Solar panels are one of the best investments a Scottish homeowner can make right now — but there is a question almost nobody asks before signing: what condition is the roof actually in?
The 25-year problem
Panels are designed to last 25 years or more. Many roof coverings across Central Scotland — ageing concrete tiles, weathered slate, flat-roof felt on dormers — have far less life left than that. If the roof covering fails underneath live panels, the whole array has to come off and go back on. Removal and refitting typically adds £1,000 or more to what would otherwise be a routine roof repair.
What a pre-solar roof check looks for
- Slipped, cracked or delaminating tiles and slates on the elevations where panels will sit
- Failing lead flashing, valleys and ridge pointing
- Chimney condition — haunching cracks and loose pots above panel runs
- Moss and debris that will be shaded, stay wet and accelerate decay
- Guttering condition — panels shed water faster, and weak gutters overflow
- Flat-roof coverings on dormers adjacent to proposed arrays
Fix small things now, not big things later
Most of what we find before a solar installation is minor — a handful of tiles, a section of pointing, a gutter bracket. Fixed before the scaffold goes up, these cost very little. Found afterwards, the same defects mean scaffolding around an array, an electrician to isolate it, and a panel removal crew.
Independent evidence, not a sales pitch
AyeInspect does not sell solar panels, does not carry out roof repairs and does not recommend contractors. Your report is photographic evidence of the roof condition — circled, described and graded — that you can hand to your installer or any roofer for a like-for-like quote.