Best Solar Design Software
Solar design software is vital for solar companies and installers to professionally design solar systems to perform and meet the customer's requirements. These programs deliver detailed solar proposals featuring layout diagrams of the solar array, system performance estimates, list of equipment supplied, and a price for the installation.
Early solar software was used to estimate the amount of solar generation a PV array would provide throughout the year based on the tilt (roof) angle and the orientation (azimuth angle). Over the years, solar design packages have become increasingly advanced and enabled system designers to use high-resolution aerial photos to position scaled solar arrays on building rooftops, thus accurately determining how many panels may fit on a particular roof area accounting for obstacles and potential shading. Another significant enhancement is comparing solar generation profiles with consumption (load) profiles to more accurately size a system to meet the customer's requirements. Additional features have also been added to help manage project workflow and customer relationships (CRM), business inventory, and accounting. However, many of these advanced features have made solar programs difficult to use and navigate, resulting in designers requiring training and support. This is not a problem for larger solar companies with dedicated designers, but it can be problematic for part-time users. With this in mind, we have broken up this review to highlight the best solar software suited to the following categories.
Software Category winners
Best free solar design software for small to medium companies – Photonik
Best solar design software with CRM for large companies – Pylon Observer
Best software for designing energy storage and off-grid systems – SolarPlus
Best free solar design software with CRM package – OpenSolar
Best solar software for advanced 3D system design – HelioScope
Best solar design software for ground-mount utility-scale systems – PVcase
Software Summary Table and Pricing *
| Design Software | Applications | High Res Imagary included | CRM | Cost $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Residential, Small Commercial | Yes - Nearmap | No | Free |
 |
Residential, Commercial | No - extra | CRM Included | $4 - $10 per project |
 |
Residential, Commercial, Off-grid | No - extra | CRM Included | From $190 per month |
 |
Residential, Commercial | No - extra | CRM Included | Free |
 |
Residential, Commercial, Utility-scale | No - extra | No | From $95 per month |
 |
Commercial, Utility-scale | No - extra | No | From $850 per month |
(*)Pricing will vary for different regions and countries. Costs shown in Australian dollars.
For full disclosure, the Photonik software was developed by the team behind Clean Energy Reviews. We did not set out to compete with the likes of Pylon and OpenSolar directly but to provide a free, very easy-to-use solar design package for anyone with any level of solar experience.
Photonik
Best FREE solar design software for small to medium solar companies
Photonik is the latest solar design software package built by a small team of solar professionals. From the very beginning, the Photonik team set out to develop the most intuitive and user-friendly solar design software available. Photonik is very powerful but extremely quick and easy to use, making it perfect for both part-time and full-time solar installers and small to medium solar companies which do not require a complete CRM package.
Highlights
Completely Free
Simple, easy-to-use design interface and solar proposals
Features
High-resolution imagery included (Aus, NZ)
Easy-to-use panel positioning tool
Smart battery system sizing guide
Array efficiency comparison table
Project planning and tracking
Online customer acceptance form (TBC)
Create detailed site plans (as per AS/NZS5033:2021)
EV charging load simulator
Custom solar proposals - coming soon
Cons
No energy meter data upload (coming soon)
Only fixed load profiles (user-adjustable profiles coming soon)
PRICE: Free
Pylon Observer
Best solar design software with CRM for large solar companies and retailers
Pylon Observer is one of the most popular solar design software packages for solar businesses and retailers. With high-resolution imagery and advanced 3D solar shading analysis, Pylon can offer highly accurate solar performance estimates. The software also boasts the most up-to-date component database, integrated finance options and CRM tools. Although with all the advanced features and options, it does require some practice, so it's best suited to larger solar companies with dedicated designers. Also, the user interface can be a little cumbersome, so some training may be required.
Highlights
Built-in CRM
High-resolution imagery included (Aus, NZ, US)
Features
Complete solar design and CRM package
Pay-as-you-go – No fixed fees
Online customer acceptance & payment
Advanced 3D solar shading analysis
Build custom consumption profiles
Upload energy meter data for more accurate results
Create installer job sheets
Create site plans (AS/NZS5033:2021)
Customise proposals
Cons
The user interface is not very intuitive.
The panel placement tool can be a bit slow and cumbersome
PRICE: $4 to $10 per project. Pay-as-you-go model
SolarPlus V4
Best software for developing advanced energy storage and off-grid systems
Developed by Australian Solar Industry Guru Glen Morris, SolarPlus is one of the most powerful and advanced solar design software packages, designed especially for the Australian market. It features an integrated CRM, battery and energy storage performance modelling, and advanced off-grid design tools. However, considering the high price and many features, it's more tailored toward experienced solar industry professionals who want to take the time to design and develop highly accurate solar and energy storage systems.
Highlights
Advanced battery storage modelling
Off-grid system design tools
Full compliance documents (AS/NZS) and system manual
Features
Complete solar design and CRM package
System operating manual generation
Auto-generation of system documentation
Compliance documents to AU/NZS Standards & guidelines
Create site plans (AS/NZS5033:2021)
Automated cables sizing, isolator/fuse protection sizing
Online customer acceptance & payment
Integration with apps, including accounting and CRM tools
Build custom consumption (load) profiles
Upload consumption and energy meter data for more accurate results
Cons
Expensive
PRICE: From $190 per month (or $4 per project limited)
OpenSolar
Best free solar design software and CRM package for companies
OpenSolar is a free solar design and CRM package which is unique in that its revenue comes from numerous industry partners, including many of the world's leading manufacturers and service providers. It's a very powerful tool that is ideal for solar companies and retailers looking for sophisticated solar design software to manage projects and team members efficiently with tailored tasks and permissions, plus digital contracting and payment processing solutions. However, much like Pylon, OpenSolar also suffers from a complex and cumbersome user interface, so some training is recommended, and it's best suited for solar companies with a dedicated design team.
Highlights
Built-in flexible CRM
Option to create 3D rendered designs
Creates detailed BOMs (bill of materials)
Features
Complete solar design and CRM package
Online customer acceptance & payment
Integration with apps, including accounting and CRM tools (Open API)
Inbuilt accounting and ordering system to facilitate component supply
Full 3D modelling and automated solar array placement
Advanced shading losses calculated automatically
Performance calculations built on models from a leading US Government agency
Build custom consumption profiles
Customise proposals
Cons
The user interface is not very intuitive and has a steep learning curve
Some training required
PRICE: Free
HelioScope
Best solar software for advanced 3D system design (CAD based)
HelioScope is the most powerful solar design package for developing accurate 3D designs of large-scale commercial systems. The CAD based 3D design tool is very sophisticated but surprisingly easy to use and features advanced shading analysis and performance estimates right down to the module level throughout the year. The software also easily creates very clear professional electrical schematic (SLD) diagrams and provides very detailed and customisable solar proposals.
Highlights
Advanced 3D modelling
Automated electrical diagrams (SLD)
Features
Complete solar design and CRM package
High-resolution imagery from multiple sources
Online customer acceptance & payment
Advanced 3D solar shading analysis
Build custom consumption profiles
Customise proposals
Cons
User interface is not very intuitive.
Training is required to utilise all the features.
PRICE: From $95 per month for 5 users
PVcase Ground Mount
Best solar design software for utility-scale systems
PVcase is a very powerful CAD based tool for designing large-scale ground mounted solar arrays. The software is packed with sophisticated tools to enable accurate ground-mounted designs across all types of terrains to avoid shading using 3D shadow analysis. Other features include automated topographical 3D cabling to determine cable layout and lengths and piling collision analyis over undulating terrain.
Highlights
Advanced 3D terrain modelling
Automated electrical diagrams (SLD)
Features
Advanced CAD based solar design tool
Automated topographical 3D cabling - determine cable layout accounting for terrain
Automatic array cross-section analysis
Advanced 3D solar shading analysis
Piling and collision analysis
Customise proposals
Cons
Expensive
Training required
PRICE: Indicitive price is $850 per month
