OpenSolar
Solar design software
CAD software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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Pay-as-you-go
Free TrialFree version
Small
Medium
Large
- Public sector and nonprofit organizations
- Real estate and property management
- Arts, entertainment, and recreation
What is OpenSolar
OpenSolar is a web-based solar sales and design platform used to create residential and small commercial PV system proposals. It supports site layout, shading and production estimates, equipment selection, and proposal generation for customer-facing presentations. The product is typically used by solar installers and sales teams that need an end-to-end workflow from lead to design and quote. It emphasizes browser-based access and integrated proposal/financing presentation rather than standalone CAD drafting.
End-to-end sales workflow
OpenSolar combines system design, energy/production estimation, and proposal creation in one workflow. This reduces handoffs between separate design tools and quoting/proposal software. For teams that prioritize speed from lead to customer proposal, the integrated approach can simplify operations compared with using multiple point solutions.
Browser-based collaboration
The platform runs in a web browser, which can lower deployment overhead versus desktop-only engineering tools. Teams can access projects from different locations without managing local installations. This also supports faster iteration during customer calls or internal review when multiple stakeholders need to view the same design and proposal artifacts.
Customer-ready proposal outputs
OpenSolar focuses on producing proposal documents and customer-facing visuals alongside the technical layout. It supports presenting system options, pricing, and savings/ROI-style outputs in a single deliverable. This is useful for installer sales processes where proposal quality and consistency matter as much as the underlying layout.
Not a full CAD tool
While it includes layout capabilities, OpenSolar is not positioned as a general-purpose CAD environment. Organizations that require detailed construction drawings, advanced drafting controls, or complex engineering documentation may still need dedicated CAD workflows. This can introduce additional steps for permit plan sets and as-built documentation.
Modeling depth varies by use
Production and shading estimates are designed for sales and early-stage design rather than exhaustive engineering validation. Projects that require highly detailed loss modeling, bankability-grade reporting, or specialized simulation workflows may need complementary analysis tools. The suitability depends on project complexity and internal engineering standards.
Best fit for distributed solar
The product is primarily oriented toward residential and small commercial installer workflows. Utility-scale and complex ground-mount projects often demand specialized terrain handling, electrical design depth, and large-project optimization features. Teams focused on those segments may find the workflow less aligned with their requirements.
Plan & Pricing
Pricing model: Pay-as-you-go (wallet-based charges)
Free tier/trial:
- Core OpenSolar application: permanently free for end-to-end use inside the platform (no subscription fees).
- API Access & Raw Data API Access: 30-day free trial when enabled; after trial, usage is paid via the organisation's OpenSolar Wallet.
How billing works (official site summary):
- API Access / Raw Data API Access: organisations enable the wallet product and receive a 30-day trial; after the trial an API Access fee (or Raw Data API Access fee) is deducted from the organisation’s wallet for each new project created. Exact per-project fee amounts are not published on the public official site.
- Connectors (OpenSolar-built integrations such as accounting connectors): billed separately as a monthly fee per organisation; connector-specific rollout and billing details are provided through the Help Center and in-application notices. Exact connector prices are not published on the public official site.
Example costs: Not published on OpenSolar’s official website (no public per-project or per-connector dollar amounts found).
Discount options / enterprise: The site mentions Enterprise/Enterprise Agreements and that large organisations may be offered tailored Enterprise Agreements for scale, but no public discount schedule or unit prices are published.
Notes & official references: All statements above are taken from OpenSolar’s official website (product news and support docs).
