Bespoke Solar Design

Most projects decide on solar last, and it shows. Teams drop panels onto whatever roof area remains, in whatever pattern fills it. Bespoke design reverses that order. Because we lay the array out as a composition, it lines up with ridges, hips, rooflights and the rhythm of the elevation.

That might mean a full-pitch integrated roof or a centred in-roof zone. It might also mean a mix of technologies on different faces of the building. In every case the result should look planned, however many products it mixes.

We sit inside the project team. For architects, we carry an idea through to a detail that can be built. For self-builders, we turn a wish into a specification that trades and planners can use. Our guide to designing solar into a self-build from the first sketch shows how that works. A typical engagement follows four steps.

A design package depends on the stage you have reached. At concept stage, you may need a few sketches and a feasibility note. At detail stage, you need drawings that a builder can price and follow.

In every case we explain our reasoning. For example, we show why one layout reads better than another, and what each choice costs in output. You then decide with clear information in front of you.

We also stay involved after the drawings. Builders, roofers and electricians often have questions on site. Because we know the design, we can answer them quickly and keep the intent intact.

Where it helps, we also set out the options in a short written note. It lists the choices, the reasons and the likely effect on the finished building. As a result, the whole team can see why we made each choice, and the design does not drift.

Planning shapes design, so we raise it early. In Scotland the rules differ from England, as our note on solar panels and planning permission in Scotland explains. We also watch the jargon, because what BIPV actually means is often muddied in product literature.

Design practice varies by place. A tight London plot has its own limits, as in solar design for London homes and extensions, while a Georgian terrace raises other questions, as in solar design for Edinburgh's historic streets. We adapt the scheme to both.

We are not tied to a single product, because independence keeps our advice open. We recommend the system that serves the building, not the one we happen to stock. That is what lets us sit beside a client and their architect as an adviser, not a supplier.

To start, send your sketches or drawings through the enquiry form. We will reply with an honest view of what is possible, because every building is different.