Gecko-Proofing Solar Inverter

[tjo o tjim]

Has anybody had issues with geckos or insects getting into their solar equipment and causing problems?  Any recommended solutions?

[BritManToo]

I've loads of solar equipment.

The only 'creature' problems I've had is birds pooping on my panels.

 

[Crossy]

Having had assorted wildlife in electronics in the past our Sofar inverters are IP65 and fanless, no creature may enter.

 

If you do have fans and the inverters are in a wildlife preserve, the wire type mozzie screen provides very little resistance to airflow and total resistance to gekkos. You need to cover both the inlet and exhaust ports (not always easy).

 

Or you could build an enclosure with mozzie screened ventilation (maybe extra fans too).

 

One problem we did have was our local Ringed Doves tried to make a nest on top of the grid-tie inverter, I was worried about dove poop and overheating so I made a negative birdcage out of a grill mesh to persuade them to go elsewhere. Oddly enough the other inverter (the hybrid) hasn't proven remotely attractive and thus doesn't have a cage.

 

The mud-dauber wasps are no problem, so are allowed to stay.

 

[Muhendis]

Here's what I did.

The insect screens are 1mm stainless steel mesh. The slots in the inverter case and the fan/lizard guillotine* openings are all covered on the inside of the case. I used steel epoxy to hold the mesh in place. The room vents are my own bespoke design using, once again, the 1mm stainless steel wire mesh in a wooden frame.

Steel mesh is available on line quite cheap. 

 

* Yep! I spent a few minutes extracting a lizard head from one of the ventilation fans in the inverter.