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The Dutch company that offers bird control solutions for solar installations is expanding its range with a trio of launches, with high hopes that its business can take off on commercial rooftops.
Netherlands-based BirdBlocker has added three new lines to its range of bird protection products for solar installations, including a new cable management brand. The three new additions were showcased at the Intersolar exhibition at Smarter E Europe, which took place in Munich last week.
CableFixPro is a new range of clips that BirdBlocker claims can be installed without tools and is compatible with traditional and square frame solar panels. Each clip is made from NS coated stainless steel spring wire, can hold two 6-8mm cables, comes with a 10 year guarantee and is sold in retail quantities of 100 clips per pack and wholesale quantities of 50 packs per box. CableFixPro clips are compatible with the entire BirdBlocker range and meet European IEC and UK standards for safety and performance.
Paul van der Ven, co-owner of BirdBlocker, said solar panel manufacturers have started to favor frames with a box design on the short side of their panels, meaning existing cable clips that attach to one edge have become incompatible, creating an opportunity in the market. “Our catalog of frames measured in 2023 shows that 63% of frames have a box design on the short side,” van der Ven said, adding that the company measured solar modules from 113 brands in 2023.
“We have created a system with three varieties of clips resulting in a cable management system that, on the one hand, is universally compatible with all panel rack designs and, on the other hand, is also compatible with BirdBlocker systems from protection against birds,” he told pv magazine .
BirdBlocker also unveiled the latest version of its bird control solution at Intersolar: BirdBlocker BB85. Designed to prevent birds from nesting under solar modules, BirdBlocker is a plastic skirt that is installed around the PV modules. With the launch of BirdBlocker BB85, scheduled for September 2024, the brand will introduce a redesigned 85mm high variant that improves compatibility with metal, corrugated and trapezoidal roofs, steel decks and low-mount systems. All variants in the BirdBlocker range are made from UV-resistant, recyclable black HDPE plastic, which the company says is also resistant to cold and heat.
Previously, the 200mm BirdBlocker product was used on metal, corrugated and trapezoidal roofs “with a lot of effort and waste material,” says van der Ven. The co-owner of BirdBlocker believes that this new version should open doors in the C&I segment. “Since this type of cover is often used in industry as well as agriculture, problems such as hygiene - feces, fungi, mites, ticks, bacteria and even viruses such as bird flu - are avoided by keeping pests at bay. birds,” he explains. According to van der Ven, bird nests can also represent a fire hazard when located under photovoltaic modules, which is all the more reason to invest in protection.
As for pricing, BirdBlocker says the cost largely depends on the installation layout, but that if an installer includes BirdBlocker in a residential installation, it will likely add “a few hundred euros” to the cost to the consumer. Retrofitting is usually more expensive for the consumer as it requires a visit by an installer, who will have to remove and reinstall the panels.
BirdBlocker has also introduced a cosmetic change to its clip range with the launch of black box-style clips. Measuring 30mm high and 14-18mm wide, the clips are designed to securely fit the BirdBlocker system. |
