Best Solar Design Software for International Projects 2026

Most solar design software was built to solve a US problem: fast residential proposals for American installers working under NEC 690, selling to US utilities, filing with US AHJs. That focus has produced some capable tools — but it has also left international solar contractors in an awkward position, either adapting US-centric platforms to local compliance requirements or stitching together multiple tools to cover the gap.

This guide compares six platforms — SurgePV, Aurora Solar, Helioscope, PVsyst, Solargraf, and OpenSolar — specifically for teams running projects outside the USA, or across multiple countries simultaneously. The evaluation criteria are not the same as a US-focused comparison: here, international electrical standards support, permit package completeness, irradiance data coverage, and multi-currency pricing matter more than US-specific LiDAR integrations.

At-a-Glance Comparison: Six Solar Design Tools for International Markets

The Core Problem: US-Centric Tools in a Global Market

Solar markets in Australia, India, the UK, South Africa, Malaysia, Kenya, the UAE, and Nigeria each operate under distinct electrical standards and grid connection requirements. A permit package that satisfies a US AHJ will not satisfy an Australian DNSP requiring AS 4777.2 compliance, a UK DNO running G98/G99 notifications, or an Indian discom expecting CEA Technical Standard references.

The practical consequence: international teams using US-built tools typically spend hours manually adapting outputs for each jurisdiction. The design software handles the system layout; compliance, single-line diagrams, and permit schedules get built elsewhere. That hand-off introduces data drift, consumes engineering time, and creates version control problems at exactly the stage when project delivery speed matters most.

The question this comparison answers is: which platforms close that gap natively, and which still require a supplementary workflow?

SurgePV

SurgePV is a cloud-based solar design software built with international markets as a first-order requirement, not a retrofit. The platform covers the full workflow from site design through shade analysis, yield simulation, financial modeling, and permit-ready proposal output — without switching tools.

Standards coverage: SurgePV natively supports NEC 690 (USA), AS 4777.2 and AS/NZS 5033 (Australia), G98/G99 (UK), CEA Technical Standards (India), and IEC 61215/61730 for international equipment compliance. Compliance guides are embedded for 11 countries: USA, India, Australia, UK, South Africa, Canada, Malaysia, Kenya, UAE, Nigeria, and Singapore.

Permit output: The platform generates jurisdiction-specific permit packages for each supported market. For Australian projects, that means AS 4777.2-referenced single-line diagrams and equipment schedules. For UK projects, G98/G99 notification documentation. For Indian projects, CEA-referenced layouts. The output is built to what the local authority expects, not a generic document that needs manual adaptation.

Irradiance data: SurgePV uses validated irradiance datasets covering its supported regions, not US-only sources. For African, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern markets, this is a meaningful difference from tools that rely primarily on US satellite and LiDAR data.

Deployment: Fully cloud-based. No Windows-only installer, no local licence key. A project started in Mumbai can be reviewed in Nairobi or London without file transfer.

Language and currency: Multi-language and multi-currency support for proposals and financial modeling. Teams billing clients in AUD, GBP, INR, ZAR, or AED do not need to maintain separate pricing templates.

Pricing: Subscription-based, with pricing that is competitive for international teams when compared against USD-denominated US tools that have no regional pricing arrangements.

For a detailed view of the solar design tool workflow, see Solar Designing.

Aurora Solar

Aurora Solar is one of the most feature-dense residential design platforms in the US market. Its LiDAR-based roof capture, NREL-grade irradiance simulation, and Sales Mode workflow are genuinely well-executed for the use case they were built for: high-volume US residential installers running large door-to-door or inside-sales operations.

Where Aurora is strong: US shade analysis using aerial LiDAR imagery. Irradiance modeling with high accuracy in the continental US. Proposal generation for US residential sales. Integration with US utility rate databases. A mature sales workflow for US residential teams that have standardized on the platform.

Where Aurora is limited for international projects: Aurora’s compliance and permit features are built around US utilities and AHJs. Its LiDAR imagery coverage outside the USA is limited. Its pricing is USD-denominated with no published regional pricing. Teams working in Australia, India, or Europe report needing supplementary tools for permit packages that satisfy local requirements.

Aurora is the right choice if you are running a large US residential operation. For international or multi-country deployment, it is a US design tool that international teams can use for modeling — but not for full permit-package delivery outside the USA.

Helioscope

Helioscope is a web-based yield simulation tool with a clean interface and a well-regarded simulation engine. It is particularly strong for US commercial and utility-scale modeling.

Where Helioscope is strong: Detailed yield simulation with hourly granularity. Good module and inverter library. Web-based, so accessible without local installation. Used by US designers for pre-feasibility and detailed energy modeling.

Where Helioscope is limited for international projects: Helioscope is a simulation tool, not a permit-package platform. It does not generate compliant single-line diagrams, equipment schedules, or permit documentation for any jurisdiction. International electrical standards support is limited — it is not designed to reference AS 4777.2, G98/G99, or CEA Technical Standards in its outputs.

For international teams, Helioscope is useful as a yield modeling step in a larger workflow, not as the primary solar software for project delivery.

PVsyst

PVsyst is a Swiss-developed simulation platform and the industry standard for bankability-grade energy yield assessment. If a lender or investor is financing a solar project, there is a strong probability they will ask for a PVsyst simulation report.

Where PVsyst is strong: Internationally accepted yield simulation methodology. Lender and investor recognition globally. Wide support for international meteorological datasets including Meteonorm and Solargis. Multilingual interface. Available to engineers worldwide.

Where PVsyst is limited: PVsyst is a desktop application, primarily for Windows. It does not generate permit packages, single-line diagrams, or compliance documentation for any jurisdiction. It is not a proposal tool. It does not support the end-to-end project delivery workflow — it handles yield simulation and nothing else.

For commercial and utility-scale projects requiring lender-accepted simulation reports, PVsyst is the standard. For residential or SME C&I projects where permit-package automation is the priority, PVsyst needs to be used alongside a separate tool.

Solargraf

Solargraf is a European-market proposal and design tool with a stronger footing in Germany, France, and other EU markets than most US-built platforms.

Where Solargraf is strong: Proposal generation with a polished output suited to European residential and SME sales. German and French language support. Integration with European equipment databases. Reasonable handling of EU electrical standards for proposal documentation.

Where Solargraf is limited for international projects: Solargraf’s compliance documentation is primarily oriented toward European markets. Support for AS 4777.2, G98/G99, CEA Technical Standards, or African and Middle Eastern standards is limited. Outside Europe, teams would need to verify whether permit outputs meet local AHJ requirements.

Solargraf is a reasonable choice for European installers prioritizing proposal quality. For teams operating outside Europe, particularly in developing markets, it does not provide the compliance breadth of SurgePV.

OpenSolar

OpenSolar offers a free tier that has attracted a significant user base, particularly among Australian and US installers. It is one of the few tools with meaningful Australian market adaptation.

Where OpenSolar is strong: Free tier with core design and proposal functionality. Genuine support for Australian compliance including AS 4777.2. Active in the Australian residential market. Integration with Australian distributor pricing.

Where OpenSolar is limited for international projects: Outside Australia and the USA, OpenSolar’s permit package automation is limited. Teams working in India, the UK, Africa, or Southeast Asia report that outputs require significant manual adaptation to meet local AHJ requirements. The free tier has feature restrictions that affect commercial and multi-site workflows.

OpenSolar is a solid starting point for Australian-focused residential installers. For international multi-country operations, the compliance breadth is narrower than SurgePV.

Which Software for Which Market

Common Pitfalls When Using US-Focused Tools for International Projects

Pitfall 1: Assuming permit outputs transfer across jurisdictions. A permit package built for a US AHJ will not satisfy an Australian DNSP, a UK DNO, or an Indian discom. The electrical standards, document structure, and reference requirements differ in ways that require more than a logo swap.

Pitfall 2: Relying on US LiDAR for irradiance data outside the USA. Aurora Solar’s high-resolution imagery is genuinely strong in the continental US. For a project in Nairobi, Lagos, or Kuala Lumpur, that imagery does not exist at the same resolution. Tools that rely primarily on US data sources will produce less accurate irradiance models for non-US sites.

Pitfall 3: Pricing in USD for clients billing in other currencies. Proposal software that only generates financial models in USD creates an unnecessary friction point with clients in Australia, India, or South Africa. A minor issue in a single-country operation becomes a consistent pain in multi-country work.

Pitfall 4: Treating simulation as equivalent to compliance. PVsyst is the right tool for bankability-grade yield simulation. It is not a permit-package tool. Using a simulation-focused platform as the basis for permit submissions typically results in re-work when local authorities require standard-specific documentation.

Pitfall 5: Underestimating per-project time cost. A tool that generates near-compliant documents for international projects — requiring 2–4 hours of manual adaptation per permit set — often costs more in engineering time than a platform that generates compliant output directly. Calculate total cost including labor, not just software subscription cost.

Evaluating Software for Your International Workflow

The four decision steps that matter most for international teams:

Step 1 — Map your compliance markets. List every country where you are currently active or expect to be active in the next 12 months. For each, note the primary electrical standard (NEC, AS 4777.2, G98/G99, CEA, IEC, or local code) and who approves permit packages (AHJ, DNSP, DNO, discom). This list defines what your software must support.

Step 2 — Request sample permit packages. Ask each shortlisted vendor for a sample permit output for one of your target markets. Verify that the document references the correct electrical standard, uses compliant single-line diagram formats, and includes equipment schedules structured for that jurisdiction’s approval process.

Step 3 — Verify irradiance data for your regions. Ask which meteorological datasets the platform uses for irradiance modeling in your target markets. Validated sources include NASA POWER, Solargis, Meteonorm, and national meteorological datasets. Confirm the tool is not extrapolating US data for non-US sites.

Step 4 — Calculate total workflow cost. Include software subscription cost, per-project time for compliance adaptation, and any additional tools needed to complete permit packages. A lower subscription cost that requires supplementary tools or manual adaptation often results in a higher total per-project cost.

For context on how solar design software integrates compliance and yield simulation in a single workflow, see Solar Designing and the generation and financial tool.

The Verdict

For teams running projects in a single US market with high proposal volume, Aurora Solar is a strong, well-supported platform. For pure yield simulation on commercial and utility projects requiring lender-grade reports, PVsyst is the global standard.

For international teams — operating across two or more countries, or in any market outside the USA — the core issue is not which tool has the best US LiDAR or the largest US utility database. It is which tool can generate a compliant permit package for AS 4777.2 in Melbourne, G98 in Manchester, and CEA in Chennai, without a separate manual compliance step in each location.

On that specific requirement, SurgePV is the only platform in this comparison that addresses it out of the box across 11 country markets. If your work spans multiple countries and compliance accuracy per jurisdiction is a production constraint, that is the relevant differentiator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which solar design software works best for international projects?

For multi-country solar design, SurgePV supports the widest range of compliance standards out of the box: NEC 690 (USA), AS 4777.2 and AS/NZS 5033 (Australia), G98/G99 (UK), CEA Technical Standards (India), and IEC 61215/61730 internationally. PVsyst is widely used for bankability-grade yield simulation globally but does not generate permit packages. Aurora Solar is primarily optimised for US markets.

Can I use Aurora Solar for projects outside the USA?

Aurora Solar can perform irradiance modeling and system design for international projects but its compliance and permit features are primarily built for US utilities and AHJs. Contractors working in Australia, India, or Europe typically need supplementary tools for compliant permit packages.

Is PVsyst enough for commercial solar compliance globally?

PVsyst is the industry standard for bankability-grade energy yield simulation and is accepted by lenders worldwide. However, it does not generate electrical permit packages, single-line diagrams, or compliance documentation. For full project delivery, PVsyst is used alongside permit-generation tools.

What solar design software supports AS 4777.2 for Australia?

SurgePV and OpenSolar both support Australian compliance standards including AS 4777.2 (inverter grid requirements). PVsyst and Helioscope focus on yield modeling and require separate tools for Australian permit packages.