Falcons would be the new ‘watchmen’ of solar panels in Japan

Japan seeks to be carbon neutral by 2050: that is, to ensure that its economy is supplied with electricity that does not pollute. It has multiple strategies at work, and one of them appeals to solar panels, capable of capturing sunlight and transforming it into electricity. But it is not only the sun’s rays that hit the glass of the panels: stones are also thrown by the crows that inhabit the island, and that are becoming a problem that required creative solutions to solve them.

The first sign came in 2019, when in Karatsu, Saga Prefectureoperators of a solar panel farm encountered several broken cellsbut in a way that didn’t make sense with a classic human vandalism (the damaged panels were in very inaccessible locations, when it would have been easier to break closer ones, for example).

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The damage occurred for 2 years, while the workers investigated the case. They finally found the culprits, as reported by the Japanese site Asahi Shimbun: crows from the area, which usually they drop some objects in flight, such as nuts, to crack them open and eat the insidesbut who also, for some reason, throw more forceful objects, such as stones.

Finally, in 2019 a firm from the area came up with a solution: put a speaker that emits the sound of a crow being attackedwhich alternates with that of eagles and hawks, which quickly scared away the crows.

It is not the only solution: according to the WrathOfGnon account, other companies appeal directly to the predators of the crows, such as hawks, to keep crows away from solar panelsespecially when it comes to Picudos Crows (Corvus macrorhynchos), larger than the normal crow.

They can do up to 60 flights a day over farms of about 100,000 solar panels, preventing the crows from leaving the stones on them, causing them to overheat and preventing their correct operation.

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Damage to solar panels is certainly a nuisance, but at least it happens in an uninhabited area: Worse, for people, is what happens in Sunnyvale, California, a city in which the population of crows in the area grew exponentially during the pandemic, to the point that the local mayor will begin a test with laser pointers to illuminate, annoy and drive birds away from restaurants and outdoor places, which they fly over at dusk, to the dismay of residents, who they fear being hit by the poop of these birds. As one city dweller illustrated on CNN: You can only dine outdoors under an umbrella.

GDA / The Nation / Argentina

Source: Elcomercio

James

I have worked as a journalist for over 10 years and have written for various news outlets. I currently work as an author at 24 News Recorder, mostly covering entertainment news. I have a keen interest in the industry and enjoy writing about the latest news and gossip. I am also a member of the National Association of Journalists.