Pros
Cons
Quick answer
BlueSol is Windows software from CadWare, in Italy, for designing solar systems with layout, shading, wiring diagrams and reports. It costs 590,00 € before tax as a lifetime license for the version you buy, with a 15-day full trial. Each license installs on one computer, and Mac use needs a Windows virtual machine. Checked October 2026.
Weighing BlueSol against a web tool?
Book a guided demo and see SurgePV roof modeling, shading, yield and proposals in the browser.
Book a Free DemoChecking cost first? See the SurgePV pricing page.
SurgePV publishes this page and is a vendor in this category. SurgePV competes with BlueSol. The facts here come from BlueSol and CadWare Shop public pages and SurgePV’s pricing page, checked October 2026 (last read 28 October 2026).
What BlueSol does
The home page calls BlueSol “a software for the design of photovoltaic systems in every country in the world”. It says you can go from “the preliminary assessment of producibility to the realization of the project documentation” (BlueSol home page).
CadWare says it was founded in 1989. It released the first BlueSol in Italian in January 2010 (CadWare Shop, About). The current product is BlueSol Design 4. The downloads page shows version 4.0.010 (CadWare Shop downloads).
The table shows what the vendor documents. Each row names the page.
| Area | What the vendor says | Page |
|---|---|---|
| System types | Grid-connected systems without storage, with AC-coupled battery storage and with DC-coupled battery storage. Also stand-alone systems. | Features |
| Setup wizard | A pre-dimensioning wizard picks the location on a map, then adds strings, inverters, panels, batteries and cables, and sizes the electrical parts. The map needs an internet connection. | Home page |
| Layout | You draw over a map and a 3D view, on a roof or on the ground. You can import DWG files and export the layout to DWG or an image. DWG is a CAD file format used by AutoCAD. | Layout |
| Shading | Far shading from digital images, a SunEye file import, near shading loss, shade maps and a shade diagram on a point. | Location, Layout |
| Trackers | “Solar tracker support: Vertical single axis tracker, Horizontal single axis tracker, Dual axis tracker”. | System |
| Sun data | NASA-SSE world irradiation data, an import from PVGIS, and your own data. | Location |
| Electrical checks | Limits on inverter voltage, current and power. Cable voltage drop. Cable calculation “according to CEI-UNEL tables” (Italian cable standards). | System, Results |
| Single line diagram (SLD) | Automatic generation. You edit it with CAD tools and export to DWG and DXF. | Electrical scheme |
| Money | Profitability with financing, cash flow over the life of the system, tax, incentive rates and energy sales. You can export tables in xls format. | Economic analysis |
| Documents | Editable Word documents from templates: technical report, economic report, bill of cables and bill of electrical components. | Print documentation |
| Project size | “No limit to the power of the system”. | Features |
How you install and run it
The system requirements page lists Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and 11, 4 GB of RAM and “Internet access”. It says Mac OS X is supported through a virtual machine running Windows (System requirements).
You get an activation code by email. The FAQ says “For each license the program can only be installed on a computer.” You can move the license to another computer by deactivating it first. The FAQ says you can do this at most once a month (CadWare Shop FAQ).
The vendor pages are not fully consistent on internet use. The system requirements page lists internet access. The reference guide says the connection “is only necessary during activation, then the program can also be run without Internet connection”. The guide also says the map features need a connection. You can download the guide from the CadWare Shop downloads page.
Price and plans
BlueSol Design 4 has one published price. The table quotes the vendor.
| Item | What the vendor says | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Price | “BlueSol Design price is 590,00 € (price excluding tax).” | Sales |
| License | “The license is a lifetime license for the purchased version.” | Sales |
| Taxes | “Taxes depend on the buyer’s country.” | Sales |
| New major release | “You can choose whether to pay the upgrade price to buy the new version or you can continue to use the one you have.” The upgrade price is not stated on the pages read. | FAQ |
| Trial | 15 days, “with all the features, without any restrictions”. Card details for the trial are not stated. | Download |
| How you buy | From the CadWare Shop. You get the activation code by email. The FAQ says payment is only through PayPal, and that the right of withdrawal is excluded for EU purchases. | Product page, FAQ |
The downloads page repeats the price as “590.00 € + Taxes * – lifetime license” with “15 days trial”. Price checked October 2026.
Key facts above come from the BlueSol Sales and Download pages, checked October 2026.
Who BlueSol suits, and who should look elsewhere
It suits you if:
- You work on Windows and want to pay once instead of every year.
- You need a wiring diagram that you can edit and export to DWG or DXF.
- You design stand-alone systems, or grid systems with AC-coupled or DC-coupled batteries.
- You want to try every feature for 15 days before you buy.
Look elsewhere, or ask first, if:
- You use a Mac and do not want to run Windows in a virtual machine.
- You need one license to run on several computers. The FAQ ties each license to one computer.
- You want a browser tool. BlueSol is software that you install.
- You need a set of install languages beyond English, Italian, Polish and Portuguese.
- You work under US rules. The cable tool names CEI-UNEL tables. The US electrical code (NEC) is not mentioned on the pages read.
- You need carport or east-west racking tools. They are not mentioned on the pages read.
- You need an API or links to a CRM. They are not mentioned on the pages read.
We searched all 36 pages in the bluesolpv.com sitemap and the BlueSol reference guide (255 pages) in October 2026. We found no mention of carports, east-west racking, an API or NEC. The guide uses “East-West” once, as the axis name of a shading chart, not for racking. That is not proof the feature is missing. Ask CadWare.
Compared with SurgePV
SurgePV sells competing software. The SurgePV column uses only SurgePV’s own product facts and its pricing page.
| Topic | BlueSol | SurgePV |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Layout, shading, single line diagram, economic analysis and reports | 3D roof modeling, solar array layout, shading analysis, energy-yield modeling, financial modeling, electrical workflow support, bill-of-materials output and proposal generation |
| Price | 590,00 € before tax, one time, for the purchased version | USD per user per year: $1,899 (1 user), $1,499 (3 seats), $1,299 (5 seats) |
| How you use it | Windows program with an activation key; one computer per license | Web software |
| Try it first | 15-day trial with all features | Guided demo; no self-serve trial |
| Limits | See the list above | Results depend on source data, assumptions, equipment models, configuration and review. Outputs support design work but do not replace approval by the responsible engineer, authority, lender, insurer or utility. |
The prices use different units, so do not compare them directly. To see SurgePV on your own project, Book a Free Demo.
Prefer a subscription web app to a one-time install?
See SurgePV on your own project in a guided demo, then compare it with the BlueSol trial.
Book a Free DemoChecking cost first? See the SurgePV pricing page.
Bottom line: who should pick BlueSol?
BlueSol fits a designer on Windows who wants to pay once, needs an editable wiring diagram, and designs stand-alone or battery-coupled systems. Look elsewhere if you work on a Mac without a virtual machine, need one license on several computers, or design under US rules, since NEC is not mentioned on the pages read.
Related reading: best solar simulation software, best single line diagram software and solar design software for Italy. To see SurgePV on a real project, book a demo or check pricing.
Other options
- Best solar simulation software: tools that model how much power a system makes.
- Best single line diagram software: tools that draw the wiring diagram.
- Best solar design software for Italy: a list for Italian projects.
Frequently asked questions
How much does BlueSol cost?
The BlueSol sales page says: BlueSol Design price is 590,00 € (price excluding tax). The license is a lifetime license for the purchased version. Taxes depend on the buyer’s country. When a major release comes out, the CadWare Shop FAQ says you can pay an upgrade price or keep the version you have. The upgrade price is not stated. Checked October 2026.
Does BlueSol have a free trial?
Yes. The vendor says you can use the trial for 15 days, and it works with all the features, without any restrictions. After the trial you buy the software to get an activation key. The vendor pages do not say whether the trial needs a payment card.
Does BlueSol work on Mac?
The vendor lists Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and 11. It says Mac OS X is supported through a virtual machine running Windows. A virtual machine lets you run Windows inside a program on your Mac.
Can BlueSol make single line diagrams?
Yes. The vendor says the program generates a single-line electrical scheme automatically. A single line diagram (SLD) is a simple drawing of how the system is wired. You can edit it with CAD tools and export it to DWG and DXF files. Whether it meets a local code or permit office is not stated, so check that with the vendor.
Does BlueSol work offline?
Partly. The vendor lists internet access as a minimum requirement, and map design needs internet. The reference guide says the connection is only needed to activate the license, and that the program can then run without internet. Ask CadWare which rule applies to you.
Which languages does BlueSol use?
The CadWare Shop FAQ lists four install languages: English, Italian, Polish and Portuguese. You can change the language later. Other languages and report languages are not stated on the vendor pages read.
Sources
All pages were read on 28 October 2026. Prices and limits are as the vendor shows them on those pages.
- BlueSol home page
- BlueSol sales page
- BlueSol download and trial page
- BlueSol features list
- BlueSol: system
- BlueSol: location
- BlueSol: layout
- BlueSol: results
- BlueSol: economic analysis
- BlueSol: electrical scheme
- BlueSol: print documentation
- BlueSol: system requirements
- CadWare Shop: BlueSol Design 4
- CadWare Shop: FAQ
- CadWare Shop: downloads (reference guide and release history)
- CadWare Shop: About
- SurgePV pricing
About the Contributors
Solar-industry contributor
Nimesh Katariya contributes to SurgePV content concerning solar project workflows. This profile intentionally does not assert certifications, project totals, seminar counts, or technical-review authority without retained verification evidence.
Editorial contributor · SurgePV
Rainer Neumann is credited as an editorial contributor on SurgePV content. This profile does not assert engineering credentials, project totals, software-testing experience, education, speaking engagements, or media citations because independent verification evidence is not retained in the publication record.
