STRUCTURAL SURVEYS FOR SOLAR PV IN IRELAND
A structural survey for solar panels in Ireland establishes whether an existing roof can carry the weight of the array, the wind uplift on it and the design snow load for the site. Loads are set from I.S. EN 1991 with its Irish National Annexes, and the structure is checked with regard to Part A of the Building Regulations and Technical Guidance Document A. Solar Surveys provides on-site structural surveys, Desktop Structural Roof Loading Reports and strengthening design across the Republic of Ireland, from Dublin and Cork to Limerick, Galway and the midlands. Quoted per building, with a 24-hour target for quotes.
COMMERCIAL SOLAR PV IN IRELAND
The roofs solar is going onto
Rooftop solar in Ireland is going onto buildings that were not designed with it in mind: portal frame industrial units, distribution and cold storage buildings, food and dairy processing plants, retail parks, and a very large stock of agricultural sheds. Many were built with light purlins and economical frames, and many have had plant, services or a second covering added since.
The array itself is rarely the problem. A typical array adds about 0.13 kN/m², panels and mounting together. What decides the answer is how much of the roof's capacity is already used, by the covering, by what has been added over the years, and by the wind and snow the site has to be designed for.
COMMON BUILDING TYPES
- Portal frame industrial and logistics units
- Food, dairy and cold storage buildings
- Agricultural sheds, including older steel and timber frames
- Retail parks and business parks
- Schools, community and public buildings
ATLANTIC EXPOSURE
Wind sets the fixing design
Under I.S. EN 1991-1-4 and its Irish National Annex, wind load starts from a basic wind velocity for the site, which is then adjusted for altitude, terrain and distance from the coast. A site on the Atlantic seaboard is assessed for stronger winds than a sheltered site inland.
For a rooftop array the wind effect that matters most is uplift, and it concentrates at the edges and corners of the roof. An array does not need to be heavy to overload a roof in suction. The fixings, and the purlins or rails they load, are checked for uplift as well as for weight.
Terrain matters as much as distance. A shed on open farmland and a unit enclosed by other buildings are treated differently, and correctly so.
HOW WIND IS TREATED
- Basic wind velocity taken from the Irish National Annex for the site
- Altitude, terrain and distance from the coast included
- Edge and corner zones identified on the roof plan
- Fixings and purlins checked for uplift as well as weight
- Set out in our Assessment Specification
SNOW AND ALTITUDE
Snow is usually the larger load
On most roofs the design snow load is a larger figure than the array, even in a mild climate. I.S. EN 1991-1-3 and its Irish National Annex set the ground snow load from the site's location and its height above sea level. The shape of the roof then decides where snow drifts: in valleys, behind parapets, against abutments and against the array itself.
Our UK Roof Plane Dataset 2026 shows how much altitude matters. It is drawn from structural reports on roofs in Great Britain, so the figures are British roofs under British snow loads, not Irish ones. There, the median commercial roof used 61% of its capacity below 50 m altitude and 92% at 150 m and above, with PV and snow combined. The lesson carries: the same building gives a different answer on higher ground.
WHAT WE SET FOR EACH SITE
- Ground snow load from the Irish National Annex
- The site's own altitude, not a county average
- Drift at valleys, parapets and abutments
- Plant, services and coverings as built
- PV and snow combined against the roof's capacity
OLDER ROOFS
Fibre cement and asbestos cement roofs need a decision first
Many older industrial and agricultural roofs in Ireland are sheeted in fibre cement or asbestos cement. The sheets are brittle and fragile underfoot, the fixings were not specified with an array above them, and corrosion at purlin cleats and frame connections is common.
Before solar goes on, the owner usually has to choose between overcladding the roof, stripping and replacing the sheets, or using another building. Each choice changes the load on the frame in a different way.
For farm buildings under the TAMS reroofing scheme, our report is set out to cover what the scheme's reroofing specification asks for. Chartered sign-off is available where a grant scheme, funder or insurer requires it.
We survey the frame, purlins and connections, compare the options with and without PV, and where the roof is to be renewed we design the strengthening and the new roof structure. See roof refurbishment and overcladding engineering.
WHAT THE SURVEY RECORDS
- Frame, rafters or trusses, purlins and bracing, measured on site
- Connections, cleats and bearings, with corrosion noted
- The covering and rooflights, with a photographic record
- Added plant, services and second coverings
- A recommendation the contractor can price from
ENGINEERING SERVICES
How we assess a roof in Ireland
Each service stands alone or combines under one instruction.
ON-SITE STRUCTURAL SURVEY
A qualified structural engineer measures the frame, purlins, spans and fixings on site and checks them against the proposed array. The route for undocumented buildings, older roofs and anything a funder or insurer will look at closely.
DESKTOP STRUCTURAL ROOF LOADING REPORT
Where drawings, photographs and measurements are available, the roof is appraised remotely by the same Eurocode method. Used to screen an estate before deciding where to survey.
STRENGTHENING DESIGN
Where a roof falls short, we design the strengthening, with calculations and drawings a contractor can build from, and we inspect the finished work.
ROOF REFURBISHMENT AND OVERCLADDING
Structural appraisal and design for re-roofing, overcladding and strengthening older industrial and agricultural buildings, with or without solar PV.
WHY SOLAR SURVEYS IN IRELAND
What you get from us
Irish National Annexes
Wind and snow are set from the Irish National Annexes for the site itself, not carried over from a UK calculation.
Measured on site
A qualified structural engineer measures the structure. Nothing is assumed from a typical building of the same type.
Capacity and condition together
The report covers what the roof can carry and the state it is in, so repairs are priced in before the panels go on.
Survey to design
Where a roof needs strengthening or renewal, the same engineers design it and inspect the finished work.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions we are asked about roofs in Ireland
Do you carry out structural surveys for solar panels in the Republic of Ireland?
Yes. We survey commercial, industrial and agricultural roofs across the Republic of Ireland and report to the Eurocodes with the Irish National Annexes. Survey dates are agreed when the quote is accepted.
Which standards do you work to in Ireland?
The structural Eurocodes as published in Ireland by NSAI, with their Irish National Annexes, and with regard to Part A of the Building Regulations and Technical Guidance Document A. Wind actions are taken from I.S. EN 1991-1-4 and snow loads from I.S. EN 1991-1-3.
How much does a structural survey for solar panels cost in Ireland?
Each building is quoted individually, because the fee depends on the size and type of roof, the access and the location. Send the address, photographs of the roof and of the frame inside, and any drawings, and we aim to return a quote within 24 hours.
Can solar panels go on an asbestos cement or fibre cement roof?
Sometimes, but the roof needs assessing first. The sheets are fragile, and the fixings and purlins were not designed with an array above them. We check the structure and set out the options, which are usually to overclad, to strip and replace the sheets, or to use a different roof. We do not sample, disturb or remove asbestos; that stays with the specialist contractor. See roof refurbishment and overcladding engineering.
How long does the report take?
For a solar structural survey our benchmark is a signed report within 48 hours of the site visit, provided the information we need is available. Larger appraisal and design commissions, such as a re-roofing scheme, are programmed when we quote.
Do you also cover Northern Ireland?
Yes. Northern Ireland is assessed to the British Standard versions of the Eurocodes with the UK National Annexes. See structural surveys in Northern Ireland.
COMMISSION ENGINEERING IN IRELAND
Ready to Proceed?
Send us the site address, photographs of the roof and of the frame inside, any drawings, and the proposed array if you have it. We aim to confirm scope and return a quote within 24 hours.