Why use PV planning software?
A photovoltaic system is more than the sum of its modules. For yield, inverter, wiring and storage to fit together, many factors have to be right: the usable roof area and its orientation, the number and arrangement of modules, the right inverter and storage size, and the wiring of the strings. Good planning software takes this calculation off your hands and prevents costly mis-sizing.
In practice, however, many tools are built for installers and planning offices: they require training, a login or a subscription. For homeowners who first want to understand for themselves what suits their roof and consumption, that is a high hurdle. This is exactly the gap a simple, free online tool fills.
What good planning software should do
Sensible PV planning software should connect several steps in one continuous workflow rather than covering just one aspect. This includes laying out the roof area with modules while considering orientation and shading, sizing the storage to actual consumption, and selecting suitable components that match each other electrically and mechanically.
Equally important is a tangible result: a parts list showing which components are needed in what quantity, ideally with an indicative price. Only then does a plan become a basis for a decision. Tools that merely estimate a yield but provide no concrete material list are of limited help when buying.
Our planning tool in comparison
Common solutions such as SolarEdge Designer or SMA's Sunny Design are powerful, but tied to their manufacturer's ecosystem and primarily aimed at professional installers. You mainly plan systems with that manufacturer's components. This makes sense once you have already decided – but it limits you if you want to compare neutrally.
Our tool is manufacturer-independent, free and usable without sign-up. It is particularly strong for storage and backup solutions based on Victron Energy: using the integrated ESS configurator you size a complete energy storage system including backup function. At the end you get a concrete parts list with an indicative price that you can request as a no-obligation quote or order directly.
In short: if you are looking for manufacturer-specific professional software for an installation business, the tools mentioned are the right choice. If, as a prospective buyer or homeowner, you want to find out quickly, freely and independently what suits your roof and consumption – including storage and backup – our online planner serves you better.
What our online planner can do
The planner guides you step by step through the sizing: you enter your location, draw or confirm your roof area, place the modules and define storage and accessories. In the background, the tool takes into account factors such as snow and wind load for the structural design of the mounting system and proposes a suitable string wiring.
For storage systems, the specialised Victron ESS configurator guides you through all the detailed questions – single- or three-phase, number of inverters, storage size and backup variant. The result is a complete, coordinated configuration with parts list and indicative price that you can continue to use.