Most manufacturers we work with now ask about rooftop solar. The panels are the easy part. The question is whether a roof built in the 1970s can carry them, and the wind trying to lift them off.
What we survey
The purlins and their fixings, the condition of the sheeting, the frame's original design loads, and the route for cables down to the switchroom. We also look for fragile rooflights, which decide how the installers can move about safely.
The usual answer
On most portal-frame buildings the frame is fine and the sheeting needs work: either over-cladding or a new roof under the panels. It is far cheaper to do that first than to lift an array off in five years.
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