Software for Solar Systems: The 2026 Design to O&M Stack

No solar business buys one program. It stitches together tools for design, selling, permits, building and running systems, and the money leaks where the handoffs fail. This guide maps eight software categories, shows example tools with prices from their own pages and suggests a stack by company size.

Last updated: November 2026

CRM means a tool to track leads and customers. O&M means operations and maintenance, the upkeep work after a system is running.

SurgePV publishes this guide and sells one of the tools named in it. Tool descriptions and prices come from each vendor’s own pages, read on 28 October 2026. The table is not a ranking.

The Eight Categories in One Line Each

1. Design and simulation: model the roof, lay out the array, check shading and estimate yearly yield (the energy the system makes in a year).
2. Proposals: turn the design and the financial case into a document the customer can sign.
3. CRM: track leads and deals from first contact to contract.
4. Project management: run tasks, documents and handoffs between the sale and commissioning (the start-up of the finished system).
5. Permits: produce the drawings and forms the local authority needs, or submit to an automated permit platform.
6. Monitoring and O&M: read production and fault data after commissioning and manage upkeep work.
7. Accounting: invoicing, payments and project costs.
8. Field service: schedule crews and collect job data, photos and checklists on site.

Example Tools by Category

The first four rows share one category because each tool covers more than one of design, simulation and proposals. HelioScope is built for commercial work. SurgePV’s scope is limited to the functions listed in its row.

Latest Updates

• 16 February 2026: OpenSolar announced that its core app stays free from 16 April 2026. Charges apply to API Access and supported connectors (OpenSolar). An API is a link that lets two programs share data. If your CRM or accounting tool syncs through the API, count that cost.
• 1 November 2026: SolarEdge’s developer site, read on 28 October 2026, listed this as the date its Monitoring API (V1) would be deprecated. Deprecated means the vendor plans to retire it. The V2 API on the SolarEdge ONE platform takes over (SolarEdge developers). If your monitoring software reads SolarEdge data through V1, ask its vendor whether it has moved to V2.

Design and Simulation

Design software takes a site’s roof shape, location and shading. It produces a layout, an equipment list and a yield estimate. The same data should feed the proposal and the permit set (the drawings and forms for the permit). Then nobody types the same panel count twice.

The differences between tools show up in four places:

• Scale. HelioScope publishes design limits by plan, from 1.25 MW DC to 30 MW DC. MW DC is system size in megawatts of panel (direct current) power. A residential tool and a commercial tool answer different questions.
• Shading and yield. Ask whether shading is calculated from the 3D model. Ask which weather data and loss assumptions the yield uses. See shading analysis for how SurgePV handles it.
• Electrical output. Ask for the single-line diagram (a simple drawing of how the system is wired) or the electrical outputs you need. Check them against your permit office’s rules.
• Pricing structure. Aurora and HelioScope price per user or per license. OpenSolar’s core app is free. SurgePV’s price is per user per year. Compare the same team size across tools.

Run one finished project through each tool you shortlist and compare the result with measured production. The simulation accuracy comparison explains how to read the differences.

Proposals and CRM

The proposal is the document a customer signs. It should show the layout, the yearly production estimate, the bill savings and the financial case. These should come from the design, not be retyped. Solar proposals generated from the design data avoid that retyping step.

A CRM tracks the deal before the proposal and the project after it. You can set up a general CRM such as Salesforce for solar stages. Or you can use a solar-specific tool such as Payaca that bundles scheduling and invoicing. Either way, ask how design and proposal files reach the CRM record. For options, read about CRM, ERP and accounting integrations and solar software integrations.

Project Management, Permits and Field Service

After the contract, tasks must happen in order. They are design sign-off, permit, equipment, installation, inspection and interconnection (the utility’s approval to connect to the grid). Look for task dependencies (steps that must finish before the next one starts), document storage tied to the project and a status view that needs no manual report. Scoop and Payaca are two solar-specific examples in the table. General tools such as spreadsheets or task boards work for small volumes.

For permits, SolarAPP+ is an online platform that automates permit review. It covers residential solar and storage in jurisdictions (local permit areas) that have adopted it. Outside those areas, the permit set still comes from your design tool or an engineering service. Requirements differ by jurisdiction, so check what your local authority accepts before you choose a tool. Permit package generation explains what such a package contains.

Field service tools handle scheduling, job forms, photos and checklists on site. Scoop lists offline access to job details, which matters at sites with weak mobile coverage.

Monitoring, O&M and Accounting

Monitoring reads production and fault data after commissioning. Inverter makers publish APIs for this, such as the Enphase Monitoring API and the SolarEdge API in the table. (An inverter changes panel power into power a building can use.) Third-party monitoring platforms can then read the data. API versions change. SolarEdge’s developer site listed 1 November 2026 as the deprecation date for its V1 monitoring API. O&M software adds the work side: alerts, work orders and customer reports.

Accounting needs to handle milestone billing (bills tied to project stages), equipment purchases and project costs. Check that your design, CRM or project tool connects to the accounting package you use. OpenSolar lists connectors for Xero and QuickBooks, and Payaca lists both as well.

Recommended Stack by Company Size

These are working suggestions, not rules. Add a tool when a handoff between two people or two files keeps going wrong.

For the utility-scale row, check each vendor’s documented project size. HelioScope publishes its limits by plan.

All-in-One or Best-of-Breed

A single product that covers several steps means fewer integrations to maintain. It also gives you one version of each project’s data. A stack of specialist tools lets you pick the strongest product for each area. You can replace one without disturbing the rest. The cost is extra integration work.

Decide by asking where your errors happen. If they happen between design and proposal, put those two in one tool. If they happen in scheduling or in billing, look at project management and accounting first. Before you sign, check API access, export formats and any API fees. OpenSolar’s example shows that integration costs can change.

What to Test in a Demo

• Design: one recent project, one complex roof, and the shading result compared with what you know of the site.
• Output: the proposal, the single-line diagram and the bill of materials (the parts list), checked against what your customers and permit office expect.
• Data flow: where a design file goes after you finish it, and how it reaches the CRM, the project tool and accounting.
• Contract: price per user or per license, API and connector charges, renewal terms and how to export your data.
• Support: ask a technical pre-sales question and see how long the answer takes.

Where SurgePV Fits

SurgePV is a design-to-proposal tool. Its published scope is roof modeling, layout, shading, energy yield, financial modeling, electrical workflow support, bill of materials and proposals. See how SurgePV covers design, the generation and financial tool and proposals. See pricing for the per-user annual rates. Outputs support design and documentation work. They do not replace approval by the responsible engineer, authority, lender or utility. To see it on a real project, book a demo.

Frequently Asked Questions

What software do solar installers use?

Installers use tools in eight areas. They are design and simulation, proposals, CRM, project management, permits, monitoring and O&M, accounting, and field service. Some products cover several areas. Payaca, for example, lists proposals, invoicing, scheduling and job forms. OpenSolar describes an end-to-end workflow from lead to install. Others cover one area, such as SolarAPP+ for permits or Xero for accounting.

Is there an all-in-one software for solar businesses?

No single product covers every area at the depth a large EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) firm needs, but several cover a wide span. OpenSolar describes an end-to-end workflow in one app. Payaca runs sales through scheduling and invoicing. SurgePV covers roof modeling, layout, shading, yield, financial modeling, electrical workflow support, bill of materials and proposals. Check each vendor’s page for the exact scope.

How much does solar software cost?

It depends on the category. Vendors’ own pages list these prices. Aurora Solar is from USD 135 per user per month billed annually. HelioScope is from USD 1,620 per license per year. Salesforce Starter Suite is USD 25 per user per month. Payaca Growth is USD 1,437 a month billed annually. Xero is from USD 27 a month after its introductory offer. OpenSolar’s core app is free, with API access and connectors charged since 16 April 2026. SurgePV is USD 1,899 per user per year for one seat, USD 1,499 per user for 3 seats and USD 1,299 per user for 5 seats.

Can solar design software handle commercial projects?

Some can. HelioScope’s plans list design limits of 1.25 MW DC (Basic), 5 MW DC (Pro) and 30 MW DC (Enterprise). Before you commit, check the project size, roof types and electrical scope the vendor documents. Then test one real commercial project in a demo.

What is the difference between solar monitoring software and solar management software?

Monitoring software reads production and fault data from inverters and meters. It compares that data with expected output. Management software is a broader term. It covers customers, projects, scheduling, invoicing and reporting, and it may include monitoring. Many products are sold under both names, so read the feature list.

How do I know if a design tool’s simulation is accurate?

Take a completed project with measured production. Run it through the tool and compare the numbers. Ask the vendor which output it measured, against what reference and on which sample. Roof size, shading and energy yield are different things. Each has its own errors.