With the rising number of renewable energy users, the demand for solar panel design software among installers is at its peak.
Why? Human errors are common and inevitable in the process of solar installation, right from providing estimates to final installation. This solar panel design software plays a crucial role in eliminating potential inconsistencies in the sales proposal process as it aids in completing the sale of solar panels efficiently.
This software provides accurate and quick quotes by automating the design of the solar system according to a specific location.
Not only this, solar panel design software aids installers in many other ways. However, when you try to find the best design tool, the options can overwhelm you to the core.
To help you choose the best and understand every nitty gritty detail of these tools, we have compiled a list of handpicked solar design software along with their features and pricing plans.
But first, let’s quickly understand how this tool is beneficial for engineers, specialists, installers, and companies.
Table of Contents
What Is Solar Panel Design Software?
Solar panel design software also known as PV (photovoltaic) software is a tool that solar installers, construction companies, and engineers use to simulate PV plants and solar energy systems for commercial buildings, residential properties, and industrial plants.
Every client is keen to know the complete process of solar system implementation and what the final output would look like before partnering with a solar installer. To help solar companies create compelling proposals for their clients, the use of this software is progressing tremendously.
Having solar design software is as important as any other resource tool for a solar company. This is because it helps them in closing solar sale deals more quickly. These tools automate the design of solar systems, enabling solar installers to provide accurate and quick estimates to clients easily.
How Do Solar Installers Use Solar Panel Design Software?
Solar panel design software is designed to meet the need for dependable, low-cost, and efficient tools for strategizing and commencing solar projects in different types of properties. This software helps engineers and project handlers in making the solar power blueprint easy and feasible. It also aids them in bettering the efficiency of their team members as well.
A solar installer should keep in check four major factors while carving out a solar system design for their customers.
- Location: Examining the location of your client’s property helps you select the correct solar panels on the rooftop.
- Size of the property: The number of solar panels needed to be installed in the property can be found after gauging its complete size.
- Condition of the site: As the surrounding environmental factors, sun coverage, and greenery of the property impact the efficiency of solar panels, you need to examine it before the installation.
- Power consumption of client: Finding out the electricity consumption rate of a property helps you identify how much can be saved after switching to green energy.
Why Solar Panel Design Software Is Needed?
Solar panel design software helps solar companies provide correct and quick estimates of a solar project by automating the solar system design. Some panel design tools also allow users to simulate the setup of the solar system and its performance.
As these tools work at high speed, it considerably simplify the sales process for solar companies that are working on large-scale projects or challenging geographical locations.
Why Solar Panel Design Software Is Vital For Solar Installers?
From automating the design of the solar panels to modeling the setup of a PV system, solar panel design software is capable of managing the key steps of the sales process.
Let us quickly look at the importance of solar panel design software for green power installers.
Solar Energy Calculation
A reliable solar panel design software is capable of estimating the amount of solar energy that can be accessed in a specific area of the building. This helps solar installers select the right region for solar installation to make each panel work to its fullest efficiency.
Determining Suitability
Solar panel design software is made to determine the best area for solar system installation. It detects a location that gets abundant sunlight and has zero shadows. This feature aids solar installers in choosing the correct position of panels.
Engineered Blueprints
Solar panel design software can provide engineered drawings, blueprints, and reports for a solar project in a particular area. This feature helps solar companies to generate accurate reports to carry out the entire project efficiently with less work.
Must-have Solar Panel Design Software Features
By now, you have understood why solar panel design software is a valuable tool for any solar provider. However, to pick the right type of design software you need to know the essential features that it should have for attaining the expected output.
Accurate measurements
A reliable solar panel design software should be capable of providing accurate measurements of equipment and material needed for the installation. Even a minute miscalculation in the solar project leads to ordering in excess. This can lead to a waste of material and money in the long run. Choosing software that provides accurate measurements is necessary to save your business from huge losses.
User-friendliness
Installing new software in a system can get very complex, especially when the user is unclear about its features. If you don’t want to go through a solar panel design software tutorial and save your time. Whenever you choose solar design software, check if it is easy to use or has a complicated setup. Consider using simple software as you will take time to get a hang of it.
Reliability
Solar panel design software should be reliable in terms of performance and rapidity. We know that software is prone to tech glitches. Therefore, choose software that is reliable and doesn’t lose access to vital data even after tech hitches.
Now you must have understood every nitty gritty detail of solar design software along with must-have features. We will now move to our handpicked list of tools including solar panel design software pricing.
10 Top solar panel design software in 2023
As the market is flooded with options in solar design software, selecting the right one seems challenging. If you have not utilized any tools for your solar sales proposal, don’t worry, here is a list of solar panel design software for beginners as well as seasoned professionals for a good start.
Aurora Solar
Aurora Solar offers cloud-based software that enables solar companies, financers, and installers to create PV engineering designs. It aids in sales and client acquisition and workflow management. Although the plans and subscriptions of this software are quite expensive, its features are impressive.
Main features
- Efficient and user-friendly design: This software helps users to do a detailed analysis of shading and measurement. Using the drag-and-drop feature, you can create solar system designs and automatically generate single-line diagrams. All the available designs are NEC (National Electric Code) regulated.
- Automated financial reports: Using the tool, you can quickly analyze the practicality of the solar project and easily prototype prevalent finance schemes. You can generate dynamic and correct visuals of financial reports like bill savings, cash flows, payback periods, etc.
- Sales proposals: This software instantly creates compelling sales proposals in the form of professional templates. This makes sure that your clients get a personalized experience.
Pricing
- The basic plan includes basic and minimal features. It would cost you $135 per user (billed annually, paid monthly).
- The premium plan offers all the advanced sales features and designs. It would cost you $220 (billed annually, paid monthly).
Solar Labs
Solar Labs is an AI (artificial intelligence) platform and cloud-based SaaS for designing solar. It is designed to optimize solar system designs and create initial sales estimations for solar companies and government agencies. However, other than English this software does not support other languages.
Main features
- Rapid designing: Create simple & precise designs quickly. You can preview the solar designs in 3D or 2D modes. Based on your customer’s requirements, you can pick one optimal design.
- Smart modeling and profiling: Using this tool, you can create electrical schematic diagrams for residential or utility-scale projects. You can choose from an array of panel slant levels and mounting templates. Using the polygon tool, you can create barriers of any size and shape.
- Accurate analysis: Using Solar Labs, you can estimate the output and losses on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. You can generate heat maps throughout the year by prototyping shade patterns.
- Sales reports: You can attract your customers with detailed sales proposals. With the help of commercial reports, you can check your savings, internal rate of return and payback period.
- Creating diagrams: This tool helps you create single-line diagrams and save them for building solar designs.
Pricing
- The lite plan includes generating reports and designing the project. Plan starts with $40/y
- The basic plan includes designing unlimited residential and commercial projects. Plans starts with $67/y
- The premium plan covers features like advanced workflows, 3D exports, and permissions. Plan starts with $100/y.
HelioScope
HelioScope is one of the reputed solar designing platforms and has a good customer base who are using this program for creating solar PV installations. They offer a solar design tool online that is easy to use and understand for engineers, panel designers, and installers. As the platform is web-based, you can create solar PV designs using desktop, mobile, and laptops. You can generate compelling sales proposals for people who are interested in solar energy.
Main features
- Rapid shading analysis: This online tool helps users quickly analyze and measure the shading before solar installation.
- Solar panel layout: It offers over 45k component libraries and unlimited designs to create solar panel layouts.
- Creating diagrams: This tool helps you create single-line diagrams and save them for building solar designs.
- Quick designing: Create simple & precise designs quickly. You can preview the solar designs in 3D or 2D modes. Based on your customer’s requirements, you can pick one optimal design.
Pricing
- HelioScope offers a 30-day free trial for new users.
- The basic monthly plan would cost you $95.
- The annual monthly plan would cost you $79 with 17% more savings.
Open Solar
Open Solar is the first solar panel design software free that offers many features without charging a penny. From marketing and lead management to generating solar system design, installation, sales, and services, this software offers multifold features to its users. This free online solar panel layout tool is user-friendly and meets all types of solar professional needs.
Main features
- Sales proposals: Using this software, you can create compelling solar proposals according to your preference. Plus, you can view them online or in the form of a PDF.
- Open API: You can easily integrate your current CRM and other business tools with this platform.
- 3D designs: Using this tool, you can generate the most accurate 3D designs easily and quickly.
- Free of cost: You can access all the features without spending a penny.
- Well-integrated finance partners: It offers a wide choice of financial sources. Customers can easily select their preferred modes of payment. This makes your solar sales easy.
Pricing
- Absolutely free of cost.
Pylon
Pylon is another software that helps solar professionals quickly increase their installation rate. This software has great potential to create appealing solar proposals within 2 minutes, that too without recurring cost. This tool doesn’t ask for a monthly subscription from its users. All in all solar installers get what they need to expand their business.
Main features
- Utilize NEM12: This technology helps in analyzing interval data and provides measurable ROI to your clients.
- Rapid shading analysis: This online tool helps users quickly analyze and measure the shading before solar installation throughout the year.
- Easy payment processing: With the help of integrated payment processing gateways and e-signatures, installers can easily distribute solar offers and increase their conversion rate.
- Pylon CRM: Using Pylon CRM, you can easily control the flow of solar deals and interaction with your customers.
Pricing
- The free trial plan includes many premium features.
- The standard plan starts at $4 per project and the Pro plan would cost you $10 per project.
PVSyst
PVSyst is software that enables installers, engineers, and companies to examine, size, and scrutinize data from a PV system. This PC solar design app includes PV systems that are connected to a grid, pumping, stand-alone, DC grid, etc. Engineers, architects, and installers can hugely benefit from this software as they can also conduct a detailed study of PV systems.
Main features
- Sizing and designing: Using this PC software, users can easily size and design solar panels. It offers ease of generating simulations.
- Rapid shading analysis: This online tool helps users quickly analyze and measure the shading before solar installation.
- Additional features: It offers extra features like ease of importing components and data. Also, it includes generating weather data from meteonorm.
Pricing
- The professional plan includes unlimited features, access to the database of components & more. Starts from $647/y
- The classroom plan would cost you $27 annually. In this plan, printed reports will have the watermark as ‘classroom’.
- The student plan would cost you $27/y same as the classroom plan.
Solarius
Solarius is a solar design calculator which is preferred by several specialists, installers, and engineers to develop solar systems. This flexible design software addresses all types of installers’ requirements. This software helps users in economic analysis and designing any type of grid-connected PV system. Although the appearance of this software is quite outdated, it has impressive features.
Main features
- 3D modeling: Using this tool, users can easily create 3D models of photovoltaic systems. They can also generate CAD (computer-aided design) that meets every solar professional needs.
- Financial analysis: This tool offers amazing financial analytical tools that help users understand their cash flows, bill savings, payback periods, etc.
- Wiring diagrams: Using this software, you can automatically generate and view the wiring diagrams of the PV system along with cables, protection devices, switch panels, etc.
- Rapid shading analysis: This online tool helps users quickly analyze and measure the shading before solar installation.
Pricing
- The cost of a subscription starts at $7.8 monthly.
HOMER
HOMER (Hybrid Optimization of Mulitple Energy Resources) is one of the global leaders in solar software design. It is software that helps users in constructing grid-connected and hybrid microgrids cost-effectively. Currently, it has more than 2,50,000 users in 192 countries in the world.
Main features
- Powerful optimization: The optimization engine of HOMER is quite powerful. It analyzes all kinds of PV systems in a single go and finds out the best one for your project.
- Storage model: The storage model of HOMER is one of the most accurate ones in the market today. This robust model easily simulates the battery performance and life in a specific time to help you understand what can be expected.
- Customizable: HOMER grid provides the solar design with generators, heat, power, storage, wind, etc. You can make your design according to your preference.
- Quantify hazards: This tool allows you to assess sensitivities and help you figure out how much potential risks and mistakes would cost you. Plus, you can understand the effect of uncertainties and changes on your solar business.
Pricing
- It offers a free trial for 21 days to its new users.
- The monthly plan would cost you around $65 per user.
- The annual plan starts at $42 per user including free training.
SolarEdge
SolarEdge is a solar panel design software that helps engineers, companies, and installers create exceptional PV designs. This tool helps users in eliminating potential design mistakes. Using this software, you can attain optimum solar designs without wasting much time.
Main Features:
3D modeling: As this software utilizes AI and HD satellite imagery, it gives you an accurate and clear picture of the rooftop of any type of property. Using this feature, you can show your clients how their roofs would look after installing the solar system.
Optimized Layout: Using the shading analysis feature, this tool shows you the right place to do the solar installation. This helps you provide the optimized and correct layout of the PV system to your customers.
Automated design: This tool automatically generates the electric design of the PV system which helps in efficient project planning including DC cabling, stringing, etc. for smart project management.
Accurate proposals: SolarEdge helps you generate correct solar proposals. Your customers get an accurate picture of the amount of energy they are consuming and how much can be saved.
Pricing
- To get the pricing, you have to get in touch with their customer support team.
BlueSol
BlueSol is a solar panel design software that helps installers around the world. It helps users to commence their solar project including building a PV system design. From analyzing the product feasibility to completion of project paperwork, this software helps solar installers in carrying out the project smoothly.
Main features
- Precise presentation: This software generates a precise schematic representation of solar designs that allows installers to view the operation.
- CAD system: As BlueSol integrates a CAD system, it automatically creates single-line electrical diagrams for the users.
- Economic analysis: This software helps in analyzing and studying economics in depth to meet the solar demands of different countries.
- 3D view: Using this tool, users can come up with appealing designs with an option to view them in 3D mode along with a map. It automatically inserts panels, batteries, cables, strings, and inverters into the design.
Pricing
The BlueSol offers different plans for different categories to the users as follows:
- BlueSol Design 4 – $632.
- BlueCAD Express 2.0 – $53.
- BlueCAD 2.0 – $138.
- BlueCAD 2.0 Upgrade -$95.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is solar panel design software?
Solar panel design software is a tool that helps engineers, solar companies, and installers to automate the design of solar systems. This enables solar installers to provide accurate and quick estimates to clients easily.
What software is used for solar system design?
All the listed solar panel software is used in designing solar systems before the commencement of the project.
Can I design my own solar system?
Yes, you can design your own solar system using any of the solar panel design software.
What is the PVsyst software used to design?
PVsyst is a solar panel software used for designing solar power plants and figuring out the estimated energy production.
Is solar panel design software accurate?
Most solar panel design software on our list is accurate as they provide the right estimation for a particular solar system.
Which solar software is best for designing solar panels?
Although all the solar software on our list are best for designing solar panels, Aurora, PVsyst, Heliscope, and Solarius are the more popular ones.
What is a solar panel designer?
A solar panel designer majorly handles the design, layout, and sizing of a PV system. They are the individuals who work with electric engineers, architects, and other solar professionals to ensure seamless integration of PV systems into a property or building.
End Note
Solar panel design software is powerful and the most valuable asset for companies and installers who are seeking ways to simplify their sales proposal process. These tools are launched with a range of fascinating features that streamline your solar sales process.
This was our handpicked list of the best solar design tools. Jot down your requirements and shortlist the ones that match them.
After shortlisting the names of your favorite tools, run a solar panel design software comparison. Once you have a clear winner, start using it, and streamline your solar proposals like that!
