The site survey is the second stage of every farm solar project — typically scheduled 1–2 weeks after the desk feasibility study (which is free and delivered within 7 working days). The survey takes one full day on most farms and covers four workstreams: structural assessment, electrical assessment, roof condition (including asbestos sampling where required), and on-farm load profiling.
Structural assessment
Our structural engineer inspects every building you want assessed. Standard checks: building age and frame type (typically steel-portal post-1970, occasionally older bolted-truss); purlin spacing and depth (modern profile typically 1.2-1.8m centres, 175-225mm depth); cladding type and fixing pattern; visible structural defects (frame corrosion, purlin sag, cladding damage); roof pitch and orientation (typically measured by laser inclinometer); shading from adjacent buildings, vegetation, or terrain. For each building, the engineer determines whether PV racking can be installed directly or whether structural reinforcement is needed (rare on post-1995 builds).
Electrical assessment
Our electrical engineer inspects the existing electrical infrastructure. Standard checks: incoming supply (single-phase or three-phase, agreed capacity in kVA); main switchboard condition; existing protection equipment; metering arrangement (smart meter, AMR, or legacy); existing load distribution and any priority circuits (dairy bulk-tank cooling, robotic milking, ventilation, lighting); cable routing for PV inverter integration. If three-phase upgrade is required (common when system size exceeds 17 kW), the engineer quotes the upgrade cost as part of the proposal.
Roof condition assessment
For every building, the engineer assesses roof cladding for PV suitability. Modern profiled steel and composite panel systems: direct PV install OK. Membrane roofs: usually OK with appropriate ballasted mounting system. Asbestos cement: requires HSE-licensed removal and re-cladding before PV. Older corrugated iron: typically requires re-cladding. Where asbestos cement is suspected, we take samples for UKAS-accredited lab testing (results in 5-10 working days, £40-80 per sample). The lab report determines the project path — direct PV install on positively-FC-tested cladding, or combined re-roof + PV on positively-AC-tested cladding.
Drone roof imaging
For multi-building installations or buildings with restricted access, we use drone imaging to produce: high-resolution roof orthophoto (used for racking layout design); shading analysis (especially important for partial-day shading from chimneys, vents, or adjacent trees); structural anomaly identification (cladding damage, fixing failures, weathering); orientation and pitch verification. Drone imaging typically takes 1-2 hours per multi-building site and produces all the data needed for detailed system design without requiring roof access.
On-farm load profiling
We pull half-hourly meter data for the past 12 months from your supplier's smart meter portal (where available) or via direct meter download. The HH data is analysed for: daily peak demand patterns; seasonal variation (especially relevant for arable grain stores); weekend vs weekday usage (relevant for office and admin buildings on the farm); time-of-day demand alignment with PV generation pattern. This analysis directly informs system sizing — too large and PV exports under SEG at lower value; too small and you miss the opportunity. The right size matches the building's actual daytime baseload.
What you receive after the survey
Within 5-10 working days of the on-site survey we deliver: building-specific structural report (PV suitability per building, any required reinforcement); detailed electrical scope (existing infrastructure plus any upgrade required); roof condition report (cladding type confirmed, asbestos sampling result, replacement scope if required); load profile analysis (system size recommendation per building); PVSyst annual yield model (generation forecast with monthly breakdown); DCF financial model (25-year cash flow with three financing scenarios); fixed-price proposal with itemised scope of works; programme indicating typical 4-7 month delivery for rooftop installs.
Where the survey saves you money
The site survey routinely uncovers issues that wouldn't be visible from desk analysis alone: hidden cladding deterioration that needs addressing before PV; structural reinforcement requirements on older buildings (rare); electrical infrastructure that needs upgrading; access constraints that affect installation cost; shading patterns not visible in aerial imagery. The survey costs us roughly £400-1,200 per building to deliver — we provide this stage free as part of the standard process. The cost is recovered through projects that proceed; we don't charge separately.