Pros
Cons
Quick answer
Revit is Autodesk's building design (BIM) software, and its help describes a Solar Analysis tool with an annual PV energy study. We found no PV string design, single line diagram or proposal tool in that help. Solar Analysis is for subscribers and installs separately. No Revit price is quoted because autodesk.com refused access. Checked October 2026.
Need more than BIM for solar?
Book a guided demo and see SurgePV array layout, shading, yield and proposals on one of your own projects.
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 Revit for solar work. The facts here come from Autodesk’s Revit 2027 help site and SurgePV’s pricing page, checked October 2026 (last read 28 October 2026).
What does Revit do for solar?
Revit’s main job is building design. Autodesk’s help home lists architectural design, structures, and MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing), plus documenting, analyzing and collaborating. Revit 2027 help home
Solar tools in Autodesk’s Revit 2027 help:
- Solar Analysis gives solar radiation results on surfaces of your model. Autodesk says it uses surfaces made from walls, roofs, floors and ceilings, or from conceptual masses (simple shapes used early in a design). About Solar Analysis
- Two study types. Autodesk lists them as below. About Solar Analysis
| Study type | Autodesk’s description |
|---|---|
| Solar Energy - Annual PV | “Annual simulation for determining PV energy production estimates.” |
| Custom | “Customizable simulation for general solar insolation studies.” |
- How to run it. Open the Analyze tab, then Energy Analysis, then Solar. Pick a study type and the surfaces, then click Update. You must be an Autodesk subscriber and logged in. Run a Solar Analysis
- Method. Autodesk says Solar Analysis uses the Perez Solar Model, and that the calculation runs locally within Revit. About Solar Analysis
- Setup. Set the model’s location and open a 3D view first. Autodesk warns that detailed geometry types, including many family types, grouped objects, linked objects and imported surfaces, “will often lead to inaccurate results that are close to zero.” Prepare the Model
- PV panels. Autodesk support lists third-party sites for ready-made PV panel families. It also has a how-to for building your own family with adjustable size, rotation and tilt. Where to download a PV family, How to build a parametric PV family
- Exports. Revit can export a model to IFC, an open file format for building models. It can also export to gbXML, a file format for energy analysis in other software. Autodesk says the gbXML file follows schema version 7.03. Export to IFC, Export to gbXML, gbXML schema
- Building electrical. Autodesk says “For electrical systems, panel schedules display information about the panel, the circuits connected to the panel, and their corresponding loads.” Panel Schedules
What we did not find
We searched Autodesk’s Revit help (help.autodesk.com) in October 2026 for PV string design, inverter sizing, single line diagram creation and proposals. A single line diagram is a simple drawing of how the system is wired. We found no Autodesk topic on these. Autodesk’s main site, autodesk.com, refused our reads, so this is not a check of the whole site. Ask Autodesk if you need one of these.
Price and plans
| Item | What we could confirm (checked October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Revit subscription price | Not read. autodesk.com returned “Access Denied”. |
| Solar Analysis | “Available to Autodesk Subscribers and must be installed separately.” Source |
| Free trial and education offers | Not read. These are on autodesk.com. |
| System requirements | Autodesk’s help points to autodesk.com/revit-system-requirements. We did not read it. |
We tried autodesk.com with a normal browser and with a command-line tool. Both were refused. We do not quote a Revit price from any other site.
Key facts above come from the Autodesk Revit help page and SurgePV pricing page, checked October 2026.
Who is Revit for, and who should look elsewhere?
Revit suits you if:
- Your team already designs buildings in Revit and wants solar checks in the same model.
- You need to share a model as IFC, or send it to other software as gbXML.
- You want building electrical tools, such as panel schedules, in the same model.
Look elsewhere, or ask Autodesk more, if:
- You need string design, inverter sizing or a single line diagram for a solar project. We found none of these in Autodesk’s Revit help.
- You need a customer proposal or financial model. We found none in the help.
- Your model uses generic models, groups or linked objects on the roof. Autodesk warns these can give results close to zero.
How does Revit compare with SurgePV?
SurgePV competes with Autodesk’s Revit. SurgePV facts below come from its pricing page and product scope.
| Topic | Revit (Autodesk’s help) | SurgePV |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Building design (BIM), with a Solar Analysis tool | Solar design and proposal software |
| PV energy estimate | Solar Energy - Annual PV study | Energy-yield modeling |
| Electrical | Building electrical tools, such as panel schedules | Electrical workflow support and bill-of-materials output |
| Proposals and finance | Not found in Autodesk’s Revit help | Proposal generation and financial modeling |
| Price and access | Not read (autodesk.com refused access) | USD per user per year: $1,899 for 1 user, $1,499 for 3 seats, $1,299 for 5 seats. Guided demo, no self-serve trial. |
SurgePV results depend on source data and review. They support design work but do not replace approval by the responsible engineer, authority, lender, insurer or utility. See SurgePV pricing and the SurgePV solar design page.
Building solar projects, not buildings?
See SurgePV roof modeling and proposals on your own project in a guided demo.
Book a Free DemoChecking cost first? See the SurgePV pricing page.
Bottom line: who should pick Revit for solar?
Revit fits architects and engineers who already model buildings in it and want solar radiation and PV energy estimates inside that model. Look elsewhere for string design, inverter sizing, single line diagrams or customer proposals, none of which we found in Autodesk’s Revit help.
Compare other CAD and 3D routes in best CAD tools for solar, best 3D modeling software for solar and the SketchUp for Solar review. To see SurgePV on a real project, book a demo or read the pricing page.
Other options
- Best 3D modeling software for solar covers tools that build 3D site models.
- Best CAD tools for solar compares drawing tools.
- SketchUp for Solar review looks at another 3D modeling tool.
Frequently asked questions
What is Revit for solar design?
Revit is Autodesk’s building design software. It is a BIM tool, which means it builds a 3D model of a building that also holds data. Autodesk’s Revit help describes a Solar Analysis tool that checks roof and building surfaces. One study type gives PV energy production estimates.
How much does Revit cost?
We could not read Autodesk’s price pages in October 2026, because autodesk.com refused access. So this page quotes no Revit price. Check the Revit page on autodesk.com. Autodesk’s help says Solar Analysis is available to Autodesk subscribers and must be installed separately.
Is there a free trial of Revit?
Free trial terms are on autodesk.com, which we could not read in October 2026. Check Autodesk’s site for current trial and education offers. SurgePV does not offer a self-serve trial. It offers a guided demo.
What does Revit’s solar analysis do?
Autodesk says Solar Analysis gives solar radiation results on surfaces of your model. You run it from the Analyze tab, under Energy Analysis, then Solar. Study types are Solar Energy - Annual PV, for PV energy production estimates, and Custom, for general solar insolation studies. Insolation means the sunlight that reaches a surface.
Can Revit design a full solar PV system?
Autodesk’s Revit help describes solar analysis, PV panel families and electrical tools for buildings. We found no PV string design, inverter sizing, single line diagram or proposal tool in that help. We could not read autodesk.com, so ask Autodesk if you need one of these.
How does Revit compare with SurgePV?
Revit is building design software with a solar analysis tool. SurgePV is solar design and proposal software. It covers 3D roof modeling, array layout, shading analysis, energy-yield modeling, financial modeling, electrical workflow support, bill-of-materials output and proposals. SurgePV publishes USD prices per user per year and offers a guided demo.
Sources
Read on 28 October 2026. autodesk.com refused access, so every Revit fact on this page comes from Autodesk’s help site (help.autodesk.com), Revit 2027.
- Revit 2027 help home
- About Solar Analysis
- Run a Solar Analysis
- Prepare the Model for Solar Analysis
- Export a Model to IFC
- Exporting to gbXML
- gbXML Schema Support
- Panel Schedules
- Autodesk support: Where to download a Revit photovoltaic panels family
- Autodesk support: How to create a parametric PV module family
- SurgePV: pricing and solar design
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.
