As the solar industry evolves, projects grow more complex, and stakes get higher. For installers, EPCs, and financiers alike, ensuring every detail of a solar project is technically sound is critical for safety, performance, and financial success. This is where a solar engineering review becomes a non-negotiable step in the workflow.
But what exactly does a solar engineering review cover? Why does it matter more than ever in 2025’s fast-paced market? In this article, we’ll break down the key components of a thorough engineering review, explain why structural checks and plan set quality assurance are essential, and highlight the risks of skipping this vital process.
Critical Role of a Solar Engineering Review in Project’s Success
A solar engineering review acts as the technical backbone of any solar project, bridging the gap between design and installation. It’s the process where experienced engineers systematically check the project’s design documents, structural integrity, and electrical plans to ensure everything meets safety, compliance, and performance standards.
For solar installers, solar engineering review helps verify that plan sets are accurate and complete, reducing costly on-site errors. EPCs rely on it to confirm that designs follow electrical codes and structural guidelines, protecting their liability. Financiers use the review as a confidence check, ensuring the system is technically sound before releasing funds.
Without a detailed engineering review, small design flaws or structural oversights can turn into major delays, safety hazards, or financial losses later in the project. It’s not just about technical compliance — it’s about safeguarding the entire solar investment.
Key Components of a Solar Engineering Review
A robust solar engineering review covers multiple critical components, ensuring that every aspect of the project aligns with industry standards and best practices. The process typically includes:
Plan Set Quality Assurance
The plan set is the project’s blueprint, detailing electrical layouts, mechanical structures, and installation steps. During QA, engineers meticulously verify that the plan set includes all necessary details: correct string sizing, accurate panel layouts, proper inverter placement, and clear installation instructions. Missing or ambiguous information here can lead to installation errors, rework, or system underperformance.
Structural Checks
Structural checks assess the ability of the mounting system, roof, and support structures to handle the solar array’s weight and environmental forces such as wind and snow loads. Engineers calculate load factors and review attachment methods to prevent future issues like roof damage, panel misalignment, or even structural failure.
Electrical Design Verification
A thorough review examines the electrical design, confirming correct wire sizing, overcurrent protection, grounding, and compliance with standards such as NEC and IEEE 1547. Proper electrical review prevents fire hazards, system inefficiencies, and grid interconnection problems.
What Structural Checks Reveal About Your PV System’s Safety
Structural checks in a solar engineering review do more than tick boxes — they reveal crucial insights about the long-term safety and reliability of a solar installation. Here’s what these checks uncover:
Potential Weak Points in the Roof or Mounting Design
Structural analysis can reveal areas where the roof might not support the solar array’s weight adequately, or where the mounting design fails to distribute loads evenly. This helps prevent dangerous situations like roof damage or panel detachment during high wind events.
Inadequate Load Resistance Against Environmental Forces
By simulating real-world conditions, structural checks expose whether the system design can handle expected wind, snow, and seismic loads. They reveal if the array is prone to excessive vibration, movement, or even structural failure in adverse weather.
Improper Attachment Methods
Checks highlight incorrect or insufficient mounting hardware and attachment points that could lead to leaks, structural weakening, or eventual system collapse. Engineers can catch these errors early and recommend design adjustments.
Long-Term Degradation Risks
Structural reviews often reveal subtle design flaws that won’t cause immediate failure but could lead to problems over time — such as inadequate spacing between panels, insufficient corrosion protection, or poor load paths that accelerate wear.
PV System Review Checklist: The Must-Have Items for Every Project
A comprehensive solar engineering review isn’t complete without a detailed PV system review checklist. This checklist serves as a practical guide to ensure every critical component of the system has been evaluated and validated before moving forward. Here’s what a thorough checklist typically reveals:
Accurate String Sizing and Electrical Configuration
The checklist verifies that the string design matches inverter specifications and site conditions. It reveals mismatches that could cause overvoltage, underperformance, or inverter faults later on.
Correct Grounding and Bonding Practices
Proper grounding is vital for system safety and reliability. The checklist uncovers missing or inadequate grounding paths that could lead to electrical shock hazards or system instability during faults.
Compliance with Industry Standards
A good PV system review confirms compliance with NEC, IEEE 1547, and local utility interconnection requirements. It reveals gaps in code adherence that could delay approvals or cause failed inspections.
Site-Specific Design Adjustments
The checklist ensures that the system accounts for shading analysis, roof obstructions, and unique site challenges. It reveals any oversights in accommodating real-world conditions that might impact energy yield or cause shading-related performance losses.
Documentation Accuracy and Completeness
Beyond technical calculations, the checklist confirms that all required documents are present and accurate — one-line diagrams, site plans, equipment datasheets, and structural reports. Missing or incomplete documents can trigger costly resubmissions or approval delays.
Hidden Risks of Neglecting Solar Engineering Reviews
Skipping or rushing through a solar engineering review might seem like a time-saver at first, but it exposes projects to serious hidden risks that can cost far more in the long run. Here are the most critical risks it helps prevent:
Design Flaws Leading to System Failures
Without a proper review, subtle design errors—like incorrect string sizing or insufficient grounding—can cause inverter faults, system shutdowns, or even fires. These failures often emerge only after installation, leading to expensive rework and safety liabilities.
Structural Instability and Safety Hazards
Neglecting structural checks increases the risk of panel detachment, roof damage, or structural collapse under environmental loads. These failures not only endanger the system’s performance but also pose serious safety risks to personnel and property.
Regulatory Non-Compliance and Interconnection Delays
A skipped review can result in missing critical compliance requirements like NEC standards or local utility interconnection rules. This leads to failed inspections, delayed approvals, and even rejection of grid connection applications, stalling the entire project timeline.
Inaccurate Financial Forecasts
Without validated design and structural data, financiers lack confidence in the system’s reliability and performance projections. This increases the risk of underperformance, unexpected maintenance costs, or reduced system lifespan, impacting ROI.
Poor Long-Term System Performance
Even if the system initially works, undetected design weaknesses often result in reduced energy output, faster degradation, or recurring faults over time. These hidden costs can erode profitability and damage reputation.
Wrapping Up
A comprehensive solar engineering review is far more than a technical checkpoint — it’s a critical investment in the success, safety, and longevity of your solar project. From uncovering structural vulnerabilities to ensuring every design detail meets code, the review prevents costly mistakes, streamlines approvals, and reduces risk for installers, EPCs, and financiers alike.
At Wattmonk, we specialize in delivering fast, accurate, and actionable engineering reviews, giving you confidence that your projects are ready for safe, efficient execution. Skip the guesswork and costly delays — partner with Wattmonk to build solar projects that perform reliably for decades.