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Solar PV Structural Surveys

Before panels go on a roof, somebody has to establish that the roof can carry them. We assess the existing structure against the additional load, survey the roof condition, and design the strengthening where the capacity is not there.

What we cover.

A solar array adds permanent load, changes wind uplift behaviour and concentrates point loads at fixing positions. On a roof that was designed decades ago for none of that, the question is not whether panels fit but whether the structure beneath them takes the loading. We answer it with calculations rather than assumption.

Structural roof loading appraisals for solar PV
Existing roof and frame capacity assessment
Roof condition surveys by drone
Wind and snow loading assessment to the Eurocodes
Ballast and mounting system structural design
Roof strengthening design where capacity is short
Ground-mount and canopy foundation design
Structural reports for installers, owners and funders

In detail

What solar pv structural surveys actually involves.

The commonest outcome

The commonest outcome is that the roof is adequate and we say so in writing. That report is worth having: it is what an installer, an insurer or a funder asks for, and it closes the question permanently rather than leaving it as an assumption in a quotation.

When capacity is short

Where capacity is short, the answer is rarely that solar is impossible. It is usually that specific members need strengthening, the array needs relocating away from a weak zone, or the mounting approach needs changing to spread load differently. We design that rather than simply reporting a failure.

Condition matters too

Roof condition matters as much as capacity. A structurally adequate roof with twenty years of remaining life is a different proposition from one needing recovering in three, because removing and refitting an array is a cost nobody budgets for. We survey condition by drone and report both together.

How Lead Group helps

We confirm in writing whether the roof will take the array, which is the document an installer, an insurer or a funder asks for. Where capacity is short we design the strengthening or the relocation rather than stopping at no, and we report the remaining life of the covering, because removing and refitting an array is a cost nobody budgets for.

How we work

Can this roof take a solar array?

That depends on what the roof was designed to carry, what condition it is in now, and where on the roof the array sits. We assess the existing structure against the proposed loading, including wind uplift and snow, and give a clear answer with the calculations behind it. Where strengthening is needed we design it, and where it is not you get that in writing.

Assessed against the Eurocodes and BRE Digest 489 (2014)
Designs checked and signed by a Chartered Structural Engineer
£5m professional indemnity cover
Drone roof condition survey alongside the loading assessment

Not sure what you need?Send us your drawings, or just a photograph of the wall. We will tell you what is required and what it costs before you commit to anything.

Get a quote 020 3432 4186

Standards & codes

The codes behind solar pv structural surveys.

Eurocodes 0-9 & UK National Annexes

BS EN 1990 through BS EN 1999 govern the basis of design, actions, and the design of concrete, steel, timber, masonry and aluminium structures. Every calculation we issue references the relevant Eurocode part and its UK National Annex, and states which parts were applied.

Analysis, design & drafting software

Structural analysis and design in Tekla Tedds and Tekla Structural Designer, with Autodesk Robot, CSC Fastrak, CSC Portal Frame, MasterSeries and Hilti Profis used where a scheme suits them. Drawing production in AutoCAD, and modelling in Autodesk Revit where a project is delivered in BIM. Output is issued as readable calculations rather than raw software printouts, so a checker or a building control officer can follow the reasoning.

Approved Document A (Structure)

The Building Regulations requirement your local authority Building Control checks against. Our calculations and drawings are prepared to demonstrate compliance so your submission is accepted without back-and-forth.

Professional indemnity insured

Every report and calculation package is backed by professional indemnity cover, which is what lets a lender, Building Control or another engineer rely on it.

Scope of an inspection. Inspections are carried out within the scope and limitations set out in the fee proposal and stated in the report. Unless expressly agreed otherwise, an inspection covers what is reasonably accessible at the time and is not a warranty that every defect, deterioration or concealed condition has been identified. Where something cannot be seen, we say so and set out what would establish it.

Process

From enquiry to sign-off.

Enquiry

Send drawings or describe the problem. We confirm the scope, the deliverables and a target timescale.

Information

We agree the survey, drawings or data we need and any site access required.

Engineering

Design, calculation or assessment to the relevant Eurocodes and UK National Annex.

Issue

A clear, defensible report or set of calculations, with assumptions and limitations stated.

Selected work

Real structures, surveyed and engineered.

All work →

Sport and recreationCharlton Athletic FC, The ValleyTwo steel monopitch stand roofs rising to 27 metres were assessed for a proposed solar PV installation. Both were cleared to carry the arrays as they stand, and the fragile roofs were surveyed entirely by drone with nobody working at height.

Read →

Manufacturing and industrialWienerberger, Tamworth

EducationCarlisle College

Film and mediaDragon Studios, Pencoed

Questions

Common questions

Do I need a structural survey before installing solar panels?

For commercial and most non-domestic roofs, yes, and installers increasingly ask for one before quoting. It establishes that the roof carries the additional load and protects everyone involved if the question is asked later.

What if the roof cannot take the load?

That is usually solvable. Options include strengthening specific members, moving the array away from a weaker zone, or changing the mounting system to distribute load differently. We design the solution rather than just reporting the problem.

Do you survey the roof condition as well as the structure?

Yes, and they are different questions. Capacity is whether it carries the load. Condition is how long the covering has left, which matters because removing an array to recover a roof is expensive. We report both.

Can you assess a roof without drawings?

Yes. Most older buildings have no usable structural drawings, which is why we survey what is actually there rather than working from documents that may not reflect the building.

Do you work on ground-mounted and canopy systems?

Yes, including foundation design, wind loading assessment and the structural design of carport and canopy structures.

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