For Australian installers comparing workflow coverage, SolarHub CRM explicitly supports quote versioning, Solar Proof lists Australian incentive functions, Pylon generates SLDs, and PV*SOL online provides basic PV calculations.[1][3][4][5] 
Compare roof design, proposals and engineering handoff
| Product | Roof geometry and shading | Proposals and versions | SLD or engineering handoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pylon | 3D shading plus blueprint and drone-image uploads.[1] | Proposal templates are confirmed; formal version control is not.[1] | Automatic single-line diagrams and voltage-rise reports are listed.[1] |
| OpenSolar | Project design is confirmed, but the supplied sources do not establish detailed roof-modelling or shading functions.[2][6] | Selling and project management are confirmed; revision history is not.[2][6] | SLDs and detailed engineering outputs are not verified.[2][6] |
| SolarHub CRM | Roof imagery, stringing, shading and energy calculations are listed.[3] | Multiple design options and quote versioning are explicitly supported.[3] | SLD or engineering output is not verified.[3] |
| Solar Proof | Aerial imagery and per-panel shade analysis are supported.[4] | Branded proposals are confirmed; formal version control is not.[4] | An SLD editor is included, although export formats are not confirmed.[4] |
| PV*SOL online | Accepts orientation, installation type, albedo, shading and soiling inputs.[5] | Proposal versioning and CRM are not verified.[5] | It outputs energy and performance calculations, but battery design and SLD handoff are not verified.[5] |
Pylon also lists integrations with Xero, ServiceM8, Nearmap and SolarQuotes.[1] Comparable integration details are not verified for every product. The supplied sources also leave engineering file formats, export rights and complete revision histories largely unknown.[1][2][3][4][5]
Which tools claim Australian program support?
Australian-market positioning does not confirm support for a specific incentive or proposal format. Solar Proof makes the clearest program-specific statements, but these remain vendor claims rather than regulator-verified findings.[3][4]
| Product | STCs | Battery rebate and VEECs | NETCC templates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar Proof | The vendor says it calculates federal STCs using postcode and system size.[4] | The vendor claims support for the Cheaper Home Batteries rebate and Victorian VEECs for eligible commercial solar, including stacking where applicable.[4] | Australian NETCC proposal templates are claimed.[4] |
| SolarHub CRM | STC and local-regulation support is vendor-marketed, not independently verified.[3] | Program-specific support is unverified.[3] | Unverified.[3] |
| Pylon | Unverified.[1] | Unverified.[1] | Unverified.[1] |
| OpenSolar | Unverified.[2] | Unverified.[2] | Unverified.[2] |
| PV*SOL online | Unverified.[5] | Unverified.[5] | Unverified.[5] |
Here, unverified means the supplied source does not confirm the function, not that the product lacks it. No independent NETCC, Clean Energy Council or government confirmation was supplied for these vendor claims.[3][4] During a demonstration, test the relevant postcode, system size, battery eligibility and Victorian project status, then inspect the incentive figures and proposal output.
Compare pricing, trials and cancellation terms
Labels such as “free”, “pay per project” and “no lock-in” do not disclose the full cost or exit terms.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
| Product | Published price model | Trial or contract statement | Unknowns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pylon | Pylon says there are no fixed or monthly fees; SolarHub describes it as pay per project.[1][3] | The trial requires no credit card, and Pylon says there is no contract.[1] | Exact per-project charge and cancellation process.[1][3] |
| OpenSolar | OpenSolar says it is “100% free of charge”, while an OpusFlow comparison says additional features may attract fees.[2][6] | No contract statement is verified.[2][6] | Which features may be paid and what they cost.[2][6] |
| SolarHub CRM | No price is supplied in the evidence.[3] | Advertised as requiring no contract or credit card and allowing cancellation at any time.[3] | Exact charges and cancellation procedure.[3] |
| Solar Proof | Pricing is not verified.[4] | The vendor advertises no lock-in contract.[4] | Cancellation procedure and pricing.[4] |
| PV*SOL online | Free PV calculation tool.[5] | No contract or cancellation statement is verified.[5] | Account, project and user limits.[5] |
The supplied sources generally do not confirm AUD pricing, GST treatment, minimum seats, implementation fees, refunds, renewal notice or data-export rights.[1][2][3][4][5][6] Obtain a written commercial schedule and contractual terms before committing.
Treat yield and productivity outputs as estimates
Production and financial outputs are estimates rather than guarantees of generation or savings. The tools calculate results from inputs such as location, consumption, orientation, shading, soiling, equipment and tariff assumptions.[1][4][5]
The evidence consists of vendor pages and vendor-authored comparisons, not independent procurement tests or Australian regulator assessments.[1][2][3][4][5][6] Pylon’s speed, accuracy and conversion statements and SolarHub CRM’s productivity claims are vendor-reported rather than independently validated.[1][3] Competing “number one” claims from Pylon and Solar Proof do not establish a ranking.[1][4]
Run the same project through each shortlisted tool using identical:
- roof geometry and shading assumptions;
- interval-consumption data and tariffs;
- modules, inverters and batteries; and
- financial assumptions.
Record differences in shade loss, annual yield and financial outputs. The supplied evidence contains no independent head-to-head benchmark showing which platform is more accurate or productive.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Choose by workflow and project type
Shortlist products against the most demanding recurring project and the handoffs that currently require duplicate work.
| Work type | Shortlist | Reason and boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Basic PV calculation | PV*SOL online | Accepts location, consumption, module, inverter, orientation and loss inputs, then reports energy, performance ratio and self-consumption. Battery, proposal, CRM and Australian-incentive functions are not confirmed.[5] |
| Integrated Australian sales and operations | SolarHub CRM | Combines design with quote versioning, multiple options, e-signatures, contracts, scheduling, payment tracking, team roles and a client portal.[3] |
| Australian incentive and proposal workflows | Solar Proof | The vendor describes STC, Cheaper Home Batteries rebate, VEEC and NETCC-template support, plus commercial tariffs and IRR/NPV analysis.[4] |
| Project-based quoting with batteries | Pylon | Models battery and tariff scenarios and generates automatic SLDs. The per-project charge is not published, and imagery availability varies by country.[1][3] |
| Commercial financial modelling | PVsell | SolarHub positions it for detailed commercial modelling, but exact pricing, limits and contractual terms are unverified.[3] |
For engineering-heavy work, SolarPlus is positioned around compliance and SLDs; PVsyst supports hourly simulation, storage and sophisticated system analysis; and desktop PV*SOL adds detailed 3D design and circuit diagrams.[3][6]
For C&I or utility-scale workflows, Aurora Solar offers CAD-style design, while PVcase integrates with AutoCAD for terrain, cabling and string-plan work. RatedPower describes utility-scale optimisation, although its public pricing and precise best-fit limits are unverified.[6] The supplied sources do not confirm Australian availability, local support or exact engineering export formats for these specialist products.[6]
Test the full workflow before committing
Use a small pilot set from representative work: a difficult roof, a shaded residential system, a battery using time-of-use charging and a commercial interval-data or tariff case. These test the capabilities vendors claim for roof and shade modelling, battery scenarios, proposal versioning, commercial tariffs, incentives and SLD creation.[1][3][4]
Ask each vendor to complete the same workflow using the required equipment list, approval process, integrations and exports. Check whether the demonstrator can:
- edit roof geometry and expose shading assumptions;
- confirm module, inverter and battery configuration;
- create and recover alternative proposal versions;
- calculate relevant incentives; and
- produce the final SLD or engineering export without re-entering project data.
Users should also be able to identify the weather, tariff, load, equipment, shade and financial assumptions behind each estimate.
Before signing, obtain written confirmation of total AUD cost, GST treatment, minimum seats, onboarding charges, trial duration, project or storage limits, support hours, data residency, API access and service levels. The supplied sources generally do not verify these fields.[1][2][3][4][5][6] Request renewal and cancellation terms covering notice, refunds, access to historical proposals, and export of customer, design and document data.
References
- Pylon – #1 Solar Design Software (getpylon.com)
- OpenSolar | Accelerating Solar Adoption with Free Software (opensolar.com)
- 10 Best Solar Design Software in Australia (2025 … (solarhubcrm.com.au, 2026)
- Solar Proof: Solar Design Software & Proposal Software (solarproof.com.au)
- PV*SOL online – a free tool for solar power (PV) systems. (valentin-software.com)
- 10 Best Solar Design Software In 2026 (opusflow.io, 2026)
