GRP in the Solar Industry: A Technical Guide

A Comprehensive Technical Guide for Engineers, Designers and Specifiers.

Utility-scale solar is one of the fastest growing areas of UK energy infrastructure, and every site has to perform reliably outdoors for an asset life of 30 to 40 years. Mounting structures, cable routes, access walkways and perimeter fencing sit in wet, agricultural and often coastal environments, close to DC electrical systems where bonding, earthing and corrosion all add cost and maintenance over the life of the asset.

Written by Gavin Williams, Managing Director of Engineered Composites Ltd, this guide sets out how GRP answers those challenges. It draws on four decades of GRP manufacturing at Chester and Saltney to give engineers, designers and specifiers the working knowledge they need to specify GRP across solar projects with confidence.

The guide moves from material fundamentals through standards, specification and design into practical application on solar sites. It explains why GRP’s non-conductive, corrosion-resistant and lightweight properties suit solar infrastructure, and how those properties translate into specification decisions on real projects.

Application coverage includes GRP mounting and support structures, cable management for DC routes between arrays and inverters, maintenance walkways and access systems, and perimeter fencing for unmanned sites. Installation, inspection and maintenance guidance is included alongside whole-life cost and sustainability considerations.

Supporting reference material gives engineers fast access to the property data, standards references and design guidance needed to take a GRP specification from concept to site.

This book is written for structural and electrical engineers, designers, EPC contractors and specifiers working on solar farm and renewable energy projects. It is equally useful for those approaching GRP for the first time and for experienced professionals who need a dependable reference for property data, design methodology and standards guidance.

Property values and design methods represent current best practice and typical performance from quality manufacturers, cross-referenced against the standards that govern UK specification. The result is a practical reference that helps solar engineers specify GRP correctly and consistently.

This guide is intended to supplement, not replace, the expertise of qualified engineers. All designs must be carried out by suitably qualified professionals in accordance with applicable codes, standards and regulations.

First Edition, 2026. Written by Gavin Williams, Managing Director, Engineered Composites Ltd, Chester, United Kingdom.