GUIDE · FOR UK SOLAR INSTALLERS · 10 MIN READ

Solar Design Software for UK Installers: A Fair Comparison

Every product claim comes from the vendor's own site, and every MCS rule from MCS's own documents, listed at the end. We don't rank the tools — we say what each is built for.

Design vs proposal vs CRM: three different jobs

"Solar software" covers three jobs that overlap more every year:

• Design and simulation — roof layout, stringing, shading and a yield figure you can stand behind. PVsyst and PV*SOL sit at the engineering end.
• Proposal and quote — turning that design into a priced, branded document the customer can sign. Pylon's headline is proposals "in under 2 mins"; Easy PV includes an automatic project pricing calculator.
• CRM — the pipeline: who has a proposal and who needs chasing. OpenSolar includes a project management CRM; Pylon sells one as an add-on; Easy PV Pro and Aurora integrate with CRMs.

All-in-one platforms save switching tabs; specialist tools go further on one job. Decide which job is slowing you down first.

What to look for in solar design software

• An MCS-format performance estimate. MIS 3002 says the annual generation estimate (kWp × Kk × shade factor, using MCS postcode-zone tables) and a self-consumption estimate must reach the customer before the contract is awarded, in a set table with set wording. Software that produces it saves an audit headache.
• Shading you can defend. MIS 3002 wants MGD 005 or an equivalent-or-better method. With proprietary software, one way to get the shade factor is to model generation with and without the obstacles and divide one by the other.
• G98 and G99 paperwork. Tools that pull inverter details from your design into the DNO forms cut re-typing and mistakes.
• Proposal output. Branded PDF or web proposals with yield, savings, payback and, where it applies, the MCS wording.
• CRM integration. A built-in pipeline or a link to your existing CRM, so design, proposal and follow-up sit on one record.
• Commercial scale. Check the vendor's stated limits: module counts and kW or MW caps per plan.

MIS 3002 also lets you give extra estimates from proprietary software, but they must explain the approach, must not be more prominent than the standard MCS estimate, and need a warning if they come out much better. Our guide to MCS certification for solar installers covers the wider scheme, and G98 explained and the G99 application guide cover the connection side.

Solar design software comparison table

In no particular order. "Not stated" means we couldn't find it on the vendor's site, not that the tool can't do it. Prices change, so check before you buy.

Notes on each tool

Easy PV (Midsummer)

The most UK-specific tool here, built by Midsummer. Basic covers 2D/3D design, structural checks, a pricing calculator, a proposal and automated DNO forms; Pro adds team sharing, a pre-installation survey and DNO submission through Connect Direct. Midsummer says it was built to MCS guidelines, and it runs its own minute-by-minute self-consumption model beside the MCS method.

OpenSolar

Free because manufacturers, finance firms and distributors pay to be on the platform. For systems over 50kW or non-domestic jobs, it supports other calculators beside its MCS one, such as NREL's SAM and PVWatts.

Pylon

Pay per project, no monthly fee. Its half-hourly analysis works from the customer's interval data — useful on commercial sites, where usage rather than roof size sets the system.

Aurora Solar and HelioScope

Aurora is the residential design-and-sales platform; its UK page adds automated electrical diagrams. HelioScope, its commercial product, says its production estimates are validated by DNV, NREL and CEC, and publishes prices in US dollars.

PV*SOL premium and PVsyst

The two desktop engineering tools. PV*SOL premium (Windows) adds battery and EV modelling, circuit diagrams and reports in 24 languages. PVsyst, from Switzerland, offers hourly and sub-hourly simulation, 3D near-shading and detailed gain-and-loss reports. Neither is a sales or CRM tool.

SolarEdge Designer and Solargis

SolarEdge describes Designer as free, web-based software for SolarEdge systems, with satellite imagery and design validation. Its site blocked our automated check, so confirm UK and MCS outputs with SolarEdge. Solargis Evaluate combines solar and weather data with yield simulation for utility-scale developers — worth knowing if you move into ground-mount.

Commercial jobs and the 50kWp line

Two MCS facts shape software choice for commercial work. MIS 3002 covers systems up to a maximum DC output of 50kWp. And MGD 003, the MCS self-consumption method, is built on domestic occupancy profiles and says it is not applicable for non-domestic buildings; for systems outside its scope, MIS 3002 asks for a method "no less valid".

In practice, a business owner's savings depend on when the site uses power, so a commercial proposal is only as good as the consumption data behind it. Tools that model half-hourly or custom load profiles, or a full simulation package, fit those jobs better than a look-up table. Bigger systems also bring the grid connection into the sale: see our guide to DNO applications for solar for which network operator to apply to.

Software doesn't fill the diary, though. Once you can design and connect larger systems, the constraint is usually finding business owners ready to talk — our comparison of nine ways to get commercial solar leads covers the options.

From survey to proposal: a workflow

Whichever tools you pick, the order of work is much the same.

1. 1

   Book the survey with the decision-maker

   Confirm who owns the roof, who signs and what the site uses before designing anything.

2. 2

   Capture the site properly

   Roof, pitch, orientation, obstructions, the supply and point of connection, and bills or half-hourly data. MIS 3002 notes accurate shading typically needs a site visit.

3. 3

   Design and simulate

   Lay out and string the array and run shading; on bigger jobs, use a simulation tool for the loss breakdown.

4. 4

   Check the grid connection

   Use the design's inverter data to prepare the G98 or G99 paperwork, alongside the sale rather than after it.

5. 5

   Build the proposal

   Yield, savings, payback, finance and, for MCS-scope jobs, the MCS estimate table and wording.

6. 6

   Log it and follow up

   Put the proposal and next step in your CRM so nothing goes quiet.

Most design errors start on site. Our commercial solar survey checklist lists what to capture, and how to sell commercial solar picks up from proposal to signed contract. For kit, our list of UK solar wholesalers and distributors covers where installers buy — some, like Midsummer, also supply design tools.

Solar Surveys UK handles step one for commercial work: we book qualified commercial solar survey appointments with business owners for UK installers. You pay per booked appointment, with no retainer — from £400+VAT to £1,000+VAT per lead depending on system size (see how much commercial solar leads cost). See our commercial solar leads, or read why booked surveys beat form fills.

Solar design software: FAQ