SMA Sunny Design Review: Free Tool, PRO Plan and Limits

SurgePV publishes this page and is a vendor in this category. SurgePV competes with Sunny Design and is compared in the table below. The facts here come from SMA’s product page and manual and from SurgePV’s pricing, checked October 2026. Last checked: October 2026.

What does SMA Sunny Design do?

Sunny Design is SMA’s free planning tool for PV systems, with a paid PRO level for whole energy systems. SMA says you can plan a grid-connected PV system with or without a battery, an off-grid island system, or a hybrid system. Sunny Design then “takes all technical specifications for the various components into account” (SMA product page). Here is what SMA lists, by access level.

Source: the “Overview of Sunny Design functions” table on the SMA product page, read 28 October 2026. “Yes” means SMA marks the feature for that level. “No” means SMA leaves the cell empty.

More facts from the same page and the release notes on it:

• Roof planning. Release 5.20 added shading analysis. It shows the yearly shading of roofs, the percent of shading on each module, and the shadow path at a chosen time. Release 5.90 added Google Solar API data to 3D roof planning.
• String design. Release 5.30 added electrical design with string planning. Release 5.70 added a downloadable schematic circuit diagram, a simple drawing of the system from the modules to the grid connection.
• Large systems. Release 5.60 added a project type for large systems, including DC combiner design.
• Teams. Release 6.00 added team workspaces with roles and permissions. Release 6.10 lets you give a team access to chosen projects only.
• Results. The product page lists a self-consumption forecast and an energy and financial assessment of the system. The manual’s glossary defines net present value and annual return, which it calls an internal rate of return.
• Quotes and documents. The manual says an automatic quotation holds the customer’s address, a quotation number, a project cost overview, standard texts and a field for your signature (Create quotation).

What PRO adds, in SMA’s words: PRO “takes battery-storage systems and thermal components, such as combined heat and power plants and heat pumps, into account.” SMA also lists electric vehicles and charging stations, peak load shaving with a battery, and project templates for commercial energy systems and private homes. A new item on the product page is an integrated Renusol planning tool.

How you start: the manual says you need an SMA ID. You go to SunnyDesignWeb.com and sign up free of charge (Signing up). You need a computer with internet access and a supported browser (System requirements).

How much does SMA Sunny Design cost?

Sunny Design is free of charge, and Sunny Design PRO costs 600 € per year (net, meaning before tax), per SMA’s product page.

Source: SMA product page and the manual page Testing Sunny Design Pro. Checked October 2026. “Net” means the price before tax.

Who should choose SMA Sunny Design?

It suits you if:

• You plan systems with SMA inverters. The manual says you can plan “with all available SMA inverters” (Project overview).
• You want roof planning, shading and a yield and self-consumption forecast at no cost.
• You design off-grid or hybrid systems. This needs the free registered account.
• You plan whole energy systems with a battery, a heat pump or charging stations. This needs PRO.

Check first, or look elsewhere, if:

• You plan with other inverter brands. SMA’s pages talk about SMA inverters and SMA product families. They do not say whether inverters from other makers can be added. We searched the product page and all 226 pages of the manual, read October 2026. Ask SMA before you rely on it.
• You need P50 or P90 yield values (P90 is a yield expected to be met or exceeded in 90% of years; P50: 50%). We found no mention of them in the manual or on the product page.
• You plan sun-tracking mounts (trackers that follow the sun) or carports. We found no mention of them in the manual or on the product page.
• You need to work offline. The manual says a computer with internet access must be available.

SMA Sunny Design vs SurgePV: price, scope and limits

SurgePV competes with Sunny Design. These rows use SMA’s pages and SurgePV’s own pricing page.

The two prices use different currencies and units, so compare them on your own seat count. Taxes and renewal terms for SurgePV are set in your quote.

Bottom line

Choose Sunny Design if you mainly plan with SMA inverters and want free roof planning and shading, or PRO for batteries and heat pumps. Choose SurgePV if you plan across brands and need proposals. Book a Free Demo or see the SurgePV pricing page.

Other options

• Best free solar design software, a list of free tools and what each vendor says they do.
• Best off-grid design software, if off-grid planning is your main need.
• SurgePV pricing, for comparing against SMA’s free and PRO levels.
• Our PV*SOL review, for a Windows tool with 3D design.

Frequently asked questions

What is SMA Sunny Design?

Sunny Design is a planning tool for PV systems from SMA Solar Technology, an inverter maker. SMA says you can plan grid-connected systems with or without a battery, off-grid island systems and hybrid systems. You open it in a web browser or on an iPad or Android tablet.

Is Sunny Design free?

Yes, Sunny Design is free of charge to use, with a paid PRO plan on top. SMA says you can use it without paying. Saving projects, off-grid design and your own modules need a free registered account with an SMA ID. The paid Sunny Design PRO plan costs 600 € per year (net), according to SMA’s product page, read in October 2026.

What is Sunny Design Web, and how do I open it?

Sunny Design Web is the browser version at SunnyDesignWeb.com. SMA’s manual says to go to that address and choose to sign up free of charge. You need an SMA ID to sign up. The manual lists Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Safari as supported browsers.

What does Sunny Design PRO add?

SMA lists these PRO features: planning of energy systems with integrated energy management, import and export of 3D models, tariff management, consumption and load profile analysis, extended project documentation and export of time series. PRO costs 600 € per year (net). SMA also offers a month-long free trial.

Can I use Sunny Design with other inverter brands?

The SMA pages we read do not say. Its manual says you can plan with all available SMA inverters, and it lets you limit the inverter list by SMA product family. The manual and product page do not say whether inverters from other makers can be added. Ask SMA before you rely on it.

Does Sunny Design work on an iPad or offline?

SMA says you can open Sunny Design on an iPad or an Android tablet. The manual says a computer with internet access must be available, so it does not describe an offline mode. It lists Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Safari as supported browsers.

Is SMA Sunny Design better than SurgePV?

It depends on your inverter mix. Sunny Design is free and built around SMA inverters, while SurgePV is paid per user and lists proposal generation and a broader design scope. SMA’s pages do not say whether other brands can be added. Sources: SMA product page and the SurgePV pricing page, checked October 2026.

Sources

All pages were read on 28 October 2026.

• SMA Sunny Design product page: features, access levels, price, release notes
• Sunny Design web app: the browser version SMA links to
• Sunny Design manual: Product description
• Sunny Design manual: Project overview
• Sunny Design manual: System requirements
• Sunny Design manual: Signing up
• Sunny Design manual: Testing Sunny Design Pro
• Sunny Design manual: Create quotation
• Sunny Design manual: Glossary
• SurgePV pricing