The sun’s energy is one of the most powerful and versatile resources we have. It can heat, cool, and power our homes and businesses — and here’s the amazing part: in just one hour, the sun gives Earth more energy than the entire world uses in a year. With the help of modern technology like solar software and solar panel planning tools, tapping into that energy has never been easier.
From solar photovoltaics (PV) for electricity generation to passive solar design for heating and cooling, solar technology is shaping a cleaner future. But behind every great solar project is smart planning — and that’s where tools like PV design software and solar system design software really shine.
If you’re a solar designer or installer, you already know how crucial it is to create systems that are both efficient and affordable. Using the right solar estimating software helps you do just that — turning complex design work into quick, accurate, and reliable results for your clients.
Think of solar simulation software as your digital sandbox for building and testing solar projects. It helps you model photovoltaic (PV) systems, analyze their performance, and figure out how each component — from panels and inverters to batteries — fits together for the best results.
Whether you’re using a solar panel planning tool or a more advanced solar system design software, these programs let you see exactly how your system will perform before you even start building. They calculate shading, tilt, orientation, and other real-world variables that can impact performance.
With the help of PV design software, engineers can simulate both residential and commercial systems, tweak designs, and make sure every project is optimized for maximum efficiency and return on investment.
Using PV design software and solar estimating software isn’t just about saving time — it’s about working smarter. These tools handle all the number crunching and system modeling so you can focus on creating the best design for your customer.
With solar software, everything from shading analysis to cost estimation happens in one place. The result? Faster quotes, fewer mistakes, and happier clients. And when you combine solar panel planning tools with powerful solar system design software, you get a complete workflow that takes you from design to proposal in just a few clicks.
In short, these tools help solar professionals build smarter, more reliable systems — and that means more projects completed, more satisfied customers, and a brighter, solar-powered future for everyone.
A good solar simulation software should have the following features:
Ease of Use: The first quality of an effective solar panel simulation software is its ease of use. Both engineers and technicians should find it straightforward to comprehend and use.
Flexibility: This is another crucial aspect that impacts the use of a solar system design tool. It aids in determining the size, quantity, and type of each component utilized in the photovoltaic system. As a result, the system's performance may be optimized.
Accuracy: The solar energy program must be precise in calculating the many elements, such as energy yield, number of panels (PV modules), inverter size, and so on.
User-Friendly: The software used to develop photovoltaic systems should be simple to use. This enables users to quickly obtain the needed results after entering the necessary data.
Report Generation: A good pv simulation software produces comprehensive reports. Reports aid in determining the components required for the construction of a solar power system. They also assist in determining and summarizing system energy losses and expenses. The report also provides project details such as the project name, location, description, and so on.
Compatibility: A solar system simulation software should be compatible with a wide range of operating systems like Linux, Windows, and Mac, or be available via any web browser.
A photovoltaic system is designed in four major stages:
System Design: Collecting site location data is part of system design. Solar irradiation, shading analysis, and utility connection needs are all included in this data.
Sizing: The second phase is the sizing procedure, which determines the size of each component of the PV system. Other characteristics, such as battery capacity or inverter capacity, are also calculated. This guarantees that enough electricity is generated to meet residential energy demand throughout the day and year.
Performance Analysis: The intended system is simulated using solar PV modeling software during the performance study.
Economic Viability: Finally, the economic feasibility of the project must be determined. A full economic and feasibility assessment for the building and commissioning of the solar PV system should be done at this point.
ARKA 360
ARKA 360 is a SaaS and AI cloud-based software for solar design and sales growth. It specializes in developing software for solar installers and government bodies to create preliminary sales quotations and optimize system designs. ARKA 360 was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in New Delhi.
Key Features:
AI-Assisted Faster Design Creation: Create designs that are simple, accurate, and quick. View your design in 3D or 2D. Discover numerous iterations and choose the best solution depending on your customer's specifications.
Smarter Energy Profiling & Modeling: Generate detailed electrical diagrams for utility-scale or domestic projects in minutes. Choose from a choice of mounting templates and panel tilt values. Draw in barriers of any shape using the polygon tool and more.
Accurate Simulations and Shading Analysis: Easily predict your monthly, quarterly, and annual power production and losses. Simulate shading patterns for any day of the year and generate reliable heat maps.
Sales Proposals and Commercial Reports: Attract clients with thorough yet exhaustive proposals. Focus on the key growth metrics and provide multiple financial solutions concisely. View your Total Savings, Payback Period, and Internal Return Rate, in one single view.
CAD Layout and SLDs: Fabricate single-line diagrams and export them as DXF files for easy construction plans.
Availability:
ARKA 360 is an online Software as a Service (SaaS) and can be used on any modern browser using computers, laptops, or even mobile phones.
Website: https://arka360.com/
Aurora Solar
Aurora Solar develops cloud-based software that enables solar PV engineering design, provides workflow management functionality, and facilitates sales and customer acquisition for solar installers and financiers. Christopher Hopper and Samuel Adeyemo founded Aurora Solar in 2013. It has its headquarters in San Francisco, California.
Key Features:
Simple and Efficient Design Interface: Users can perform detailed shading analysis and shade measurement directly in the application, drag and drop components to create system designs, and generate single line diagrams automatically. All designs are automatically checked for electrical constraints, industry best practices, and NEC rule compliance.
Easy and Automated Financial Report: It enables users to quickly determine a project's viability and easily model many of the most common financing structures. Financial models consider the project's energy profile and calculate accurate and dynamic visualizations of financial information such as cash flows, payback periods, LCOE, and bill savings.
Compelling Sales Proposals: Using the project and design data already created in Aurora, sales proposals automatically pull in the custom project and client data, 3D visuals, and financial analysis into any number of clean and professional templates, guaranteeing a consistent, yet customized experience for all clients.
Availability:
Aurora Solar is an online SaaS company that uses aerial imagery to assess solar installation projects.
Website: https://www.aurorasolar.com/
HelioScope
HelioScope is a leading solar design software by Folsom Labs, known for its intuitive interface and powerful modeling capabilities. It simplifies the process of designing and analyzing high-performance PV systems for residential and commercial projects.
Smart Layout & Mapping: Design solar arrays quickly with Google Maps integration and support for systems up to 5 MW.
Accurate Shading & Energy Simulations: Run detailed shading analysis, performance estimates, and energy loss charts using NSRDB/NREL data.
CAD & Electrical Tools: Export Single Line Diagrams (SLDs), perform voltage drop calculations, and integrate with SketchUp for 3D shading.
Extensive Component Library: Access over 45,000 PV components including panels and inverters.
Easy Collaboration: Share designs instantly and streamline workflows with API integration.
Availability:
HelioScope is accessible through any modern browser. Since it is web-based, users can create solar PV designs using their computers, laptops, or even mobile phones.
Website: https://www.helioscope.com/
PVsyst
PVsyst is a PC software package for studying, sizing, and analyzing data from complete PV systems. It covers grid-connected, stand-alone, pumping, and DC-grid (public transportation) PV systems, as well as extensive meteo and PV system component databases and general solar energy simulation software. This software is designed for architects, engineers, and researchers. It is also extremely beneficial for educational training. PVsyst focuses on comprehensive and precise PV system analysis using a comprehensive set of tools.
Key Features:
PVSyst software has the following features:
Availability:
You need to download the software from its official website and in order to use full PVsyst capabilities you have to buy a license, you can also renew subscriptions for existing licenses on their online shop.
Website: https://www.pvsyst.com/
Open Solar
OpenSolar is the world's first free, end-to-end solar design and sales application, providing solar professionals with a highly sophisticated, yet simple-to-use software tool that meets all of their needs, from marketing and lead management to solar system design, sales, installation, and service.
Key Features:
3D Design, Leading Accuracy: The fastest, simplest and most accurate 3D design tool available, making your proposals reliable and bankable from the office and in the field.
Integrated Finance Partners: Effortless selection and integration of your chosen finance providers with in-app real-time approvals, making selling easier than ever.
Proposals that Sell: Fully customizable, interactive proposals online or as a PDF. 24% sale conversion drawn from experience selling 10,000's of systems, face-to-face and over the phone.
Free of Charge: All of this is available for free to all users indefinitely.
Open API: Connect your existing CRM and business tools to our industry-leading platform. Work in the manner in which you prefer.
Availability:
It is a cloud-based app with a mobile-friendly operating environment that allows you to manage your business from any device in the office or in the field.
Website: https://www.opensolar.com/
At the end of the day, the right PV simulation software can make all the difference in how you plan, design, and deliver solar projects. With so many options out there, finding the perfect solar system simulation software or solar panel simulator really comes down to what fits your workflow best — whether you’re focused on residential rooftops or large-scale commercial systems.
These modern tools do more than just crunch numbers. A good solar power system simulator helps you predict performance, identify shading issues, and see exactly how your system will perform before a single panel is installed. It’s smart, efficient, and ultimately saves you time, money, and guesswork.
As we move through 2025, embracing advanced PV simulation software isn’t just about keeping up with technology — it’s about staying ahead of the curve and designing solar systems that truly deliver.
