Aurora, HelioScope, OpenSolar and SurgePV each document different automation. Aurora builds roof models and layouts. HelioScope detects obstructions. OpenSolar offers AI-powered system design in a free core app. SurgePV offers the Clara AI assistant inside its design workflow. Its subscription is priced per user per year (USD 1,899 for one seat, USD 1,299 per user at five seats). Prices and features come from each vendor’s own pages. The vendors report the accuracy claims on those pages themselves.
AI solar design software does two different jobs. Some tools build the roof model from imagery. Some lay out the array, which is the full set of panels. Pick the comparison row that matches the task you want to speed up.
AI Solar Design Software Compared
| Tool | AI features the vendor documents | Best for (vendor’s own positioning) | Price on the vendor’s page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Solar | AI Roof builds a roof model from imagery and LIDAR (laser scans that measure height). AutoDesigner generates a panel layout within constraints you set. Aurora’s pricing page lists AI-assisted site models under Enterprise. | Teams that want automatic panel placement, stringing (wiring panels together into strings) and fire-pathway placement (clear paths on the roof for firefighters) in a sales and design tool | Basic USD 135 per user per month billed annually (USD 1,620 a year). Premium USD 220 per user per month billed annually (USD 2,640 a year). Enterprise is custom. AI Roof is an add-on that uses credits. |
| HelioScope (an Aurora company) | AI-based obstruction detection, listed on the Pro plan | Commercial solar-plus-storage design and simulation | Basic USD 1,620 a year. Pro USD 2,640 a year. Enterprise is custom per project. |
| OpenSolar | “AI-powered lead generation + system design” in OS 3.0, announced 18 September 2025 | Installers who want design, proposals and project management in one app | The core app is free for installers. API access and connectors have been paid since 16 April 2026. |
| SurgePV | Clara AI, an assistant inside the design workflow. The Clara AI page does not publish a fixed feature list, so ask to see the tasks you care about in a demo. | Design teams that want roof modeling, layout, shading, energy yield, financial modeling, BOM (bill of materials, the parts list) and proposals in one workflow | USD 1,899 per user per year for one seat, USD 1,499 per user for 3 seats, USD 1,299 per user for 5 seats (pricing). Access is through a guided demo. |
Sources: Aurora pricing, Aurora AI Roof documentation, Aurora AutoDesigner documentation, HelioScope pricing, OpenSolar OS 3.0 announcement and OpenSolar API and connector pricing. Prices are in US dollars as listed on those pages in October 2026.
SurgePV publishes this guide and sells one of the four tools. The table lists documented features and prices. It does not score accuracy, because the vendors report the accuracy figures on their pages themselves.
Which one fits which team
- You need one app for roof model, layout, shading, yield and proposal: SurgePV covers that scope. See solar design software, shading analysis and solar proposals.
- You want automated panel placement and stringing inside a sales tool: Aurora documents both AutoDesigner and automated stringing. AutoDesigner is not turned on in every Aurora account. Ask your account team first.
- You design commercial rooftops and ground mounts with storage: HelioScope is built for that. Its AI feature is obstruction detection, not full auto-layout.
- You want to avoid a licence fee: OpenSolar’s core app is free. Count API and connector fees if you sync data to other systems.
For a wider comparison of quoting and proposal tools, read the best solar quote software guide. For how AI assistants fit into a design team, see AI copilots for solar teams.
Map each AI feature to a design task
| Task | What to ask the vendor for | What an AI label does not tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Roof modeling | Imagery and height data sources, their dates and coverage, and how you edit the model | Whether the roof looks the same today |
| Module placement | The constraints you can set, the objective, and what happens when the roof will not fit | Structural or local-code acceptance |
| Shade analysis | Geometry, how objects are treated, the time basis and what the output measures | A single accuracy percentage |
| Energy simulation | Model name and version, equipment inputs, weather data and loss assumptions | Annual output or bill savings |
| Proposal drafting | Which design data flows into the proposal, and who can send it | Correct pricing or incentives |
The placement mechanics are covered in automated PV layout and optimization.
Plan limits that affect how you can use the AI features
| Plan | Users | Projects | Design size limit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Basic and Premium | 1 | 50 per month | Not stated on the pricing page | Aurora pricing |
| Aurora Enterprise | Unlimited | Custom | Not stated on the pricing page | Aurora pricing |
| HelioScope Basic | 1 | 10 per month (120 a year) | Up to 1.25 MW DC | HelioScope pricing |
| HelioScope Pro | 1 | 10 per month (120 a year) | Up to 5 MW DC | HelioScope pricing |
| HelioScope Enterprise | Unlimited | Custom | Up to 30 MW DC | HelioScope pricing |
A project cap matters more than the headline price if your team runs many small home quotes. A design size cap matters if you work on large commercial roofs or ground mounts. SurgePV’s pricing page states that the subscription prices shown are per user. It currently states unlimited projects. Ask sales to confirm fair-use limits and contract terms.
What Aurora documents
Aurora’s AI Roof documentation says imagery and LIDAR must finish loading before AI Roof can run. The feature is an add-on that uses credits. It cannot run on a site that already has a roof model. It can fail because of the imagery, the LIDAR or the project location. When it fails, the documentation suggests creating a design request instead.
The AutoDesigner documentation describes a system design that the tool generates on a roof design, within constraints you define. A new run replaces any system design already on that roof design. The endpoints, which are the connection points other software uses, are not set up by default in every tenant.
When you read a vendor’s documentation, record the exact product, plan, region and date. A feature in one vendor’s tool tells you nothing about another vendor’s tool.
Check the roof and shading evidence
A roof model built from far away is good enough to start a conversation. It can miss hidden boundaries and small obstructions. Google’s Solar API methodology says that “translating imagery into 3D models is not always precisely accurate, and the imagery can sometimes be out of date.” That statement is about Google’s data. The same question applies to any tool that works from aerial imagery. How old is the image, and how do you fix the model?
Find out what the shade number measures. It might be sunlight exposure, energy loss or something else. Before you compare two tools’ figures, match the definition and the time basis.
Check the numerical model
SAM’s photovoltaic documentation separates the detailed model from PVWatts. The detailed model uses separate module and inverter models. PVWatts uses a few basic inputs for a first look. Ask any tool the same questions. Which equipment models does it use? Which weather data? How does it treat losses? Which model version produced the number?
Generation is not bill savings. Savings depend on when the customer uses power, the rules for importing and exporting power, the current tariff, financing and costs. Check which of those inputs a tool lets you set.
See Clara AI on a project of yours
Bring a typical roof and the tasks your team does every week. We will show which of those tasks Clara AI supports in SurgePV.
Book a DemoGuided demo · Bring a real project
Run the same test in every tool
Use project files your team may share with a vendor. Include one standard site, one roof with obstructions, one site with old imagery, one equipment swap and one project with a missing input. Use the same inputs in each tool.
Then record these for each tool:
- Where the roof model differs from the real roof, and how long the fix took.
- Which layout constraints you could set, and which were ignored.
- The shading and yield outputs, with the model and version that produced them.
- Whether the receiving designer or salesperson could finish the next task from the output.
- Total time, including review and correction.
A simple scoring sheet keeps the test honest. Copy this table into a spreadsheet with one row per tool and project. Fill it with measured values:
| Column | What to record |
|---|---|
| Tool, plan and version | Exactly what you tested, with the date |
| Project | Standard, obstructed roof, stale imagery, equipment swap or missing input |
| Roof model error | Difference from your surveyed dimensions, in metres or percent |
| Manual corrections | Count of edits and minutes spent |
| Layout result | Modules placed, constraints respected, constraints ignored |
| Yield and shading output | The number, its definition, its time basis and the model version |
| Handoff | Whether the next person could continue without rework |
Measure against a stated reference. A roof-area test needs a surveyed measurement. A production test needs a defined period and a baseline that is metered or modeled. A claim such as “95% accurate” means nothing until you know which of those it measured.
Count cost, licence limits and exit
Compare the licence, credits, add-ons, API access (a link that lets other software use the tool’s data), data coverage, onboarding and support. Per-seat and per-project pricing each suit different workloads. Aurora’s AI Roof uses credits. OpenSolar’s core app is free, but its API and connectors are paid. SurgePV’s published price is per user per year. It has lower per-user rates for 3 and 5 seats. Get taxes, renewal and cancellation terms in a written quote.
Test your exit before you commit. Export a finished project. Check that the files open elsewhere.
Software checks a design against the rules it has been given. It does not replace the engineer or the authority who approves the project. Ask which professional review your area requires for this type of project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which AI solar design software is best?
It depends on the project. Aurora documents AI roof models and AutoDesigner layouts. HelioScope focuses on commercial design with AI obstruction detection. OpenSolar has a free core app with AI-powered system design. SurgePV offers Clara AI inside a roof-to-proposal workflow. Test two of them on the same set of projects before you decide.
Is there free AI solar design software?
OpenSolar’s core app is free for installers. Its OS 3.0 release includes AI-powered system design. API access and connectors are paid since 16 April 2026. Aurora and HelioScope are paid. SurgePV is sold per user per year.
Is a vendor accuracy percentage enough to choose a tool?
No. Ask which output was measured, against what reference, on which sample and software version. Roof size, shading and energy yield are different things, and each has its own errors.
Will AI remove the need for qualified project review?
No. The responsible engineer and the approving authority still sign off. Decide up front which review your project and area require.
What does AI roof modeling need to work?
In Aurora’s case, imagery and LIDAR must finish loading before AI Roof runs. The run can fail when the imagery, LIDAR or location is a problem. Check the data coverage for your market before you rely on any imagery-based roof model.
Can I use a vendor’s roadmap in a buying decision?
Buy what the product does today in your plan and region. Write the features you need into the contract and test them before you sign.
Where this fits
This article is part of SurgePV's Solar Technology hub, which works through the topic from first principles to the decisions a project team actually has to make.
