{"id":92525,"date":"2025-06-12T12:04:26","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T02:34:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=92525"},"modified":"2025-06-12T15:59:35","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T06:29:35","slug":"make-sure-your-solar-isnt-an-insect-magnet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/make-sure-your-solar-isnt-an-insect-magnet\/","title":{"rendered":"Make Sure Your Solar Isn’t An Insect Magnet"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"APlenty of people get solar to do their bit for the environment. Although renewables are far better for nature than fossil fuels, a new book details the little-known impact that solar panels have on insects, birds and bats. Here’s how to make sure your panels aren’t part of the problem.<\/p>\n

An eco-conscious homeowner installs solar on the roof to help the energy transition, and also creates a pond in the backyard to benefit the local ecosystem. Aquatic insects on the first flight of their life are lured from the pond onto the solar panels on the nearby roof, which they mistake for a water body suitable for laying their eggs.<\/p>\n

It is a scenario imagined by ecologist Menno Schilthuizen in his new book The Urban Naturalist<\/em><\/a>, which explores how citizen scientists can examine the impacts of human activity on ecosystems, such as the relationship between some solar panels and insects.<\/p>\n

Many aquatic insects have vision that can see polarised light, which helps them find water sources. Solar panels also emit this form of light, luring the bugs in like moths to an electric light. The eggs they lay on the solar panels have no hope of survival, contributing to a global decline in insect populations<\/a> that could upend ecosystems.<\/p>\n

These insects in turn attract the bats that feed on them, subsequently being connected to a rise in bat collisions with solar panels<\/a>, with research underway into similar potential impacts on birdlife. One of the many good reasons it is bad news to attract birds to panels is the damage they can do to solar systems<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The threat some solar panels pose to insects is likely to be particularly pronounced in Australia, Schilthuizen tells SolarQuotes:<\/p>\n

\u201cSince using circular polarisation as a means to detect water bodies is such a general property of winged freshwater organisms worldwide, I am sure the same happens in Australia \u2026 in a country where water bodies are few and far between, it is likely that the impact will be even larger there.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

White Gridding Greatly Reduces Impact<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Solar panels with white gridding have a much lower impact on insects.<\/p><\/div>\n

Impacted insects include dragonflies, damselflies, mayflies, water beetles and water bugs. There is a solution, however: purchasing solar panels with white gridding, particularly in combination with anti-reflective coatings.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cAny solar panel that has white gridding between the cells (provided the grid lines are at least a few millimetres broad and non-polarising) would have a much reduced impact on water insects and birds,\u201d Schilthuizen says.<\/p>\n

Research into the issue by scientist Gabor Horvath found the attractiveness of the solar panels<\/a> to insects is reduced up to 26-fold when white borders crisscross the panels, dividing them into smaller segments.<\/p>\n

Horvath found that \u201calthough solar panels can act as ecological traps, fragmenting their solar-active area does lessen their attractiveness to polarotactic insects.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scientists have also found that certain textures or coatings can mitigate the issue<\/a>, although no solar panel brands have promoted this as a feature.<\/p>\n

Another benefit of white gridding rather than all-black panels is that the latter perform slightly worse as they heat up more<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Many brands of solar panels offer both white gridding and black options – the latter will generally include the phrase ‘all-black’ in the name.<\/p>\n

\"All-black

An example of all-black solar panels.<\/p><\/div>\n

Citizen Scientists With White Tape<\/h2>\n

In Schilthuizen\u2019s book, which covers how everyday people can get involved in their own citizen science projects, he recommends people start a neighbourhood initiative to further contribute to knowledge on the subject:<\/p>\n

\u201cFind some neighbours who have both ponds and solar panels, apply strips of white masking tape to half the panels, and spend a comfortable evening (beers and snacks are allowed) sitting on their roof collecting and identifying water insects as they descend (or not) on the panels. If you manage to replicate Horv\u00e1th\u2019s results, you have solid scientific leverage to convince all your neighbours … and to help make the neighbourhood a better place. That is what community science is all about.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

SolarQuotes in-house installer Anthony Bennett cautions against leaving the tape on long-term however, as it could inhibit solar performance and pose a potential safety risk.<\/p>\n

To read further on this subject, The Urban Naturalist<\/em><\/a> is out now. For more on what else to consider in the purchase of solar panels, read our detailed guide<\/a> that covers all the essentials.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Plenty of people get solar to do their bit for the environment. Although renewables are far better for nature than fossil fuels, a new book details the little-known impact that solar panels have on insects, birds and bats. Here’s how to make sure your panels aren’t part of the problem.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":92530,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[507],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92525","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-solar-and-the-environment","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMake Sure Your Solar Isn't An Insect Magnet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A new book details the impact that solar panels have on insects, birds and bats. 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Max also reported on table tennis at the 2016 Rio Olympics \u2014 and is patiently waiting for any tenuous excuse to include his ping pong expertise in a SolarQuotes story.","url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/author\/max\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/mayfly-rests-on-solar.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2FF2s-o4l","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":30823,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/6-kilowatts-solar-panels\/","url_meta":{"origin":92525,"position":0},"title":"6.6 kW Solar System: How Many Solar Panels?","author":"Ronald Brakels","date":"June 6, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"If someone casually asks me how much solar they should install, I may simply tell them they should fill their roof with as much capacity as they reasonably can.\u00a0 But after learning the details, I often recommend installing as close to 6.66 kilowatts as possible. 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May 20 was World Bee Day. If you didn't know that, shame on you[1. I didn't know that either, so shame on me.]! Bees are incredibly important\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hanwha Group Solar Beehive","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/hanwha-solar-beehive.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/hanwha-solar-beehive.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/hanwha-solar-beehive.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/hanwha-solar-beehive.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/hanwha-solar-beehive.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":57133,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-panels-dkasc-mb2279\/","url_meta":{"origin":92525,"position":2},"title":"Australian-Made Solar Panels Thriving In Outback Testing","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"December 20, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"After years of operating in harsh outback conditions, solar panels from a couple of Australian manufacturers are still performing well. Transcript begins --- Finn: For this month's field test, we head all the way up to Alice Springs, to the Desert Knowledge Australia's Solar Centre to find out just how\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Solar panel performance testing - Australia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/panel-peformance-dkasc.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/panel-peformance-dkasc.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/panel-peformance-dkasc.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/panel-peformance-dkasc.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/panel-peformance-dkasc.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":54827,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/landscape-solar-panels\/","url_meta":{"origin":92525,"position":3},"title":"Why Landscape Solar Panels Can Be Better (But More Expensive)","author":"Finn Peacock","date":"October 18, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you ever noticed that most solar panels installed on Australian roofs are mounted in portrait orientation? Portrait is more popular because solar panels are cheaper and quicker to install this way. This post will explain why panel orientation can matter, and why you may be better off with landscape\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Installation"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Installation","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-installation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Solar panels - portrait or landscape?","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/installers-choice.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/installers-choice.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/installers-choice.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/installers-choice.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/installers-choice.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":94709,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/why-rec-still-backs-australias-brutal-solar-market\/","url_meta":{"origin":92525,"position":4},"title":"Why REC Still Backs Australia\u2019s Brutal Solar Market","author":"Finn Peacock","date":"September 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Australia increasingly loves cheap solar panels. This has led to rumours swirling around the solar industry that premium solar panel maker REC is considering giving up on the Aussie solar market and leaving it to the budget brands. I had a Zoom call with Jan Enno Bicker, the CEO of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Panels"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Panels","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-panels-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/finns-rec-panels.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/finns-rec-panels.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/finns-rec-panels.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/finns-rec-panels.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/finns-rec-panels.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/finns-rec-panels.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":67862,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-tiles-vs-panels\/","url_meta":{"origin":92525,"position":5},"title":"Should You Get Solar Tiles Instead Of Solar Panels?","author":"Ronald Brakels","date":"December 1, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I recently attended the 2022 All Energy Australia conference in Melbourne.\u00a0 There was a lot on display, including some Building Integrated PV (BIPV) I hadn't seen before. 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