Solar Wheel Limited is proud to announce the successful installation of its most ambitious meteorological mast to date — the tallest and heaviest structure we’ve ever deployed — located at the northernmost tip of the Isle of Lewis, Scotland.
Standing at 120m and built to design the extremely windy conditions that it will experience come the winter, the mast lifting load weighed in at nearly seven tons!
Braving rugged terrain and unpredictable Atlantic weather, our experienced team delivered the mast to one of the UK’s most remote wind measurement sites, marking a milestone in both logistics and engineering.
Solar Wheel is a small but well-established company based in South Wales, specialising in the installation and maintenance of wind measurement systems across the UK. Our team of mast installation experts brings a wealth of experience and precision to every project, with a reputation for working safely and efficiently in even the harshest environments.
But this is more than just a tall tower in a wild location. This mast has been designed, engineered, and installed in full compliance with a comprehensive suite of European and international standards. These include:
- EN 1990 – Basis of structural design (Eurocode 0)
- EN 1993-3-1 – Design of steel structures for towers, masts, and chimneys (Eurocode 3)
- BS-NA EN 1993-3-1 – UK National Annex to the above
- EN 1991-1-4 – General wind actions (Eurocode 1)
- BS-NA EN 1991-1-4 – UK National Annex for wind loading
- EN 1991-1-5 – Thermal actions
- EN 1991-1-5/NA – German National Annex for thermal influences
- ISO 12464:2001 / PN-87 B-02013 – Atmospheric icing and ice loads on structures
- EN 1993-1-1 & EN 1993-1-11 – Design of steel structures with tension components
These standards are not just boxes ticked — they are the backbone of a robust structure built to endure the extremes of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. Designed to withstand fierce wind loads, thermal variation, and potential icing conditions, this mast ensures the accuracy and reliability of wind data collection for renewable energy development in one of the UK’s windiest regions.
“This project represents everything we stand for at Solar Wheel,” said Mike Cawker, Director of Solar Wheel Limited. “Resilience, precision, and sustainability — delivered to the most demanding environments. We’re proud of our crew, our engineering, and the clean energy future this data will help unlock.”
As demand grows for clean energy infrastructure in ever more remote and challenging locations, Solar Wheel Limited continues to lead the way with fully compliant, expertly deployed met masts tailored for the future of wind energy.