Squirrel guard is a low-profile, metal screen that clips to the underside of the perimeter of the solar array to keep out squirrels and other critters that are known to nest underneath the newly installed solar array.
Things to consider:
A solar array provides an attractive home for critters, especially squirrels underneath the panels, along the racking.
Baby squirrels tend to chew on the wires when they are teething and can damage the wires and unwillingly hurt themselves in the process.
Damage often goes unnoticed until the problem requires a system re-wiring and/or replacement of expensive equipment.
Solar manufacturers’ warranties do not cover squirrel damage.
Ipsun Solar recommends installing squirrel guard when:
- There are any squirrels present.
- Trees are hanging over the house.
- Bushes or small trees are touching the house.
- Row homes with multiple connected roof lines.
Squirrel guard is low-profile and conceals the racking system underneath the system to give a clean and finished aesthetic look.
Average* cost to install: $0.10/Watt
- 7kW = $700
- 12kW = $1,200
- 14kW+ = Determined project by project
*Cost to install squirrel guard is determined based on the size of the system and the number of arrays. Adding squirrel guard after an array has been completed can incur additional labor costs.
Update on March 9th 2021:
During a routing maintenance check, we saw this little guy under our panels: