If you design and quote Australian rooftop work in late 2026, four local questions separate these tools. Does it calculate Small-scale Technology Certificates for your postcode? STCs are certificates a qualifying system earns under the government’s small-scale scheme. Does it handle the Cheaper Home Batteries Program? Does it print wording from the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC)? The code is a consumer protection code for sellers of solar and batteries. Can it cope with the 100 kW to 1 MW systems that became STC-eligible on 1 October 2026?
Solar Proof and OpenSolar publish the STC, battery rebate and NETCC items. Only OpenSolar’s help centre covers the mid-scale change. PVsyst is the pick for yield reports that lenders read. SurgePV documents the design-to-proposal workflow but publishes none of the Australian items, so confirm them in a demo.
This is a desk comparison of what each vendor publishes, checked October 2026. We have not run side-by-side tests. Local rules come from the Clean Energy Regulator, the Clean Energy Council and Ausgrid. Tool facts come from each vendor’s own site. For the wider rules, see our Australia solar compliance guide. The previous version also compared HelioScope. This version does not. HelioScope is part of Aurora’s product line and was not re-read.
Criteria used: STC calculation, 100 kW to 1 MW systems, Cheaper Home Batteries, NETCC proposal templates, Australian dollar price, and an Australian single line diagram (SLD) template. An SLD is a simple drawing of how the system is wired.
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Best-For Picks for Australia
- STC, battery rebate and NETCC wording with pay-per-project pricing in Australian dollars: Solar Proof. Its site says it calculates federal STCs by postcode and system size, the Cheaper Home Batteries rebate and Victorian VEECs. It also offers NETCC-compliant proposal templates.
- Free core app that documents Australian incentives, including 100 kW to 1 MW systems: OpenSolar. Its help centre covers STC, Cheaper Home Batteries and NETCC disclosure steps. Its single line diagram page lists an Australian template. From 16 April 2026 the vendor charges for API Access (a way for other software to connect) and for connectors.
- Lender-facing yield simulation: PVsyst. Its documentation describes P50 to P90 evaluations (P90 is a yield expected to be met or exceeded in 90% of years; P50: 50%). It describes no quotation or proposal output.
- Roof model to bill of materials and proposal in one product, priced per user: SurgePV. It documents roof modeling, shading, yield, financial modeling, bill of materials (BOM, the parts list) and proposals. It is priced per user in US dollars. Its published scope names neither STC counts nor NETCC wording, so ask in a demo how it handles them.
Aurora Solar has no pick on this page. Its pricing page documents Premium battery modelling and bankable shade reports. But its pricing page and help centre state no STC, battery rebate or NETCC item. The help centre names Australia only for Nearmap imagery and weather files.
Comparison Table
Listed alphabetically. This is not a ranking; pick by the situation above. Prices checked October 2026 on each vendor’s own page.
| Tool | Best for | Price | Free or paid | Decisive scope fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Solar | Teams already on Aurora | $159 or $259 per user per month (monthly billing); $135 or $220 billed annually | Paid | Pricing page lists North America and Europe regions, not Australia |
| OpenSolar | Free core app with Australian incentives | Core app free of charge; API Access and connectors charged from 16 April 2026 | Core app free | Help centre covers STC (including 100 kW to 1 MW), Cheaper Home Batteries and NETCC |
| PVsyst | Lender-facing yield | CHF 700 per year (Professional) | Paid | Documents P50 to P90 evaluations; Windows only |
| Solar Proof | STC, battery rebate and NETCC quotes, pay per project | $4 per project; Pro from $99 per month excluding GST | Paid; 5 free projects on a new account | Says it calculates STCs by postcode and the Cheaper Home Batteries rebate |
| SurgePV | Roof model to BOM and proposal, priced per user | $1,899 per user per year (1 user), in US dollars | Paid, guided demo | BOM and proposal generation in scope; no STC or NETCC item stated |
Australia Criteria Matrix
Each cell is Documented, Partial or Not stated. Documented means the vendor’s own page states it. Partial means the page states a related feature but not the full item. Not stated means the pages we read in October 2026 do not say. There are no scores or weights.
| Tool | STC calculation | 100 kW to 1 MW systems | Cheaper Home Batteries | NETCC templates | Australian SLD template | Australian dollar price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Solar | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated (vendor says its SLD editor is only available in Europe) | Not published (dollars, currency not named) |
| OpenSolar | Documented | Documented | Documented | Documented | Documented | Documented (core app free) |
| PVsyst | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Partial (single line diagram feature, no Australian template stated) | Not published (CHF) |
| Solar Proof | Documented | Not stated | Documented | Documented | Partial (SLD editor, template region not stated) | Documented |
| SurgePV | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated (electrical workflow support is listed) | Not published (USD) |
Two things stand out. Only two of the five vendors state STC, battery rebate and NETCC handling on the pages we read. Only OpenSolar covers the 100 kW to 1 MW change. A tool that does not state these items may still support them. Ask for a live STC quote on a postcode you work in before you buy.
Tool Entries
Aurora Solar
Best for: teams already on Aurora who want its Premium battery modelling, LIDAR-assisted modelling and bankable shade reports, quoted in dollars. LIDAR uses laser scans to measure roof shapes.
Not the right choice if: you want Australian dollar pricing or a documented STC and NETCC workflow. Neither appears on the pages we read.
What the vendor documents: on its pricing page, Basic lists tablet-friendly sales proposals and HD imagery. Premium adds LIDAR-assisted modeling, bankable shade reports and battery modeling for backup, self-consumption and arbitrage. Enterprise adds Contract Manager (e-signature), drone mapping, dealer and team configuration, an API and advanced user permissions. Plan sets are an add-on, and the page shows no price.
Price (checked October 2026): Basic $159 per user per month billed monthly, or $135 per user per month billed annually ($1,620 billed annually). Premium $259 per user per month, or $220 billed annually ($2,640 billed annually). Enterprise is custom, per project. The page shows dollars but does not name the currency.
Limitations: the region menu on the pricing page lists North America and Europe. We found no Australian page in Aurora’s page sitemap. We searched its help centre in a rendering browser in October 2026. It has no article on STCs, Cheaper Home Batteries or NETCC. It names Australia only for Nearmap imagery and weather files. It also says its single-line diagram templates and Single-Line Diagram Editor are only available in Europe.
Vendor link: aurorasolar.com.
OpenSolar
Best for: small and mid-size installers. The vendor describes the core app as free, and Australian incentive types are built in.
Not the right choice if: you need documented P50 to P90 yield evidence for a lender. This is not stated on the pages we read. Also skip it if you need API Access or connectors, which cost extra from 16 April 2026.
What the vendor documents: its help centre has an STC article saying systems up to 100 kW use the years-remaining deeming period. The deeming period is the regulator’s estimate of how many years a system will generate renewable energy. Systems over 100 kW and up to 1 MW use a fixed 5-year period when installed in 2026 or later. A Cheaper Home Batteries article covers adding the incentive. A NETCC article describes a disclosures section in new Australian Classic Proposal Templates. Its single line diagram help article says it supports SLDs in AU, NZ, US, CA, UK, FR, DE, IT, ES and IN. The marketing page lists AU, US, UK, DE, IT and ES. A September 2026 post describes a Bridge Select integration. It starts STC claims from a sold project.
Price (checked October 2026): the vendor says the core app is free of charge for solar professionals. From 16 April 2026 the vendor charges for API Access (a per-project fee) and supported connectors (a monthly fee per organization). The per-project API fee is on OpenSolar’s API page. The 16 February 2026 post says accounting connectors are billed as a monthly fee per organization. Enterprise Services are optional and paid: Support US$500 per month, Customize US$1,350 per month, and Enterprise custom. Premium imagery is pay per image (price shown in the app).
Limitations: the STC article says you edit the certificate price and years remaining under Control, Other, Incentives. So the numbers on a quote are only as current as your settings.
Vendor link: opensolar.com.
PVsyst
Best for: yield simulation and P50 to P90 reporting on larger projects. Use it when a lender or investor wants a simulation report.
Not the right choice if: you need quotations, STC counts or proposals from the same tool. Also skip it if you work on a Mac or in a browser. The requirements page says it runs only under Windows.
What the vendor documents: a P50 to P90 evaluation covering weather variability and simulation uncertainties. The pages we read describe no STC, NETCC or proposal output. A search of its help index in October 2026 found no page on STCs, NETCC, incentives or quotations. It documents a single line diagram feature, with no Australian template stated.
Price (checked October 2026): CHF 700 per year for PVsyst 8 Professional, with grouped-order discounts. These are 5% for 2 to 4 licences, 15% for 5 to 9 and 20% for 10 or more. No Australian dollar price is published.
Limitations: the vendor pages we read do not say which Australian lenders accept its reports.
Vendor link: pvsyst.com.
Solar Proof
Best for: Australian installers who quote solar and batteries. It suits you if you want STC, battery rebate and NETCC wording in the proposal and prefer paying per project.
Not the right choice if: you need documented P50 to P90 yield evidence. Also skip it if you need a stated STC calculation for 100 kW to 1 MW systems. Neither appears on the pages we read.
What the vendor documents: its homepage FAQ says it calculates federal STCs by postcode and system size. It also calculates the Cheaper Home Batteries rebate and Victorian VEECs for eligible commercial solar. It lists NETCC proposal templates and a browser-based single line diagram editor with multi-inverter and per-MPPT string design. (An MPPT is a tracking input on an inverter.) It also lists 3D shade analysis, multi-battery design and an installer portal.
Price (checked October 2026): the pricing page shows pay as you go at $4 per project. Every new account gets 5 free projects. It shows Pro from $99 per month, billed monthly or less when paid yearly, excluding GST. The footnote to its tier table says prices are in Australian dollars, rounded, excluding 10% GST. The page does not repeat the currency beside the $4 figure.
Limitations: Pro plans use a monthly quota of panel kilowatts, and battery capacity counts at half. Each project has a 2.5 kW minimum. Jobs of 100 kW and above use commercial job credits.
Vendor link: solarproof.com.au.
SurgePV
SurgePV is our product.
Best for: teams that want roof modeling, shading, yield, financial modeling, bill of materials and proposals in one product priced per user. You would confirm the Australian outputs in a demo.
Not the right choice if: you want a self-serve trial, because SurgePV offers a guided demo. It is also not right if you need an Australian dollar price in writing before talking to sales. The pricing page lists US dollars, so confirm taxes in a quote. Skip it too if you need a documented STC and NETCC workflow today, because OpenSolar and Solar Proof publish one. Outputs support design and documentation. They do not replace approval by the responsible engineer, authority, lender or utility. SurgePV’s published product scope does not list a CRM. It is not a monitoring or ERP (business management) product.
What the vendor documents: 3D roof modeling, array layout, shading analysis, energy-yield modeling and financial modeling. It also lists electrical workflow support, bill-of-materials output and proposal generation. See solar design software for the product page.
Price (checked October 2026): $1,899 per user per year for 1 user, $1,499 per user per year for 3 seats, $1,299 per user per year for 5 seats. All prices are in US dollars.
Limitations: results depend on source data, assumptions and equipment models. The pricing page and published scope do not state STC counts, Cheaper Home Batteries or NETCC templates. They also do not state an Australian single line diagram template or DNSP export limits. A DNSP is the distribution network service provider, the local power network company.
Vendor link: surgepv.com.
Australia Rules That Shape the Choice
STC counts depend on year and postcode. The Clean Energy Regulator bases the certificate count on system type, capacity, location and installation date. It publishes a deeming table: 6 years for 2025, 5 for 2026, 4 for 2027, down to 1 for 2030 when the scheme ends. Its postcode zone table gives postcode 2000 a rating of 1.382 (zone 3) and postcode 3000 a rating of 1.185 (zone 4).
Here is an example with the usual capacity, rating and deeming formula. A 6.6 kW system installed in 2026 earns about 6.6 × 1.382 × 5 = 45.6 STCs at postcode 2000. It earns about 6.6 × 1.185 × 5 = 39.1 at postcode 3000. The regulator’s calculator gives the official count. Use a tool that takes the postcode and the install year from your quote.
Systems from 100 kW to 1 MW installed from 1 October 2026 are STC-eligible. The regulator’s mid-scale solar page (updated 7 October 2026) says the rules changed. SRES (the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme) now covers systems up to 1 MW, up from 100 kW, if installed from 1 October 2026. These systems get a fixed 5-year deeming period. Applications are expected to open in mid to late November 2026. Owners choose between STCs and Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin certificates. Components must be on the Clean Energy Council list. A quoting tool that stops at 100 kW will miss this.
Batteries have their own rule. Under the regulator’s solar batteries page (updated 31 July 2026), a battery must meet rules such as these. It must be 5 to 100 kWh nominal capacity. It must be on the Clean Energy Council approved battery list. A Solar Accreditation Australia accredited installer with a battery endorsement must install it. It must be able to join a virtual power plant. STCs are claimed on the first 50 kWh of usable capacity. The 2026 STC factor is 8.4 for January to April and 6.8 for May to December. It applies at 100% up to 14 kWh. It applies at 60% from 14 to 28 kWh and 15% from 28 to 50 kWh. A tool needs to model the mid-year step and the taper.
Export limits come from the network, not the standard. Ausgrid’s solar page describes three options from late 2026. One is a flexible export connection up to 10 kW per phase. Another is a fixed connection of 3 kW per system. The third is a static 1.5 kW limit where there is no reliable internet. Other networks differ. SA Power Networks blocked our automated requests. Check your own network before you promise export income in a proposal.
Equipment lists and consumer code. The Clean Energy Council says the inverter product standard AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 Amd 2:2024 came into effect on 23 August 2025. It says non-compliant models were removed from its approved list. It also says it administers the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (inverters page).
Regulator pointer. The Clean Energy Regulator (cer.gov.au) runs the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. Our Australia compliance guide covers the wider installer rules.
How We Ordered These Tools
SurgePV publishes this page and is a vendor on this list. Its entry uses the same vendor-page sources and template as every other tool here.
We did not rank these tools. They are listed alphabetically. The best-for picks come from the matrix above.
- STC calculation: the certificate count changes the quoted price on an Australian job. We did not assess whether any tool’s count matches the regulator’s calculator.
- 100 kW to 1 MW systems: systems up to 1 MW installed from 1 October 2026 are STC-eligible. We did not assess how any tool handles the choice between STCs and REGO certificates.
- Cheaper Home Batteries: battery quotes now depend on the program rules. We did not assess whether any tool applies the taper correctly.
- NETCC templates: the code sets what a proposal must tell the customer. We did not assess legal sufficiency of any template.
- Australian SLD template: networks set their own application checklists, which can include a single line diagram. We did not assess whether any template meets a particular network’s checklist.
- Australian dollar price: a local currency price shows what a buyer will pay. We did not assess discounts or negotiated quotes.
Sources and Dates
We read these vendor pages in October 2026. They are Aurora (pricing), OpenSolar (free, three help centre articles above, single line diagrams), PVsyst (shop), Solar Proof (pricing and homepage) and SurgePV (pricing). Regulator and network sources are the Clean Energy Regulator pages linked above, the Clean Energy Council inverters page and Ausgrid’s solar page. SA Power Networks blocked automated requests, so we did not read it. Aurora’s help centre needed a browser. We searched it there for Australia, STC, Cheaper Home Batteries and NETCC.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best solar design software in Australia?
It depends on the job. The vendors publish what they cover. OpenSolar and Solar Proof both document STC calculation, the Cheaper Home Batteries Program and NETCC proposal wording. OpenSolar’s core app is free. The vendor charges for API Access and supported connectors from 16 April 2026. Solar Proof prices per project. PVsyst documents P50 to P90 yield evaluations for work that lenders read. SurgePV documents roof modeling, shading, yield, financial modeling, bill of materials and proposals. Its published scope does not name the Australian items, so ask for them in a demo.
Is there an Aurora Solar alternative in Australia?
Aurora’s pricing page lists North America and Europe regions and shows dollar prices. We found no Australian page in its page sitemap. Among the tools here, OpenSolar and Solar Proof document Australian STC, battery rebate and NETCC items. PVsyst covers yield simulation. If you already use Aurora, ask its sales team what it supports in Australia. We searched its help centre in a rendering browser in October 2026. It has no STC, battery rebate or NETCC article. It names Australia only for Nearmap imagery and weather files.
Can solar design software calculate STCs in Australia?
Some can. OpenSolar’s help centre documents an STC incentive for residential and commercial projects. Solar Proof says it calculates federal STCs by postcode and system size. The Clean Energy Regulator bases the count on system type, capacity, location, installation date and the deeming period. Its own calculator gives the official figure.
What is the STC deeming period in 2026?
The deeming period is the regulator’s estimate of how many years a system will generate renewable energy. The Clean Energy Regulator’s table gives 5 years for systems installed in 2026. It falls by one year each year to 1 year in 2030. Mid-scale solar systems from 100 kW to 1 MW installed from 1 October 2026 have a fixed 5-year deeming period. Check the install date on every quote. A wrong year changes the certificate count.
Which software handles the Cheaper Home Batteries Program?
OpenSolar has a help article for adding the Cheaper Home Batteries incentive. Solar Proof says it calculates the rebate across multi-battery systems. The regulator limits STCs to batteries of 5 to 100 kWh nominal capacity. It counts only the first 50 kWh of usable capacity. It also requires a Clean Energy Council approved battery and an accredited installer.
How much does solar design software cost in Australia?
OpenSolar’s core app is free of charge for solar professionals. The vendor charges for API Access and supported connectors from 16 April 2026. Solar Proof lists 4 dollars per project and Pro plans from 99 dollars a month. Its plan table is in Australian dollars excluding GST. Aurora lists 159 dollars per user per month for Basic and 259 for Premium. PVsyst Professional is CHF 700 per year. SurgePV lists 1,899 US dollars per user per year for one user.
