Pros
Cons
Quick answer
SketchUp is a general 3D modeler from Trimble, and solar layout comes from the separate Skelion plugin. SketchUp Pro is $33.25 per user per month billed annually, and the Skelion Pro & Support Package is $200 USD per licence per year. Skelion lists layout, shading losses and energy reports. Prices checked October 2026.
Using SketchUp plus Skelion for solar?
See how SurgePV puts layout, shading, yield and proposals in one product, in a guided demo on your own roof.
Book a Free DemoChecking cost first? See the SurgePV pricing page.
SurgePV publishes this page and is a vendor in this category. This page covers SketchUp and the Skelion plugin, which SurgePV competes with. The facts here come from the vendors’ public pages, checked October 2026.
What SketchUp does for solar
SketchUp is a 3D drawing tool. The plans page lists “1000+ extensions” for Pro. An extension is an add-on program. Skelion is one such add-on, and it is the one that adds solar tools. The plans page does not mention solar.
Here is what each vendor documents, with the page for each fact.
SketchUp (Trimble)
| Area | What the vendor says | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Pro plan | Adds a “Desktop 3D modeler”, “2D design documentation with LayOut”, “Quick climate insights with PreDesign” and “1000+ extensions”. | Plans and pricing |
| Go plan | “For essential 3D design. iPad & web only.” | Plans and pricing |
| Studio plan | “For advanced visualization & BIM workflows. Windows only.” | Plans and pricing |
| Shadows | Shows how the sun casts shadows on a located model, from latitude, longitude, direction and time zone. The help says it gives “a general idea” of sun and shade. You must set the model’s location first. | Shadows help |
| Site context | Add Location can bring in a map picture, a terrain mesh and 3D buildings for the site. | Site context help |
| Internet | You need the internet to install and authorize your subscription. The program checks your subscription about once every 28 days. | Requirements, Login help |
| Computers | Windows 11 or macOS. SketchUp 2027 and later need Windows 11 and Apple silicon Macs. | Requirements |
Skelion (plugin for SketchUp)
Skelion describes itself as a plugin to “design solar thermal or solar photovoltaic installations starting from a 3d model” (skelion.com). Its download page says you need SketchUp running on your computer, and lists “Sketchup Pro or Sketchup Make 2017” as the requirement. Version 5.5.5 is dated April 2026, for Windows or Mac (Download).
| Area | What the vendor says | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Panel placement | “Specially developed to insert solar panels in any roof.” Also curved roofs and dome components. | Features |
| Ground mount | “Import your 3D mesh and insert your solar component in the terrain.” A slope tool selects terrain by slope. | Features, New features |
| Components | Make your own 3D panel component, or edit the panel database. | Features |
| Shading | Two ways to project obstructions on the roof: by distance and height, or by solstice shadow. | Features |
| Shading losses | Uses TMY hourly weather data, a typical weather year, to find the share of solar energy each panel receives with near shade. | Features |
| Energy reports | Links the 3D model to PVWatts, a US government lab tool, and PVGIS, a European Commission tool, for an energy report. | Features |
| PVsyst | “Export your ground power plant or your solar system to PVSYST.” PVsyst is a separate solar simulation program. | Features |
| Trackers | Shows the movement of 1-axis or 2-axis components and the shading losses. Also backtracking. | Features, New features |
| India weather | Supports the 10 km grid weather data in PVWatts for India. | New features |
The Skelion home page also says you can “make good looking professional presentations and proposals”. The pages do not say how.
Price and plans
Prices are in US dollars as the vendors show them. We do not add them together or convert them. Checked October 2026.
| Item | Vendor price | Page |
|---|---|---|
| SketchUp Go | $10.75 per month per user, billed annually; $19.99 per user, monthly | Plans and pricing |
| SketchUp Pro | $33.25 per month per user, billed annually; $99.99 per user, monthly | Plans and pricing |
| SketchUp Studio | $71.58 per month per user, billed annually | Plans and pricing |
| SketchUp Free | Runs in the browser. “SketchUp Free is not for commercial use.” | SketchUp Free help |
| Skelion Pro & Support Package | 1 licence: $200 USD. 2 licences (12% off): $350 USD. 3 (33% off): $400 USD. 4 (37% off): $500 USD. 5 (40% off): $600 USD. Serial code valid for 1 year. | Pro package |
The SketchUp page says prices exclude tax and VAT. The Skelion page does not say. The Skelion page says a licence “automatically” comes with the Pro & Support Package for a year, and you can renew it each year. The package includes support and updates.
Free trials
SketchUp lists a “Free 7-day Pro trial” (Try SketchUp). Skelion lists a “Free version + 15 days trial” (Download). The Skelion pages we read do not say what the free version leaves out.
- SketchUp Go$10.75
- SketchUp Pro$33.25
- SketchUp Studio$71.58
- SurgePV Individual$158.25 $1,899 per year, divided by 12
Source: SketchUp plans and pricing page; SurgePV pricing page, checked October 2026.
Two purchases or one product?
SketchUp and Skelion are bought from different vendors. Book a SurgePV demo to compare against a single-product workflow.
Book a Free DemoWho it suits, and who should look elsewhere
It suits you if:
- Your team already uses SketchUp for other work and wants to add solar layout.
- You model roofs, curved roofs or terrain in 3D and want to place panels on that model.
- You want to send a 3D model to PVsyst. Skelion lists a PVsyst export.
- You want to work on a desktop and can log in about once every 28 days.
Look elsewhere if:
- You want one program for design, wiring diagrams, a bill of materials and financial models. Those are not listed on the Skelion pages we read (home, features, new features, Pro package, download, training, screenshots and example page, October 2026). The SketchUp plans page does not mention them either. We did not search all of the SketchUp site, so ask SketchUp and Skelion.
- You want a browser-only tool. Skelion says you need SketchUp running on your computer to install it, and lists Windows and Mac versions.
- You cannot connect to the internet at all. SketchUp needs it to install and authorize your subscription.
- You want to treat shade results as final. SketchUp’s own help calls its Shadows feature “a general idea”, so check what each result is for.
Compared with SurgePV
SurgePV sells competing software. The SurgePV column uses only SurgePV’s own product facts and pricing page.
| Topic | SketchUp with Skelion | SurgePV |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | A 3D modeler plus a solar plugin for panel layout, shading losses and energy 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 | SketchUp Pro $33.25 per month per user, billed annually, plus Skelion Pro & Support $200 USD per licence per year | USD per user per year: $1,899 (1 user), $1,499 per user (3 seats), $1,299 per user (5 seats) |
| Try it first | Free 7-day SketchUp Pro trial; Skelion free version plus 15 day trial | Guided demo; no self-serve trial |
| Limits | Two products sold on two separate websites; SketchUp Pro and Skelion are priced and renewed separately | 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 and billing periods, so do not add or compare them directly. To see SurgePV on your own project, Book a Free Demo.
Bottom line
SketchUp with Skelion fits teams that already model in SketchUp and want panels placed on a 3D roof, with PVWatts and PVGIS reports and a PVsyst export. It is a weaker fit if you want wiring diagrams, a bill of materials and financial models in the same program, because the Skelion pages read in October 2026 list none of them. To compare with SurgePV on your own project, book a demo or check the SurgePV pricing page.
Other options
- 3D solar design software: tools that build roof models in 3D, side by side.
- Solar CAD software: AutoCAD add-ons and cloud tools for solar drawings.
- Shading analysis software: tools that estimate shade losses.
Frequently asked questions
What is SketchUp for solar?
SketchUp is a 3D modeling program from Trimble. For solar design, people add a plugin called Skelion, which you buy from skelion.com. Skelion places solar panels on your 3D roof model and links it to PVWatts and PVGIS energy reports. It can also export the model to PVsyst.
How much does SketchUp cost?
SketchUp Pro is $33.25 per month per user, billed annually, or $99.99 per user if you pay monthly. Prices are in USD and exclude tax and VAT. SketchUp Go is $10.75 per month billed annually and works on iPad and web only. Checked October 2026.
Is SketchUp free for solar?
SketchUp Free runs in the browser, and SketchUp help says it is not for commercial use. SketchUp offers a free 7-day Pro trial. Skelion lists a free version plus a 15 day trial. After that you pay for SketchUp Pro and the Skelion Pro & Support Package.
What is Skelion and how much does it cost?
Skelion is a solar design plugin for SketchUp. Its Pro & Support Package is $200 USD for 1 licence for 1 year, with lower per-licence prices for 2 to 5 licences. The package includes support and updates. Checked October 2026.
Does SketchUp do shading analysis?
SketchUp has a Shadows feature that shows how the sun casts shadows on a located model. SketchUp help says this gives “a general idea” of sun and shade. Skelion adds a shading loss calculation from typical-year weather data. Check the results against your own engineering needs.
Can SketchUp work offline?
The desktop program needs the internet to install and to check your subscription. SketchUp help says it checks about once every 28 days. If you logged in within that time, you can work on a model without a connection. Online tools like Add Location need the internet.
Sources
All pages were read in October 2026. Prices and limits are as the vendor shows them on those pages.
- SketchUp plans and pricing
- Try SketchUp
- SketchUp help: Casting real-world shadows
- SketchUp help: Site context with Add Location
- SketchUp help: Login frequency and offline usage
- SketchUp help: Hardware and software requirements
- SketchUp help: SketchUp Free
- Skelion home
- Skelion features
- Skelion new features
- Skelion Pro package
- Skelion download
- 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.
