If you are looking to cut on your electric bill, solar systems are definitely worth considering. However, the solar PV system installation process is complex. The system is not just about solar panels. No matter for solar professionals or solar amateurs who want to DIY, there are a lot of things to consider, including feasibility, potential yield and hardware. Therefore, a good solar design software is imperative when you are trying to design photovoltaic projects.
In this guide, I ranked and reviewed the 5 best solar design software applications in 2023.
- RatedPower pvDesign
- Aurora Solar
- Solar Labs
- PVcase
- OpenSolar
Solar design software allows solar companies and solar installers to do engineering design for solar PV systems, either for industrial or residential uses. Most companies that provide solar design software also provide additional features like yield calculators and financing tools, in order to take complexity out of the entire process.
What are the 5 Best Solar Design Software Applications in 2023?
My top picks are RatedPower pvDesign, Aurora Solar, Solar Labs, PVcase and OpenSolar.
1. RatedPower pvDesign
pvDesign is a browser-based cloud software trusted by renowned solar companies to automate and optimize the study, analysis, design, and engineering of photovoltaic plants in all its stages.
Planning
During the planning stage, you can specify the location of the PV plant by providing a kml or kmz file that includes the locations of exclusion zones, substations, access roads, and the delivery point for MV cables. Additionally, you can choose your topography from the available databases, upload your own source, and include earthworks calculations, weather data, and surface albedo.
Design
Utility-scale solar project design is covered in full by pvDesign, which also suggests the best input values at each stage of the design process. Using pvDesign, you may describe the interconnection facility, choose the PV plant equipment (module, inverter, and structure), select the civil and electrical configuration, and calculate the energy losses.
Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Engineering
The BESS module enables you to create your BESS and maximize its capacity. You can choose the BESS area and capacity, and pvDesign will produce highly complete BESS technical paperwork that includes the layout, design report, and bill of materials for the BESS.
Optimize
pvDesign quickly produces the best layout solutions by scanning millions of iterations. To get the best design while increasing the profitability and value of solar PV plants, you can examine your layout, optimize the topography, and iterate your configuration as many times as necessary.
Detailed Documentation
pvDesign allows you to download reports in .pdf and .docx formats, spreadsheets in .csv format and drawings in .cad format. The detailed documentation includes plant and BESS layout, bill of quantities, energy yield results, MV, LV and interconnection facility single line diagrams, overhead lines design reports.
Visit their website for more information.
2. Aurora Solar
Aurora Solar helps streamline your entire workflow by taking care of design, financing, contract and proposal.
With the software, you can create a highly accurate solar design with engaging 3D visuals without having to visit the site. It also does loan pre-approval and documentation. Finally, you can send your customer a personalized, interactive sales proposal.
The Premium version even allows you to create full 3D models of the site and automate the contract generation with integrated e-signature.
Lead Capture AI
By interacting with homeowners through tailored, AI-generated 3D solar estimates and reducing customer acquisition costs, the Lead Capture AI enables you to carry out seamless solar design, increase web conversion rates and acquire higher-quality leads.
Sales Mode
With integrated financing, automatic contract creation, and e-signature, Deals Mode gives you the ability to expedite your processes and complete sales immediately. You may also add unique pages, pictures, and videos to your solar proposals.
Aurora AI (premium)
You can only use the Aurora AI if you have the premium package. It is an effective tool for solar design that makes it simple to produce complete 3D models. In order to account for nearby trees and buildings, irradiance calculations use shading from LIDAR, which produces precise estimates with little effort.
Contract Manager (premium)
Also only available with the premium subscription is the Contract Manager. Document templates can be used to quickly produce proposals. All of your contracts, utility agreements, change order forms, and other papers must be uploaded and configured directly in Aurora.
With automated contract production and incorporated e-signature, the entire sales process can be shortened. Even when your client views and signs your paperwork, you will be informed.
Design Mode
Solar installers can generate highly realistic solar designs using Design Mode without having to visit the site, which can save both time and money when getting quotes.
You may dispense with on-site shade measurements thanks to LIDAR-based shade analysis, and Aurora’s irradiance engine offers statistically identical shade analysis values.
The in-app CAD engine enables you to develop, amend, and simulate your system design all from one location and automatically fills roof surfaces with pre-strung modules, inverters, and BOS components.
Visit their website for more information.
3. Solar Labs
SolarLabs360 is an AI-powered business suite that takes care of your lead management, design, analysis, project management, and operations and maintenance.
Lead Management
You have complete lead-to-lifetime tracking with SolarLabs360, so you always know how your pipeline is doing, without needing to use different tools to track your leads.
Design
You can make straightforward, precise, and timely designs using the AI-assisted design tool. Then, depending on your client’s requirements, you can choose the best option after viewing your design in 3D or 2D.
Analysis
You can create reliable heat maps by simulating shade patterns for any day of the year. This allows you to accurately anticipate your monthly, quarterly, and yearly power production and losses.
Project Management
SolarLabs360 facilitates effective teamwork and communication, hastening job closeout and operating authorization.
Operations and Maintenance
By streamlining everything from troubleshooting to ticket creation to field execution and reporting, you can improve visibility into your operations.
Modeling
For utility-scale or home projects, you can quickly create detailed single line diagrams by selecting from a range of mounting templates and panel tilt values.
Sales
SolarLabs360 allows you to stop using disorganized spreadsheets and start luring clients with comprehensive proposals that turn leads into paying clients. The proposals may also contain financial solutions.
Visit their website for more information.
4. PVcase
PVcase stands for PhotoVoltaic Computer Aided Solar Engineering and includes three pieces of software within it, namely PVcase Ground Mount, PVcase Roof Mount and PVcase Yield.
PVcase Ground Mount
PVcase Ground Mount is used by solar engineers and solar installers for designing and improving the performance of utility-scale solar power plants.
Shade-free Table Placement
With the shade-free table placement feature, solar installers can do shade-free table layout on undulating terrain for a set location and time.
Slope Analysis
The slope analysis modules allows you yo identify optimal slope angles for individual tables on uneven terrain.
Piling and Collision Analysis
The piling and collision analysis enables you to understand which tables exceed a given piling range or are in need of grading.
Automated Topographical 3D Cabling
The automated topographical 3D cabling feature lets you generate life-size cable layout accounting for terrain and structural design.
Automatic Cross-Section Analysis
The automatic cross-section analysis function enables you to optimize challenging table layouts with precise cross-section view.
PVcase Roof Mount
PVcase Roof Mount is used for PV design on commercial & industrial rooftops.
Rapid 3D Building Preparation
With Rapid 3D Building Preparation, you can quickly determine obstacles and offset zones on the roof for module placement.
Layout Generation
By comparing several layouts, you can choose which is best for your requirements based on factors like capacity, module count, layout type, etc.
Shading Calculation
With the aid of the shading calculation module, you may decide which modules are overshaded and ought to be taken out of the plan, and which ones.
Electrical Calculation
The software provides you with algorithms and math-based solutions for stringing and cabling automation seek to place electrical design most efficiently.
Bill of Materials (BOM) and Export to PVsyst
Finally, you can export PVsyst for yield analysis and the bill of materials for your project’s cost estimation.
PVcase Yield
PVcase Yield helps you carry out end-to-end yield analysis with data that is otherwise missed out in manual design iterations to produce accurate energy production estimates for your solar projects.
Lighting Simulation Using 3D Ray Tracing
The effect of terrain-based 3D layouts with surrounding features on the PV system energy production can be assessed.
Thermal-electrical Modeling
You can use the electrical data generated by the Ground Mount tool and obtain information on system losses.
Hourly Simulations
The hourly generating profile that was acquired can be used in further financial analyses or in a more thorough examination of system performance.
Visit their website for more information.
5. OpenSolar
OpenSolar is a free-to-use solar design tool for solar companies to efficiently design solar systems. The design software gives you the ability to generate fully customizable proposals online or as a PDF. With built-in CRM, digital scheduling, real-time customer alerts, hardware catalogs, on-demand permitting and e-signatures, the software takes care of everything for you, so you focus only on the sales. Most importantly, with its open API, it can be easily integrated with your existing CRM and business tools.
3D Design
With the use of Digital Surface Map (DSM) technology, which is based on photogrammetry, OpenSolar enables you to swiftly develop automated, fully rendered 3D designs.
Solar Proposals
With a full integrated sales toolbox, rapid proposals can be generated. You can offer your consumers a variety of payment and system alternatives, including cash, financing, PPAs, and leasing. You will receive real-time notifications when your clients read or interact with the proposals.
Fully Integrated Financing
Leading finance companies can be fully integrated into your customer proposals using the OpenSolar design software, allowing you to give your client a curated list of financing options to think about, complete with tables and charts showing monthly and annual cash flow.
Premium Imagery
With Premium Imagery, you have direct access to Nearmap Vertical Imagery and 3D data and can quickly integrate Nearmap premium material into your proposals that are best suited to high-definition imagery (where available).
E-Signature and Payments
You can confidently permit your clients to sign documents and make payments anywhere thanks to the integrated e-signature and payment processing solution.
Visit their website for more information.
Summary
Whether you are a seasoned solar engineer who has years of experience in the solar business, or just an amateur looking to cut on your electric bill, a good solar design software application that gives you robust designs and accurate yield estimations will definitely help you design photovoltaic projects with minimum fuss.
