Are Solar Panels Harmful To Birds

Rooftop solar panels help slow climate change and protect birds such as this black capped chickadee.

Are solar panels harmful to birds.

The bright blades and lights in turbines and solar panels actually attract birds and the insects they eat. Solar power installed by residents either on their roof or a ground installation do not harm birds at all. This is true whether the technology is photovoltaic panels or solar thermal collectors. Every species of bird.

Birds can be killed when they smash into the facility s solar panels the investigation concluded. This is even a problem for solar panel facilities which see up to 138 000 bird deaths per year in the us from collisions with equipment. The threat to birds from pv solar panels comes from their resemblance to water which can lead birds to dive into them a phenomenon called the lake effect. Therefore audubon reports even if wind turbines are retrofitted.

Solar energy is a boon for the environment but some methods can be harmful to birds and other wildlife. First of all there are different types of solar power. These beams of heat which are known to sear bird feathers are quite a different threat to birds than photovoltaic pv solar panels which are cool and create no in air obstacles to bird flight.