SOLAR PV DESIGN FOR COMMERCIAL INSTALLATIONS
Solar Surveys produces in-house solar PV design packages for commercial installations: CAD roof layouts, system specification, shading and yield modelling using PVSol and PVsyst, and G99/G98 DNO application management. Every design package is built on data produced by the same engineering team: on-site structural surveys or desktop structural roof loading reports and drone roof condition assessments: ensuring every panel position reflects actual load capacity and installation constraints before a drawing is issued.
DESIGN BUILT ON STRUCTURAL REALITY
Not Just a Layout.
An Engineering Decision.
Most solar design firms work in isolation: producing layouts without reference to the structural data that should inform them. Our design packages are built on the structural survey findings we produced, meaning every panel position is informed by actual load capacity, roof condition and installation constraints.
This eliminates the common problem of a design that the structural reality cannot support: discovered only when the installer arrives on site. Our design and our structural sign-off are produced by the same engineering team, under the same instruction. Where access or roof condition is unknown, a drone roof condition assessment is co-ordinated as part of the same pre-construction instruction.
We also handle G99 and G98 electrical application submissions directly: co-ordinating with your DNO and managing the process through to connection agreement, removing one more pre-construction dependency from your programme.
SCOPE OF SERVICE
Everything Your Installer
and DNO Need.
Our design packages are structured for immediate handover: to your installer, your funder and your DNO. No missing pieces, no re-work requests.
CAD Roof Layout Drawing
Accurate scaled drawing showing panel positions, row spacing, setbacks, exclusion zones and fixings locations: dimensioned and annotated for direct handover to your installation team.
System Specification
Panel count, system capacity (kWp), string configuration, inverter specification and estimated annual yield: calculated against the roof geometry and structural constraints confirmed in survey.
Shading & Orientation Analysis
Shading analysis from roof obstructions, adjacent structures and chimneys. Optimal panel tilt and orientation determined using PVSol modelling to maximise yield within structural constraints.
G99 / G98 Application
Preparation and submission of G99 (over 50kWp) or G98 electrical connection applications to your DNO. We manage the process and co-ordinate responses through to connection agreement issuance.
Battery Storage Integration
Where battery storage is included in the project scope, storage system sizing, inverter compatibility and grid export/import configuration are incorporated into the design package.
EV Charger Integration
For sites incorporating EV charging infrastructure alongside solar generation, load balancing, charging point positioning and grid connection requirements are factored into the design.
DNO APPLICATIONS MANAGED END TO END
G99 & G98 Application Support
G99 (over 50kWp) and G98 electrical connection applications to your Distribution Network Operator are a critical, and frequently delayed: stage in commercial solar pre-construction. Our engineers prepare and submit the application as part of your design package.
We manage DNO correspondence, respond to technical queries and track the application through to connection agreement. You receive a copy of the agreement alongside the rest of your design outputs.
- MPAN analysis and grid connection point identification
- G99 or G98 application prepared and submitted on your behalf
- DNO technical queries managed without your team's involvement
- Connection agreement issued directly to your programme
- Export limitation and constraint advice where applicable
- Re-application support if initial application is rejected or modified
DESIGN TOOLSET
Industry-Standard Tools.
In-House Engineering Judgement.
Our design engineers use the same professional software deployed by the UK's leading solar design practices: combined with direct access to the structural survey data they produced for the same site.
Detailed Design Package . What's Inside
The Full Post-Survey Deliverable.
After the site survey clears structural feasibility, the detailed design package brings the array, mounting, electrical and DNO inputs into one engineer-signed deliverable. Every line item is produced in-house against verified site data.
1. PVsol 3D Design + Simulation
- . Full PVsol 3D design with client branding
- . Year-long energy simulation (CSV export)
- . Agreed PV and BESS sizing for final design
- . Sized to agreed DNO connection offer (G100 export simulation where required)
- . PV panel layout for installer (mansafe system, DC cable management, safe working zones)
- . Permitted Development compliant layout (1m setback from roof edges)
- . Strings layout for installer
- . Inverter selection cross-referenced to electrical survey
2. Mounting Design + BOM
- . Complete mounting system design report
- . Bill of Materials (BOM) using customer-approved manufacturers
- . Specification anchored to roof measurements from on-site survey
- . Cross-referenced against the structural report
- . All roof types covered: trapezoidal, standing seam, corrugated metal, single-ply membrane, built-up felt, asbestos cement, clay tile
- . Compatible with all major UK mounting manufacturers
3. Due Diligence Inputs
- . Site half-hourly (HH) consumption data or customer energy model
- . Roof condition report with drone imagery
- . Structural report (Eurocode-verified)
- . Roof types and dimensions from site visit
- . Electrical survey report
- . DNO connection offer (G99 / G100)
- . Final SLD showing inverter Points of Connection
Real Engineering Deliverables
What the finished package looks like.
Anonymised samples from real Solar Surveys design instructions. Every output below is produced in-house from the site visit forward.
All deliverables shown are anonymised samples watermarked for illustration. Live deliverables are unwatermarked and client-branded.
WHY IN-HOUSE MATTERS
One Team.
Zero Co-ordination Risk.
Splitting structural and design responsibilities across two firms creates gaps. Problems that fall between them end up costing time and money at the worst possible moment: just before installation.
PROBLEM ELIMINATED
Design / Structural Mismatch
When a design firm works without structural data, panels frequently end up positioned over weak purlins or in load-sensitive zones. Our design references our own structural findings: there is no mismatch. In our experience, panel layout conflicts with structural constraints identified on site are among the top three causes of unplanned programme cost on commercial solar installations. When the structural survey and the design are produced by different firms working from shared data, conflicts are routine. When they are produced by the same team from the same data, they are eliminated.
PROBLEM ELIMINATED
Multiple Instruction Delays
Commissioning a surveyor, then a designer, then a DNO application specialist adds weeks to your programme. We handle all three under one instruction with one set of outputs.
PROBLEM ELIMINATED
Accountability Gaps
When the structural engineer and designer are different firms, accountability for conflicts between the two outputs falls between them. When it is the same firm, there is nowhere for the problem to hide.
HOW IT WORKS
From Survey to Installer-Ready Package.
One Instruction.
Structural Survey
Our structural engineer conducts the on-site structural survey or reviews existing data for a desktop structural roof loading report, capturing load capacity, roof construction type, fixings constraints and condition data: the structural foundation every design decision is built on.
Design Brief
Design engineer reviews the survey findings and agrees the brief with your team: system size target, panel specification, inverter preference, battery storage or EV charging requirements.
CAD Layout & Modelling
Roof layout produced in AutoCAD. PVSol or PVsyst modelling run against confirmed geometry. Shading analysis, yield estimate and system specification reviewed and signed off by the design engineer.
Package Delivery & G99 Submission
Complete design package delivered to your team. G99 or G98 application submitted to your DNO simultaneously and managed through to connection agreement: no separate instruction required.
Client identities and project specifics are withheld under NDA. Testimonials and case references are presented in anonymous-authoritative format.
"We'd had a design produced by a separate firm that was rejected by our installer on day one: the panel positions conflicted with purlin locations identified in the structural survey. Solar Surveys did both the survey and the design in one instruction and we had an installer-ready package within five days. No surprises on site."
DESIGN STARTS WITH STRUCTURAL SIGN-OFF
On-Site Structural Surveys & Desktop Structural Roof Loading Reports
Every design package is built on structural data. We conduct the structural survey or produce the Desktop Structural Roof Loading Report before the CAD layout is drawn: meaning panel positions are informed by actual load capacity, not assumed. Structural sign-off and design delivered under one instruction.
WHO THIS IS FOR
From Structural Data
to Optimised Solar Design
Portfolio-Level Design Intelligence
Solar design informed by structural reality across every asset in your portfolio. Panel layout optimised against verified load data: giving you investment-grade outputs before committing to installation cost.
Asset Manager Services →Design That Fits Your Pipeline
Panel layout, load calculations and yield modelling produced from verified structural data: ready for DNO submission and funder sign-off. Combined with our structural survey as a single instruction if required.
PPA Provider Services →Structural Survey to Construction-Ready Design
Our combined structural assessment and solar design service delivers the load calculations and panel layout your build programme requires. Single instruction, coordinated output, no interface risk between survey and design.
EPC Contractor Services →Design That Reflects What the Structure Carries
Panel arrangement, inverter specification and yield modelling produced from verified structural data. Ready to submit to DNO, ready to price, ready to build: without last-minute structural surprises on site.
Solar Installer Services →FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Solar Design Questions.
What does a solar design package from Solar Surveys include?
The solar design package includes panel layout drawings, inverter specification, cable routing, string configuration and yield modelling: all produced from verified structural data from the preceding structural survey. Output is ready to submit to the DNO with the G99 application, ready for the installer to price from, and ready to build without structural revision.
Why use the same firm for structural survey and solar design?
When the structural survey and design are produced by the same team, the design is constrained by real structural capacity: not assumed. The design engineer knows exactly what fixings are acceptable, what areas of roof are load-limited, and where cable routes are viable. This eliminates the revision cycle that occurs when structural constraints are discovered after the design is already produced.
Can G99 applications be handled alongside the solar design package?
Yes. G99 grid connection applications are managed as part of the combined survey and design package. Solar Surveys handles the technical drawings, protection relay schedule and application submission to the DNO: coordinated with your project programme to avoid grid connection becoming the critical path item for your installation schedule.
What yield modelling software does Solar Surveys use for solar PV design?
Solar Surveys uses PVSol and PVsyst for yield modelling, the same professional simulation tools deployed by the UK's leading solar design practices. Modelling runs against confirmed roof geometry and orientation from the structural survey, with shading analysis factored in from adjacent obstructions and roof furniture identified during site inspection. Outputs include annual yield estimate, specific yield in kWh/kWp and estimated self-consumption ratios where the client's baseload profile is available.
Can battery storage be included in the solar design package?
Yes. Where battery storage is part of the project scope, system sizing, inverter compatibility, grid export configuration and any additional DNO requirements are incorporated into the design package. Battery storage design requires knowledge of the site's baseload profile and grid connection parameters: both captured as part of the combined electrical survey and structural assessment where those services are instructed alongside the design.
Design Built on Engineering.
From Survey to G99 in One Instruction.
Commission a combined structural survey and design package. One instruction, one team, one set of outputs: ready for your installer and DNO.