Solar Panels and Local Wildlife on the Mid North Coast

If you live on the Mid North Coast, you already know the wildlife here is part of daily life. Cockatoos tear apart timber decks, possums raid fruit trees overnight, and koalas move through backyards more often than most people realise. When you add a rooftop solar system to the mix, wildlife interactions become something worth thinking about before and after installation.

The good news is that solar panels and local wildlife can absolutely coexist. With the right setup and a bit of maintenance awareness, your system stays productive and local animals stay safe.

Which Animals Are Most Likely to Interact With Your Panels

• Cockatoos and corellas – powerful beaks, and they will chew wiring and rubber grommets if given access
• Possums – common ringtails and brushtails that nest under panels or use mounting rails as a highway across the roof
• Pigeons and mynas – the most frequent nesters; they pack debris under panels and leave droppings that degrade panel efficiency
• Microbats – native, protected, and sometimes roosting in the gap between panels and roof sheeting
• Koalas – occasionally spotted on rooftops, particularly in areas bordering bushland around Port Macquarie and Wauchope
• Lizards and snakes – attracted by warmth radiating from the underside of panels, especially in summer

Not every animal is a problem. Lizards sunning themselves on the edge of a panel cause no harm at all. The issues arise when animals nest underneath panels, chew wiring, or leave enough debris and droppings to reduce output or create a fire risk.

Bird Nesting Under Solar Panels: A Real and Common Problem

• Pigeons, in particular, treat the gap under panels as ideal shelter – protected from rain, warm, and elevated from predators
• A nesting pair can deposit kilograms of material (twigs, feathers, droppings) that trap heat and moisture against the roof
• Dried nesting material is a fire risk, particularly during summer
• Bird droppings are acidic and will etch panel glass over time, creating permanent shading spots that reduce output
• Once birds are established, they return season after season unless access is blocked

The solution is critter mesh, also called a critter guard or bird barrier. This is a coated wire mesh that clips directly to the panel frame and closes the gap between the panel edge and the roof. It does not void panel warranties when installed correctly and it does not affect airflow beneath the panels.

If birds are already nesting, the timing of removal matters. During active breeding season (typically August through January for many species), disturbing an active nest with eggs or chicks is prohibited under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. The right approach is to wait until the nest is vacated, then install mesh immediately afterwards so re-entry is not possible.

Possums, Cockatoos and Wiring Damage

• Possums rarely chew wiring directly, but their weight and movement across conduit runs can loosen connections over time
• Cockatoos are the bigger risk – sulphur-crested cockatoos are abundant on the Mid North Coast and have been documented chewing through DC cable insulation, rubber grommets on inverters, and conduit
• Chewed DC wiring is a serious safety issue. DC current from solar panels does not switch off the way AC does – it flows continuously while there is light
• Any exposed or damaged wiring should be treated as urgent and assessed by a CEC accredited installer

Cockatoo damage is underreported because it often happens gradually. A small nick in cable insulation may not cause an immediate fault, but over months of UV exposure and moisture ingress it can become a real hazard. During any annual inspection, wiring condition should be checked end to end, not just at the inverter.

Important: If you find a native animal (possum, microbat, koala) on or under your panels and it appears injured or trapped, do not attempt to handle it. Contact WIRES on 1300 094 737. They operate across the Mid North Coast and can advise on safe removal without breaching wildlife protection laws.

Microbats: Protected, Beneficial, and Easy to Accommodate

Microbats are one of the most overlooked wildlife species in residential areas, and they are fully protected under NSW law. A single microbat can consume thousands of mosquitoes and moths in a single night, which makes them genuinely useful neighbours.

• Microbats sometimes roost in the gap beneath solar panels, particularly on north-facing roofs with good thermal mass
• They do not damage panels or wiring
• They cannot legally be disturbed during roosting season
• If microbats are present, standard critter mesh installation should be paused until a wildlife carer or WIRES representative has assessed the roost
• In most cases, mesh can be installed at the end of the roosting season without impacting the colony long-term

This is one of the reasons it is worth having a local installer who knows the regional wildlife calendar. A company with 25+ years of experience in this area will know when and how to work around local species without causing harm or legal issues.

Koala Habitat and Why Rooftop Solar Matters

The Mid North Coast is one of the strongholds for koala populations in NSW. The Port Macquarie Hastings area has an active koala hospital and regular koala movement through suburban corridors. Koala habitat loss is directly tied to land clearing for development and energy infrastructure.

Rooftop solar sidesteps this issue entirely. By generating power on already-developed land (your roof), it adds zero new footprint. Compare that to large-scale coal mines or gas fields, which require significant land clearing, road infrastructure, and ongoing disturbance to surrounding habitat over decades.

• Rooftop solar uses existing roof space – no land clearing required
• Distributed generation means power is produced where it is consumed, reducing the need for new transmission corridors through bushland
• Adding a solar battery extends self-consumption further, reducing reliance on grid infrastructure
• Lower grid demand means less pressure to build new fossil fuel or utility-scale generation on greenfield sites

Solar vs Fossil Fuels: Wildlife Impact Comparison

No energy source is entirely without impact. Panel manufacturing does use energy and materials. But across the full lifecycle, rooftop solar on a home in Port Macquarie produces a fraction of the environmental pressure that coal or gas generation does over the same period.

Practical Steps for Homeowners

Most wildlife interactions with solar panels are preventable or manageable with straightforward maintenance habits. Here is what to do.

• Install critter mesh at the time of installation – it is far cheaper to add mesh upfront than to deal with a bird nesting problem later
• Trim overhanging branches – branches within a metre or two of panels give possums and birds easy access to the roof. Keeping trees trimmed back also reduces debris accumulation on panels
• Schedule an annual inspection – a CEC accredited installer will check wiring condition, panel mounting, and signs of animal activity in a single visit
• Check your monitoring app – a sudden drop in output from one string can indicate a panel shaded by droppings or debris, which is often the first sign of a nesting problem below
• Do not hose panels from below – directing water upward under panels can dislodge debris into wiring or damage connectors
• Report unusual odours or sounds – a burning smell near the inverter or scratching sounds from the roof at night warrant prompt investigation

Wildlife law reminder: In NSW, all native birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians are protected under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. This includes common species like magpies, possums and microbats. If wildlife work is required around your panels, use a licensed wildlife handler or contact WIRES. Your solar installer can work around any active roost once it has been safely cleared.

What to Do If You Find Animals Nesting Under Your Panels

Finding a nest under your panels is more common than most people expect, particularly in spring and early summer. The right response depends on whether the nest is active.

• Active nest with eggs or young: Do not disturb. Note the location and contact WIRES (1300 094 737) for advice on timing. Once the young have fledged and the nest is vacant, arrange for critter mesh to be installed immediately
• Vacant nest: Have it removed by your installer during the next service visit, then install mesh to prevent re-entry
• Injured animal found near panels: Contact WIRES. Do not attempt to handle a native animal yourself unless you are trained to do so
• Possum roosting (no nest material): Possums can often be excluded with mesh once a wildlife carer confirms they have vacated. They are territorial but will find an alternative roost quickly

The key point is that dealing with wildlife around solar panels is not complicated – it just requires the right sequence of steps and the right people involved. A local installer who has been working in this region for 25+ years will have encountered every scenario and can coordinate the process without causing harm to the animals or your system.

Ready to Install Solar the Right Way on the Mid North Coast?

SolaXs is a CEC accredited solar installer based in Port Macquarie, with over 25 years of local experience. We know the wildlife, the rooflines, and the conditions on the Mid North Coast, and we include critter guard recommendations as part of every residential quote.

Whether you are looking at a new solar installation, adding a battery, or want an inspection of an existing system, get in touch with the team for a no-obligation conversation.

For more information, see the Clean Energy Council buying solar guide and the Australian Government Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme.