Yes, it can be done, and on a sunny terrace it can be a good use of space: the panels make electricity and the terrace gets shade. Whether it works depends mostly on the structure. Many pergolas were built to carry a light cover or climbing plants, not panels and the wind that acts on them.
What counts as a pergola here
By pergola we mean an open structure over a terrace or patio, attached to the house or standing free. It is different from a carport, which covers a parking place, and from a roof, which closes the space off. The questions are similar to a carport’s; our guide on solar carport vs rooftop solar covers that comparison.
An existing pergola
An existing pergola can carry panels only if the structure, the posts and the connections are strong enough, and if the way it is fixed to the ground and the wall can take the wind. Wood that has dried out in the sun, thin aluminium profiles and connections that were never meant to carry weight are the usual weak points.
Adapting an existing structure is sometimes possible. The carport we fitted in Dénia is an example of that: the existing carport was adapted to carry panels rather than rebuilt. Whether the same is possible for your pergola can only be judged on site, by someone qualified to assess the structure.
A purpose-built structure
If the pergola cannot take panels, a new structure can be designed for them, with the panels as the covering. That gives more freedom in angle and orientation, and the structure is sized for the load from the start. It is also a building project in its own right, with foundations, fixings to the house and its own paperwork.
Rain and what is underneath
Panels close a pergola off from above, but not completely: water runs off between and along them. If you want the terrace dry, the panels need to be laid out and sealed for that, or a gutter added along the low side. If the pergola now has plants or a textile cover, think about what happens to the light and heat underneath once panels replace it.
Shade on the panels
A pergola stands low, next to the house. The house itself, trees and walls can shade it for part of the day, more than they would shade a roof. We look at the sun on the spot through the year before recommending it.
Permits
In the Valencian Community, solar installations on pergolas and supports do not count towards the buildable area, boundary distances or maximum height of the plot (Decreto-ley 14/2020), and panels on existing private buildings go through a declaración responsable. A new structure still has to follow the town hall’s procedure for building work, and some urbanisations have their own rules on what may be built on a terrace. See what documents you need.
First check the roof
For most houses the roof is the simpler place for panels. A pergola becomes the better option when the roof is small, shaded or unsuitable, or when you want the shade anyway. Our guide on whether your roof is suitable is the place to start. If you want us to look at both, ask for a quote and send a photo of the pergola.
