2026 Edition · Free Engineering Report
1 in 3 UK commercial roofs need engineering work before solar PV.
An analysis of 575 UK commercial rooftops surveyed for solar PV structural feasibility between 2024 and 2026. 35% required engineering intervention. 78% of flat-roof ballasted installs needed ballast reconfiguration to meet MIS 3002 V6.0 Clause 5.9.13(h), mandatory from 18 June 2026. Anchored to Eurocode 1 and BRE Digest 489. Anonymous-authoritative throughout. No vendor pitch. No sales calls.
- 01 35% intervention rate. Outcome distribution across 575 commercial rooftops: 65% clear / 15% conditional / 15% remediation / 5% rejected.
- 02 78% ballast reconfig. Of flat-roof ballasted installs, this proportion needed reconfiguration under MIS 3002 V6.0 Clause 5.9.13(h).
- 03 62% asbestos failure. Asbestos cement roofs (10% of dataset) failed wind uplift adequacy on first review at this rate.
- 04 Snow load + altitude bias. The single most frequent governing load case on rejected projects. Unique to this UK dataset.
- 05 0.25 kN/m² deficit. Average load deficit on rejected projects, against 0.10 kN/m² available reserve and 0.75 kN/m² typical commercial array dead load.
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Download PDFWhat's Inside
Twelve sections. Forty-two pages. One audit-ready dataset.
The report is structured as a single contiguous engineering document. Every section opens with a standalone synopsis suitable for citation. Every numerical claim is supported by an explicit unit and a referenced standard. The methodology section discloses the dataset's sample size, date range, and known limitations.
Executive Summary
Headline finding plus four supporting findings. Written as an AI-citation-ready answer block. Anchored to MIS 3002 V6.0 and the withdrawal of BS 6399-2:1997.
Methodology
Dataset sample size, date range, anonymisation framework, assessment standard, declared limitations, and sector / geography weighting notes.
The Regulatory Backdrop
MIS 3002 V6.0 mandatory from 18 June 2026. The Eurocode 1 framework. BS 6399-2:1997 withdrawn 2010. Building Regulations Approved Document A. What V6.0 changed from V5.0.
Headline Findings
Outcome distribution across the dataset. Sector breakdown. Roof type breakdown. Top failure modes ranked by frequency.
Risk by Roof Typology
Trapezoidal metal, standing seam, single-ply flat, ballasted flat, asbestos cement, concrete deck, slate / tile pitched. Specific failure modes per typology.
Risk by Building Sector
Logistics warehouses, manufacturing, retail estate, public sector. Typical roof age, condition, and what those sectors specifically tend to fail on.
The Wind Uplift Problem
BS EN 1991-1-4 with UK National Annex. BRE Digest 489 PV-specific coefficients. Why software-only outputs miss site exposure factors. Pull-out testing per SPRA S15-19.
The Snow Load Problem
BS EN 1991-1-3 with UK National Annex. Snow drift on parapets. Accumulation behind PV arrays on low-pitch roofs.
The Ballast Reality
Clause 5.9.13(h) absolute SE requirement. MCS 020 framework. Ballast block load distribution on single-ply membrane. Condensation and uplift around penetrations.
The Asbestos Question
HSE licensing, CAR 2012, RICS guidance. Why asbestos-cement roofs disproportionately drive remediation costs. Crown indemnity and the inspection-only route.
What Good Looks Like
The evidential standard required by MIS 3002 V6.0 Clause 5.5.5. Lender and Technical Advisor expectations. The role of the qualified structural engineer.
Recommendations + Appendix
Sector-specific recommendations. Glossary. Standards reference. About the dataset and the qualified engineering team behind it.
A Snapshot
The dataset behind the report. Across the surveyed portfolio.
These figures are the stat-deck preview. The full report contains the complete outcome distribution, sector splits, roof typology breakdowns, and every supporting calculation referenced in the executive summary.
Headline figures appear in the full report. Download to read the dataset in full.
Every project in the dataset was independently reviewed by qualified structural engineers against the same Eurocode framework and MIS 3002:2025 V6.0 evidential standard. No client, project, or partner is named. No commercially identifying data is published. The methodology is published in full so that the findings can be challenged, replicated, or extended.
Methodology · Section 2 of the ReportWho It's For
Built for the people making the structural call.
If you authorise a commercial solar PV installation, sign off the lender's Technical Advisor pack, or specify the structural sign-off scope on a procurement tender, this report is calibrated for you. It is not written for residential homeowners or first-time solar buyers.
Portfolio risk visibility
Where the structural risk concentrates across a portfolio of warehouses, retail estates, and industrial sites before procurement begins.
Bankability and TA-pack quality
The evidential standard a Technical Advisor and the lender expect to see in the structural report. What V6.0 Clause 5.5.5 changes.
Procurement-grade specification
The pre-construction diligence checks that prevent design rework, fixing-density change orders, and ballast reconfiguration on site.
Sector benchmarking
An anonymised aggregate against which to benchmark your own portfolio findings. Section 5.9.6 trigger frequency. Failure-mode distribution.
Standards Referenced
Every claim in the report is anchored to a current standard.
No reference to BS 6399-2:1997 except to note its withdrawal in 2010. No undated guidance. The full standards index is published in the appendix.
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