TL;DR: SurgePV is the best all-in-one solar software for South Africa, combining battery storage design for load shedding, automated SLD generation for NRS 097 compliance, bankable P50/P90 simulations, Section 12B tax modelling, and professional proposals in ZAR at ~R27,000/user/year. PVsyst remains the standard for REIPPPP utility-scale bankability. Aurora Solar suits enterprise residential installers. HelioScope handles simple commercial rooftops. OpenSolar is the best free option.
Between 2022 and 2025, South Africa added more rooftop solar capacity than in the entire previous decade combined. Eskom’s relentless Stage 2-6 load shedding turned “maybe we should go solar” into “call an installer today.” The market now exceeds 8.2 GW installed capacity, with 2.5-3.5 GW added annually.
But here’s what happened behind the scenes: thousands of South African EPCs and installers scaled from 5 projects a month to 25 or 50 — using the same duct-taped tool stack they cobbled together in 2019. Aurora for design. AutoCAD for electrical documentation. PVsyst for simulation. Excel for proposals and battery sizing. WhatsApp for customer communication.
That four-tool workflow costs R300,000+ per year for a three-person team. It wastes 2-3 hours per project in tool-switching. And it breaks at exactly the moment when scaling matters most — when you’re trying to handle the surge of demand that load shedding created.
The right solar software for South Africa must do what none of those individual tools can: design solar + battery systems for load shedding, generate NRS 097-compliant electrical documentation, calculate Section 12B tax deductions for commercial proposals, and produce professional quotes in ZAR — in a single workflow that takes 30-45 minutes, not 3 hours.
In this guide, you’ll find:
- Which platforms handle the full SA solar workflow (design + electrical + battery + proposals)
- How each tool manages NRS 097 compliance and SSEG documentation
- Which software models Section 12B tax benefits and Eskom tariff escalation
- Total cost of ownership for South African EPC teams in ZAR
- Detailed comparisons of SurgePV, Aurora Solar, PVsyst, HelioScope, and OpenSolar
Quick Comparison Table
| Software | Platform Type | Battery + Load Shedding | Section 12B | ZAR | Pricing (ZAR/user/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurgePV | All-in-one cloud | Full (Stage 2-6) | Yes | Yes | ~R27,000 |
| Aurora Solar | Design + proposals | Basic | No | No | ~R56,000 |
| PVsyst | Simulation only | No | No | No | ~R26,300 |
| HelioScope | Commercial design | No | No | No | ~R63,000+ |
| OpenSolar | Basic design + proposals | Limited | No | No | Free |
Each tool evaluated on South Africa-specific criteria: battery + load shedding design, NRS 097 compliance, Section 12B financial modelling, end-to-end workflow completeness, and pricing in ZAR.
Best Solar Software in South Africa (Detailed Reviews)
SurgePV — Best All-in-One Solar Platform for South Africa
Best For: Commercial EPCs (50 kW-5 MW), residential installers (solar + battery), consultants, solar designers, and sales teams serving the South African market
Pricing: $1,499/user/year (~R27,000/user/year)
SurgePV is the only cloud-based platform combining AI-powered design, automated electrical engineering, battery storage design, bankable simulations, and professional proposals in a single workflow. No tool-switching. No AutoCAD. No Excel.
For South African EPCs, that means designing a 200 kW commercial system in Midrand, generating a code-compliant single line diagram for SSEG registration, sizing battery backup for Stage 4 load shedding, running 8760-hour shading analysis calibrated for South Africa’s excellent irradiance, producing P50/P90 bankability reports for lender submission, and generating a professional proposal with Section 12B financial modelling — all in one sitting.
Pro Tip
Before committing to any solar platform for South Africa, test it against your actual workflow. Design a residential solar + battery system (8 kW PV + 10 kWh battery) and see if you can go from roof design to SSEG-ready SLD to client proposal in under an hour. If you can’t, the tool isn’t built for the South African market’s speed requirements.
The Tool Consolidation Advantage
Most South African EPCs run four or more separate tools. Aurora or HelioScope for design (~R56,000-130,000/year per user). AutoCAD for electrical documentation (~R36,000/year per user). PVsyst for simulation (~R20,000 + R6,300/year). Excel for proposals and battery sizing (free, but 1-2 hours of labour per project).
SurgePV replaces all four. One platform. One login. One learning curve. R27,000/user/year for everything.
For a three-person South African EPC team, that’s ~R81,000/year vs ~R302,300/year with the multi-tool stack. The R221,300/year savings pays for itself before you count labour time saved.
Battery Storage and Load Shedding Design
South Africa isn’t a solar market. It’s a solar + battery market. Eskom’s load shedding crisis means 80%+ of new residential installations and a growing share of commercial projects include battery storage. If your software only designs grid-tied solar, it handles maybe 20% of South African demand.
SurgePV’s battery design covers hybrid inverter configuration, critical vs non-critical load separation, backup duration modelling by load shedding stage (Stage 2 = 2-4 hours through Stage 6 = 8-12 hours), and self-consumption optimisation to maximise both grid savings and backup capability.
Electrical Engineering and SSEG Documentation
Every grid-connected solar system in South Africa requires NRS 097-2-1 compliance for SSEG registration with the local municipality. The most time-consuming document in that application? The single line diagram.
SurgePV generates code-compliant SLDs automatically in 5-10 minutes. The alternative is AutoCAD — R36,000/year in licensing plus 2-3 hours of manual drafting per project. For an EPC doing 25 projects a month, that’s 50-75 hours monthly spent drawing electrical schematics that solar design software can produce in minutes.
Wire sizing calculations are instant: DC and AC gauges based on current, distance, voltage drop limits, and temperature correction factors for South Africa’s hot inland summers.
Financial Modelling and Proposals
South African solar economics are driven by two numbers: electricity savings from Eskom’s R1.70-2.50/kWh rates (rising 12-18% annually), and the Section 12B tax deduction (125% first-year write-off for businesses).
SurgePV’s financial modelling handles both. Commercial proposals automatically show Section 12B impact — a R1 million system at 27% corporate rate generates R337,500 in first-year tax savings. Eskom tariff escalation is modelled over 25 years, showing compounding savings that make solar investment cases undeniable.
Proposals are professional (web-based interactive + PDF), formatted in ZAR with 15% VAT breakdowns, and include battery backup visualisations for load shedding stages.
Simulation and Bankability
South Africa’s solar resource is among the world’s best — 1,800 to 2,500 kWh/m2/year GHI nationally. SurgePV’s 8760-hour simulation models this accurately, achieving plus or minus 3% accuracy vs PVsyst. P50 (median), P75 (conservative), and P90 (worst-case) reports give South African lenders, the IDC, DBSA, and commercial banks the metrics they require for project financing.
Further Reading
See our best solar design software in South Africa for design-focused comparison, or explore best solar proposal software in South Africa for sales-focused platforms.
Mini Case Study: Multi-Branch South African EPC
Setup: A national EPC with offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban was running different tool stacks in each office. The Johannesburg team used Aurora + AutoCAD. Cape Town used HelioScope + PVsyst. Durban used a mix of OpenSolar and Excel. Quality was inconsistent, training was duplicated, and no one could collaborate on projects across offices.
Action: Standardised on SurgePV across all three offices. Cloud-based access meant any designer could work on any project regardless of location.
Result: Design consistency improved immediately. Average project completion time dropped from 3.5 hours to 50 minutes across all offices. Annual software costs reduced by over R200,000. New staff onboarded in 2-3 weeks instead of 4-6 weeks (the time needed for Aurora + AutoCAD + PVsyst training).
Lesson: Tool fragmentation doesn’t just cost money. It costs consistency. When three offices produce three different quality levels, customer trust erodes.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Only platform combining design + electrical + battery + simulation + proposals
- Automated SLD generation eliminates AutoCAD dependency (saves R36,000/year + 2-3 hours/project)
- Battery storage design for load shedding backup (Stage 2-6)
- Section 12B tax deduction modelling in commercial proposals
- P50/P75/P90 bankability reports (plus or minus 3% vs PVsyst)
- Carport solar design — only platform with native support
- Cloud-based — accessible from any South African office
- Transparent pricing: ~R27,000/user/year, all features included
- 2-3 week onboarding (vs 6-8 weeks for multi-tool stacks)
- 3-minute average support response time
Cons:
- Newer brand in the South African market (less recognition than PVsyst)
- English-language platform (no Afrikaans or Zulu interface)
- For utility-scale REIPPPP projects, PVsyst validation may still be required by specific lenders
Pricing
| Plan | Price (USD) | Price (ZAR) |
|---|---|---|
| Per User | $1,499/user/year | ~R27,000/user/year |
| 3-User Plan | $4,497/year | ~R81,000/year |
| 5-User Plan | $1,299/user/year | ~R23,400/user/year |
| Includes | All features — design, SLD, simulation, battery, proposals, financial modelling | No additional tools required |
Total Cost of Ownership (3-user South African EPC):
- SurgePV: ~R81,000/year
- Aurora + AutoCAD + PVsyst: ~R168,000 + R108,000 + R26,300 = ~R302,300/year
- Annual Savings: ~R221,300 (73% reduction)
Who SurgePV Is Best For: South African commercial solar EPCs and residential installers who need a complete platform handling design, electrical engineering, battery storage, simulation, and proposals — particularly those serving the load shedding-driven battery + solar market.
Real-World Example
A growing EPC team in South Africa was spending 2.5 hours per project creating SLDs in AutoCAD and running separate PVsyst simulations. After switching to SurgePV, SLD generation dropped to under 10 minutes. The same 3-person engineering team now handles 40% more projects per month — without hiring additional staff. That is the difference automated electrical engineering makes.
Aurora Solar — Strong Residential Design, Limited SA Market Fit
Price: $259/user/month (~R56,000/user/year)
Aurora Solar is the most established cloud-based solar design platform globally, built primarily for the US residential market. Its AI-powered roof detection and polished proposals are industry-leading.
Key Strengths: Excellent LIDAR-based 3D roof modelling. Beautiful customer-facing proposals that impress homeowners. Strong CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot). Fast address-to-proposal workflow for standard residential.
Where Aurora Falls Short for South Africa: No battery design for load shedding — a dealbreaker for 80%+ of SA residential installs. No automated SLD generation — requires AutoCAD (R36,000/year) for SSEG-compliant electrical documentation. No Section 12B tax calculator. No NRS 097 compliance features. No Eskom/municipal tariff database. No ZAR currency support. At ~R56,000/user/year before AutoCAD, Aurora is the most expensive option with the least South Africa-specific functionality.
Best For: Large South African enterprise installers with established AutoCAD workflows and USD budgets who focus on residential sales presentations. For EPCs needing battery design, electrical engineering, or SA financial modelling, Aurora requires supplementary tools.
Read our full Aurora Solar review for detailed analysis.
Did You Know?
South Africa’s solar irradiance ranges from 1,700-2,200 kWh/m²/year, making accurate simulation software essential for bankable energy yield predictions. Projects using validated simulation tools see 15-20% fewer financing rejections compared to those relying on manual calculations (SolarPower Europe Market Outlook).
PVsyst — Simulation Gold Standard, Not a Complete Platform
Price: CHF 1,100 (~R20,000) perpetual + CHF 350/year (~R6,300/year) updates
PVsyst is the undisputed standard for solar simulation and bankability reports. South African lenders, the IDC, DBSA, and international DFIs routinely require PVsyst-format production estimates for project financing.
Key Strengths: The most trusted simulation engine globally. Deep meteorological database including South African weather data. Accepted universally by financiers for REIPPPP and large commercial projects. Detailed loss modelling: soiling, temperature derating (important for Gauteng’s hot summers), shading, degradation. If a South African bank asks for production estimates, they expect PVsyst.
Where PVsyst Falls Short: Not a design platform — no roof modelling, module layouts, or electrical engineering. Desktop-only (no cloud, no collaboration). Steep learning curve (6-8 weeks). No proposal generation. No SLD generation. No battery design for load shedding. No Section 12B financial modelling. At ~R26,300/year (perpetual + updates), it’s affordable for what it does — but you still need design tools, AutoCAD, and proposal software on top.
Best For: South African EPCs needing bankability validation for REIPPPP or large commercial financing (above 500 kW). Use PVsyst as a simulation validation tool alongside a design platform like SurgePV — not as your primary workflow tool.
Read our full PVsyst review for detailed analysis.
HelioScope — Cloud Commercial Design, Basic Simulation
Price: Part of Aurora Premium ($3,500-$7,200/year, ~R63,000-130,000/year)
HelioScope is a cloud-based design tool focused on commercial and industrial solar rooftops. It produces quick module layouts and basic production estimates for standard projects.
Key Strengths: Clean, intuitive interface (2-3 day learning curve). Cloud-based access. Reasonable commercial rooftop layout tools. Quick production estimates for straightforward projects.
Where HelioScope Falls Short for South Africa: No battery design — can’t model load shedding backup, which eliminates it from most SA residential and increasingly commercial projects. No electrical engineering (no SLD, wire sizing). No NRS 097 compliance. No South African tariff database. No Section 12B financial modelling. Part of Aurora Premium pricing (~R63,000-130,000/year), which is steep for a design-only tool missing SA-critical features.
Best For: South African commercial EPCs handling simple grid-tied rooftop layouts who use separate tools for electrical compliance, battery sizing, and proposals.
Read our full HelioScope review for detailed analysis.
OpenSolar — Free Entry-Level Platform
Price: Free
OpenSolar is the most budget-friendly option — because it’s free. The platform offers basic solar design, simple simulation, and proposal generation without subscription costs.
Key Strengths: Free. Fast basic design and proposals. Easy to learn (1-2 weeks). Solid step up from Excel for small installers. Gets you off spreadsheets and onto a proper platform without financial risk.
Where OpenSolar Falls Short for South Africa: Limited battery capabilities — no load shedding backup modelling. No NRS 097 compliance support. No Section 12B calculator. Basic simulation (no P50/P90 reports). No SLD generation. No Eskom tariff database. Generic proposals without SA-specific financial modelling. Limited commercial design capabilities.
Best For: Budget-conscious small South African residential installers (1-5 person teams) who need to move beyond Excel but aren’t ready for paid software. If you’re doing basic 3-10 kW grid-tied residential installs without battery storage, OpenSolar handles the basics at zero cost. For anything involving batteries, commercial projects, or SSEG documentation, you’ll outgrow it quickly.
Read our full OpenSolar review for detailed analysis.
Full Feature Comparison
| Feature | SurgePV | Aurora Solar | PVsyst | HelioScope | OpenSolar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platform Type | All-in-one cloud | Design + proposals | Simulation only | Commercial design | Basic design + proposals |
| Battery + Load Shedding | Full (Stage 2-6) | Basic | Simulation only | No | Limited |
| NRS 097 Support | Configurable | No | No | No | No |
| Section 12B Modelling | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 3D Design | AI-powered | AI roof | No | Yes | Basic |
| SLD Generation | Automatic (5-10 min) | No (AutoCAD) | No | No | No |
| Bankable Simulation | P50/P75/P90 | Limited | Gold standard | Basic | Basic |
| Proposals | Professional (ZAR) | Beautiful (USD) | No | Basic | Basic |
| Carport Design | Native support | No | No | No | No |
| Cloud-Based | Yes | Yes | No (desktop) | Yes | Yes |
| ZAR Currency | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Pricing (ZAR/user/year) | ~R27,000 | ~R56,000 | ~R20,000+R6,300/yr | ~R63,000-130,000 | Free |
Further Reading
For a broader comparison beyond this market, see our guide to the best solar design software globally.
What Makes the Best Solar Software for South Africa
South Africa’s market demands are unique. Six factors separate platforms that actually serve the SA market from platforms designed for other countries:
1. Battery Storage and Load Shedding Design
Non-negotiable. Eskom’s persistent load shedding means 80%+ of residential and growing commercial installations include batteries. Solar design software that only designs grid-tied solar addresses a shrinking minority of South African projects. Your platform must model hybrid inverter configuration, critical load separation, backup duration by stage, and battery economics alongside solar production.
An installer using grid-tied-only software loses 80% of the residential market. Battery design capability isn’t a nice-to-have in South Africa — it’s table stakes.
2. NRS 097 Compliance and SSEG Documentation
Every grid-connected system requires NRS 097-2-1 compliance for SSEG registration. The most labour-intensive part? The single line diagram. Software that generates SLDs automatically saves 2-3 hours per project. Software that doesn’t forces you to maintain an AutoCAD licence and electrical drafting skills.
3. Section 12B Tax Deduction Modelling
The 125% first-year tax deduction is the most powerful incentive in South African commercial solar. For businesses at 27% corporate tax rate, it returns R337,500 on a R1 million system immediately. If your software doesn’t calculate and display this in proposals, your commercial sales team is working with one hand tied behind their back.
4. Eskom Tariff Modelling
With tariffs rising 12-18% annually, solar savings compound dramatically over time. Solar simulation software must model Eskom and municipal rate structures — Homepower tiers, Businessrate categories, municipal mark-ups of 20-40% — to produce credible financial projections. Generic US or European rate databases are useless for South African proposals.
5. End-to-End Workflow (Speed)
Load shedding creates urgency. Customers expect proposals within 24-48 hours. EPCs juggling 4+ tools spend 2.5-3 hours per project. An all-in-one platform delivering design-to-proposal in 30-45 minutes gives South African installers a structural speed advantage.
6. Cost-Effectiveness in ZAR
South Africa’s currency makes USD-priced tools expensive. A platform at $259/month sounds reasonable until you convert to R56,000/year per user. For a 3-person EPC team, that’s R168,000/year for design alone — before adding AutoCAD, PVsyst, and other tools. ZAR-conscious solar proposal software that delivers complete functionality without add-on costs is essential for sustainable operations.
Reader Objection: “We’ve Always Used Multiple Tools. Why Change?”
The multi-tool workflow works. It’s not broken. It’s just expensive, slow, and fragile.
Consider a typical South African EPC processing 25 commercial projects monthly:
Current multi-tool cost: Aurora (~R56,000/user) + AutoCAD (~R36,000/user) + PVsyst (~R26,300) + Excel (free but 1-2 hours labour per proposal) = ~R100,000+ per user per year. For 3 users: R300,000+/year.
Current time per project: Design (30 min) + AutoCAD SLD (2 hours) + PVsyst validation (30 min) + Excel proposal (1 hour) = 4 hours average.
With SurgePV: R27,000 per user per year. 30-45 minutes per project. One tool. One login. One training cycle.
The maths is straightforward: R221,300/year in software savings plus 60+ hours monthly in labour savings. The only reason to keep the multi-tool stack is inertia — and in South Africa’s competitive, urgency-driven market, inertia costs deals.
Which Tool Is Right for Your Needs?
| Your Use Case | Best Software | Why | Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-service EPC (all segments) | SurgePV | Only platform with design + SLDs + proposals + simulation in one tool | PVsyst + AutoCAD combo |
| Projects requiring bank financing | PVsyst or SurgePV | P50/P90 bankability reports. PVsyst = universal, SurgePV = growing acceptance | HelioScope (some lenders) |
| Residential installer (<30 kW) | Aurora Solar or SurgePV | Aurora: best proposals. SurgePV: proposals + engineering depth | OpenSolar (free tier) |
| Utility-scale developer (>1 MW) | HelioScope or PVCase | Fast ground-mount design. Pair with PVsyst for bankability | SurgePV for integrated workflow |
| Startup installer (<30 projects/year) | OpenSolar or SurgePV | OpenSolar: lower cost. SurgePV: better engineering | Free tools (PVWatts, SolarEdge Designer) |
How We Tested and Ranked These Tools
We evaluated 5 solar platforms against South African market requirements:
Testing Methodology:
- Hands-on testing with 3 South African EPC teams (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban)
- End-to-end workflow testing: design through to proposal for 150 kW commercial + battery projects
- Battery sizing accuracy for load shedding stages
- NRS 097 compliance documentation quality
- Section 12B financial modelling vs CPA verification
- Production simulation accuracy against South African weather data
- Testing period: November 2025 through January 2026
| Criteria | Weight | What We Tested |
|---|---|---|
| Battery and Load Shedding | 30% | Battery sizing, load shedding modelling, hybrid inverter support |
| South Africa Market Fit | 25% | NRS 097, SSEG, Section 12B, ZAR, municipal variation |
| Feature Completeness | 20% | Design, electrical, simulation, proposals — all in one |
| Bankability | 15% | P50/P90, lender acceptance, simulation accuracy |
| Cost-Effectiveness | 10% | TCO for 3-user SA team in ZAR |
Scoring: SurgePV scored highest overall (8.7/10), followed by PVsyst (7.0 for simulation depth), Aurora (6.4), HelioScope (5.7), and OpenSolar (5.5).
Bottom Line: Best Solar Software for South Africa
South Africa’s solar market is unique. Load shedding drives urgency and battery demand. NRS 097 requires electrical documentation. Section 12B makes or breaks commercial deals. And 257 municipalities each have different SSEG requirements. Generic global platforms miss most of this.
Our Recommendations:
- For commercial EPCs (most SA businesses): SurgePV. Complete workflow — design, battery, electrical, simulation, proposals — at ~R81,000/year for 3 users. Handles Section 12B, load shedding battery design, and automated SLD generation. Replaces R302,300/year in multi-tool costs.
- For residential installers (solar + battery): SurgePV for full battery + solar design with professional proposals. OpenSolar if you’re doing only basic grid-tied residential and have zero software budget.
- For REIPPPP and utility-scale: PVsyst for bankability validation (lenders require it). SurgePV for everything under 10 MW where you need design + electrical + proposals.
- For enterprise residential (budget no object): Aurora Solar if visual proposal quality is your top priority and you handle electrical and SA financials separately.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best solar software in South Africa?
SurgePV is the best all-in-one solar software for South Africa, combining battery storage design for load shedding, automated SLD generation for NRS 097 compliance, bankable P50/P90 simulations, Section 12B tax modelling, and professional proposals in ZAR — all in one cloud platform at ~R27,000/user/year. PVsyst remains the standard for utility-scale bankability validation. OpenSolar is the best free option for basic residential systems.
Which solar software handles load shedding battery design?
SurgePV offers the most complete battery + solar design for South Africa’s load shedding context. Features include hybrid inverter support, critical vs non-critical load separation, and backup duration modelling across load shedding stages (Stage 2 through Stage 6). With 80%+ of new SA residential installations including batteries, this capability is essential. Aurora and HelioScope offer basic battery features but lack load shedding-specific modelling.
Do I need NRS 097 compliant software in South Africa?
Yes. NRS 097-2-1 compliance is mandatory for all SSEG systems connecting to municipal or Eskom grids. Design software should generate compliant documentation — particularly single line diagrams — to streamline the SSEG registration process across South Africa’s 257 municipalities. SurgePV generates SLDs automatically in 5-10 minutes. Without this feature, you need AutoCAD (~R36,000/year) and 2-3 hours of manual drafting per project.
How much does solar software cost in South Africa?
Solar software pricing in ZAR: SurgePV (~R27,000/user/year, all features), Aurora Solar (~R56,000/user/year, design + proposals only), PVsyst (~R20,000 perpetual + R6,300/year, simulation only), HelioScope (~R63,000-130,000/year, commercial design), OpenSolar (free, basic features). A 3-user South African EPC pays ~R81,000/year with SurgePV vs ~R302,300/year with Aurora + AutoCAD + PVsyst — a 73% cost reduction.
Which software do South African banks accept for project financing?
South African banks, the IDC (Industrial Development Corporation), DBSA, and private lenders typically accept bankable simulation reports from PVsyst (gold standard for REIPPPP), SurgePV (plus or minus 3% accuracy vs PVsyst), and HelioScope for commercial projects above 500 kW. Residential projects under 100 kW generally don’t require formal bankability reports. For REIPPPP utility-scale projects, PVsyst validation is usually mandatory.
Can solar software calculate Section 12B tax benefits?
Yes. SurgePV’s financial modelling includes Section 12B calculations, showing the 125% first-year deduction that saves businesses up to R337,500 on a R1 million system at 27% corporate tax rate. This incentive, extended through March 2026, reduces commercial solar payback by 1-2 years. Aurora Solar, PVsyst, HelioScope, and OpenSolar do not include Section 12B integration.
What software do South African solar installers use?
South African installers commonly use a combination of tools: SurgePV for all-in-one workflows (design + electrical + battery + proposals), PVsyst for simulation validation on large projects, Aurora for residential design and proposals, and OpenSolar as a free basic option. The trend is moving toward consolidated platforms as installers scale and the cost of multi-tool workflows becomes unsustainable.
Is there free solar software for South Africa?
Yes. OpenSolar is free for solar installers, offering basic design, simulation, and proposal tools. The trade-off: no load shedding battery design, no NRS 097 compliance features, no Section 12B calculator, no Eskom tariff modelling, and basic simulation depth. OpenSolar suits small residential installers (1-5 person teams) doing basic grid-tied systems. For battery + solar design, SSEG documentation, and commercial projects, paid platforms like SurgePV (~R27,000/user/year) deliver significantly more value for the South African market.