clips patented by screen tech. Our Range of special solar wire mesh products comes in Stainless Steel PVC coated mesh we also have aluminium mesh available all of which have been tested in Australian conditions. At Screen Tech our Solar Panel mesh kits are designed to be installed quickly by an installer and come with an up to 20 year warranty depending on the solution chosen. They represent a cost effective pest control solution.

Solar Mesh Provide a Finished Look and Blend In with Roofs with 24 Mesh Colours to Choose From

Solar mesh provides a finished look to the solar panels and enhance the look of a homeowners house. The rooftop gets a completed finish as the wire tails and hangings are completely hidden from view. You customer can choose from our 24 mesh colours to beautify their rooftops and to match to the colour of their house. A bird mesh brings down cleaning and maintenance costs too. With protective steel mesh, you can keep out pests and prevent the solar installation from accumulating debris.

Solar mesh are protective barriers that have become an absolute necessity and not an optional extra for homes in Australia. Being a lead in the industry, you want to make the best partnerships to provide your customers with only the best products.

The devastation of the bushfires have affected thousands of homes and businesses. Everyone should do their part in preventing the fires from happening, not just our firies. While they have been tirelessly working round the clock, we all have a responsibility to contributing to hazard reduction.

Including solar mesh and offering these products to your customers with a free quote can often make them aware of how they could help protect themselves against possums, feral pigeons  and pest birds that might take advantage of the shelter provided by homeowners installing solar panels.