If you own the building, the structural check is the one part of a solar project worth keeping independent of the company doing the installation.
Two different questions
An installer's design tells you what they intend to fit and how it will perform. A structural assessment answers a different question: whether the roof can carry that system, for its full life, under wind, snow and the weight of the array itself. The first protects the supplier's scope. The second protects your asset.
Where the conflict sits
When the party specifying the array is also the party confirming the roof can take it, the commercial incentive and the engineering sit on the same side of the table. That is not a criticism of installers. It is simply why lenders, insurers and serious asset owners want a separate, independent structural position on file.
What independence looks like
A structural engineer acting only as the structural engineer: independent of any installer, EPC or supply chain. Engineer-signed reports, referenced to the BS EN 1991 Eurocodes with the UK National Annexes, backed by Professional Indemnity cover, that a funder or a buyer's technical advisor will accept without a second opinion.
The array is the supplier's deliverable for a few weeks. The roof is your asset for twenty-five years. Independent structural sign-off keeps the long-term risk on the right desk.
Can the installer do the structural sign-off?
They can produce a design. An independent structural assessment is what lenders and insurers increasingly expect for the separate question of whether the roof can carry it.
Why does independence matter to a lender?
A separate engineering position removes the conflict between the party specifying the array and the party confirming the roof can take it.
Is a documented assessment required under MIS 3002 V6.0?
Yes. From 18 June 2026 a documented structural assessment, signed by a qualified structural engineer, is required before an MCS-licensed install. Independence is what funders and insurers add on top.
Where Solar Surveys Helps
See how we support building owners on the asset managers page: independent structural assessment, no install agenda. The on-site structural survey is the thorough route where the roof is uncertain or financed. For the scale of the issue across UK commercial roofs, read the free 2026 Structural Risk Report.
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