If you are shortlisting the best solar design software in Canada for 2026, you are designing into a market that punishes tools built for Phoenix. The Canadian Electrical Code (CSA C22.1) governs every PV circuit you draw, provincial net metering rules diverge to the point where an Ontario financial model is wrong in Alberta, and snow load plus high-latitude sun angles decide whether your 10 kW rooftop makes 11,000 kWh or 13,500 kWh a year. Most global design platforms treat Canada as a US state with colder weather. The platform that wins our 2026 bench test is SurgePV, a cloud-native all-in-one suite at US$1,299 per user per year on the 5-User Team plan (about C$1,780 at C$1.37 to the US dollar), which is roughly half the annual cost of an Aurora Premium seat at US$2,640. Be aware that Aurora’s Basic plan at US$1,620 a year is cheaper than a SurgePV Individual seat at US$1,899, and OpenSolar’s core platform is free, so cost alone does not put SurgePV first. Below are all ten platforms Canadian installers actually shortlist, priced in CAD, with honest limitations on each including ours. You can compare SurgePV pricing before you talk to a sales rep.
Direct answer. The best solar design software in Canada for 2026 is SurgePV, at US$1,299 per user per year on the 5-User Team plan (US$6,495 for five seats, about C$1,780 per user and C$8,900 for five at C$1.37 to the US dollar). It ships CSA C22.1 compliance flags, provincial net metering libraries for Ontario, Alberta, BC and the Atlantic provinces, snow-shedding and snow-load inputs, high-latitude 8,760-hour yield simulation, AI 3D roof from satellite, and white-label proposals on every plan.
This guide is written for Canadian installers, EPC firms, engineering consultancies and in-house design teams shipping five or more projects a month. We rank ten platforms on four criteria: Canadian regulatory depth (CSA C22.1, CSA certification, provincial interconnection), high-latitude and snow engineering, full workflow coverage from address to signed proposal, and total cost of ownership in Canadian dollars for a five-person team. Where a competitor beats SurgePV we say so, and we name SurgePV’s own weak spots in section one rather than burying them.
What Makes Canadian Solar Design Different From US Design
Four things, and every one of them breaks a tool that was trained on American rooftops.
The code is not the NEC. Canada runs CSA C22.1, the Canadian Electrical Code, currently the 2024 edition, with Section 64 covering renewable energy systems and Section 50 covering solar photovoltaic systems specifically. Provinces adopt it with their own amendments, so Ontario’s OESC and Alberta’s adopted edition are not identical documents. Conductor ampacity tables, disconnect requirements and marking rules all differ from NEC 690. A tool that generates an NEC-labelled single-line diagram gives your electrical contractor a drawing the inspector will send back.
Equipment must be certified to Canadian standards. Modules and inverters need certification to CSA/UL 61730 and CSA C22.2 No. 107.1-01 or the harmonised UL 1741 equivalent, marked by an SCC-accredited certification body. A module that is fine in Ohio is not automatically installable in Ontario. Design tools whose component database carries no CSA flag push your procurement team into manual checking on every BOQ.
Latitude changes the geometry. Toronto sits at 43.7 degrees north, Edmonton at 53.5, Whitehorse at 60.7. Optimal fixed tilt in Edmonton runs near 50 degrees for annual yield, and steeper still if you are chasing winter production. Steeper tilt means longer inter-row spacing on flat commercial roofs, more self-shading risk, and more wind uplift on the racking. A default 20 degree tilt assumption, which several sales-led tools still hard-code, costs a Prairie customer real kilowatt-hours.
Snow is a design input, not a footnote. Snow load under the National Building Code of Canada reaches 2.2 to 3.4 kPa across much of Quebec and the Prairies before drift factors. Snow cover also costs annual production, typically 3 to 8 percent depending on tilt, ground clearance and how quickly the array sheds. Tilt above roughly 35 degrees sheds far better than a low-slope layout. If your software has no snow loss model, your P50 number is optimistic and your customer’s first winter is an argument.
📘 Regulation note
Per CSA Group and Natural Resources Canada, PV systems in Canada must comply with CSA C22.1 (Canadian Electrical Code) as adopted and amended by the province, and use equipment certified by an SCC-accredited body. Provincial interconnection rules sit on top of that and are set by the local distributor, not by Ottawa.
Bring one of your own sites to a free SurgePV demo. We will build the 3D roof from a satellite address, run the 8,760-hour shading simulation, and hand you the SLD, BOQ and branded proposal on the call.
Book a free SurgePV demo → Compare pricingProvincial Net Metering: Why One Financial Model Does Not Travel
Canada has no national net metering programme. Each province, and in some cases each distributor, sets its own rules. This is the single most common reason a Canadian proposal is wrong.
| Province | Programme | Credit basis | System cap | Design consequence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | Net metering (O. Reg. 541/05) | Full retail kWh credit, carried 12 months | Up to 500 kW | Size close to annual load; excess expires |
| Alberta | Micro-generation Regulation | Credited at retail rate, settled monthly | 5 MW, sized to annual consumption | Monthly settlement penalises summer overbuild |
| British Columbia | BC Hydro Net Metering | Retail credit, annual anniversary settlement | 100 kW | Anniversary date drives sizing math |
| Quebec | Hydro-Quebec Net Metering | kWh banked, expires after 24 months | 50 kW | Very low tariff lengthens payback |
| Nova Scotia | Enhanced Net Metering | Retail credit | 100 kW | Higher tariff makes payback competitive |
| Saskatchewan | SaskPower Net Metering | Retail credit, capped enrolment | 100 kW | Programme capacity caps matter at bid time |
Two design consequences follow. First, in Alberta the monthly settlement means a system oversized for summer export throws away credit that Ontario’s twelve-month carryover would have preserved. Your sizing rule changes with the province. Second, Quebec’s residential tariff is among the lowest in North America, so a system that pays back in seven years in Halifax can take well past fifteen in Montreal. Software that applies one national electricity price to every quote is producing fiction.
Also worth stating plainly: the Canada Greener Homes Grant stopped accepting new applications in 2024. The Canada Greener Homes Loan continues as an interest-free loan of up to C$40,000 for eligible retrofits. If a platform still shows a C$5,000 grant line in its Canadian proposal template, that number is stale and your customer will find out at claim time.
Get your sizing sanity-checked. If you want a fast independent second opinion on system size and payback before you build the design, run the numbers through our free solar calculator or talk to our engineering team.
The 4-Point Canada Bench Test
This is the framework we use internally before deploying any design platform on our own solar EPC work. Each tool scores 1 to 10 on four axes, out of 40. We do not deploy anything below 32.
- Canadian regulatory depth. CSA C22.1 labelling on the generated single-line diagram, CSA-certified component filtering, provincial net metering libraries, distributor interconnection thresholds.
- Cold-climate engineering. Snow loss modelling, snow load inputs to the racking calculation, high-latitude tilt optimisation, low-temperature Voc string sizing at design ambient temperatures near minus 40 Celsius in the Prairies.
- Workflow coverage. Address to CSA-labelled SLD to BOQ to branded proposal in one licence, with DXF or DWG export for the structural engineer of record.
- Total cost of ownership in CAD. Seat licence plus add-ons plus onboarding time, per finished project, across a five-person team.
Scores across the ten platforms: SurgePV 37, Aurora 34, Solargraf 30, HelioScope 30, OpenSolar 29, PVsyst 30, PVcase 27, Scanifly 24, Pylon 24, RatedPower 24. OpenSolar, PVsyst and Pylon all score higher on the cost axis than SurgePV does, because a free core platform, a CHF 700 annual licence and a $4 per project charge are all cheaper than a $1,299 seat. The scoring is ours and it is opinionated. Aurora scores within three points of the winner, and if your team is already fluent in Aurora that gap does not justify a migration.
Top 10 Solar Design Software in Canada Compared
Pricing below is 2026 and quoted in each vendor’s own billing currency, with approximate CAD converted at C$1.37 per US dollar where it helps. Treat converted figures as indicative; they move with the exchange rate.
| # | Platform | Price (vendor currency) | Key capability | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SurgePV | US$1,299/user/yr, 5-User Team (about C$1,780) | All-in-one design, 8,760-hr simulation, CSA-labelled SLD, proposals | Installers and EPCs doing 5+ projects a month |
| 2 | Aurora Solar | US$135/user/mo Basic, US$220 Premium, billed annually (about C$185 and C$301) | Deepest residential design and sales workflow | Large residential shops with Aurora muscle memory |
| 3 | Solargraf | US$2,799/yr Starter (240 projects, 2 users) to US$12,999 Enterprise | Canadian-native residential proposals, Enphase-owned | Ontario and Quebec residential volume sellers |
| 4 | HelioScope | US$159/mo Basic (US$1,620/yr), US$259 Pro (US$2,640/yr) | Bankable C&I yield simulation | Engineering consultancies on commercial rooftops |
| 5 | OpenSolar | Core platform free; API Access and Connectors chargeable from 16 Apr 2026, rates not published | Free residential design tier | Solo installers under 3 designs a month |
| 6 | PVsyst | CHF 700/user/yr Professional | Reference-grade simulation physics | Independent engineers and lender due diligence |
| 7 | PVcase | Not publicly listed, quote only | Terrain-aware ground-mount layout in CAD | Utility-scale developers on Prairie land |
| 8 | Scanifly | Not publicly listed | Drone photogrammetry site capture | Teams with complex or unsafe roofs |
| 9 | Pylon | US$4.00/project Standard, US$10.00 Pro, no monthly minimum | In-home sales presentation speed | Door-knock residential sales teams |
| 10 | RatedPower | Not publicly listed, quote only | Automated utility-scale plant engineering | 10 MW+ developers |
The honest read: positions 1 through 4 are genuine full-workflow contenders in Canada. Positions 5 through 10 are specialists. PVsyst at number six is not a ranking of quality, it is a ranking of fit, because PVsyst produces the most trusted physics in the list and none of the proposal, layout-drafting or CRM workflow a Canadian installer needs.
1. SurgePV
What it does best. SurgePV runs the full motion in one licence: satellite address to AI-generated 3D roof, 8,760-hour module-level shading, string sizing, CSA C22.1-labelled single-line diagram, bill of quantities, financial model and white-label proposal. For Canada specifically, the low-temperature Voc check uses provincial design temperature data rather than a generic continental default, which matters when a Winnipeg January morning hits minus 35 Celsius and a string sized on a US default clips the inverter’s maximum input voltage. The Clara AI assistant takes plain-English instructions such as “design a 12 kW rooftop at 45 degree tilt with snow shedding clearance and Ontario net metering”.
Pricing. US$1,299 per user per year on the 5-User Team plan, so US$6,495 for five seats, which is about C$1,780 per seat and C$8,900 for five. Individual seats are US$1,899 per year, about C$2,600. Enterprise is quoted. Free trial with no credit card. Worth saying plainly: an Aurora Basic seat at US$1,620 a year undercuts a SurgePV Individual seat, and five PVsyst Professional licences at CHF 3,500 cost less than five SurgePV seats.
Who it suits. Canadian installers and EPCs doing five or more designs a month, teams that bid residential and commercial from the same office, and shops currently paying more than C$200 per seat per month for design plus a second licence for proposals.
Honest limitations. Three real ones. Brand recognition in Canada is thin: SurgePV launched in 2025 and most Ontario installers have not heard of it, which is a genuine problem if your financing partner asks whose software produced the yield report. The Canadian component database flags CSA certification but the coverage of smaller Quebec-market racking suppliers is weaker than the module and inverter coverage. And SurgePV does not do structural stamping or drone capture, so a complex Montreal triple-decker with a poorly documented roof still needs a site visit or a Scanifly-style capture upstream. If your entire business is drone-led measurement, SurgePV sits downstream of your existing tool rather than replacing it.
Book a SurgePV demo and bring a real Canadian project so you can judge the snow and tilt handling on your own roof rather than a showcase file.
2. Aurora Solar
What it does best. Aurora has the deepest residential design and sales workflow in North America, with the most mature template library, the largest installed base and the strongest lender familiarity. AutoDesigner handles roof plane detection well on Canadian suburban housing stock. If your team already runs Aurora, the marginal gain from switching is smaller than the migration cost.
Pricing. Basic is US$135 per user per month billed annually (US$1,620 a year, or US$159 month to month) and Premium is US$220 billed annually (US$2,640 a year, or US$259 month to month). Enterprise is custom. Both Basic and Premium cover one user and 50 projects a month. Five seats therefore run US$8,100 a year on Basic and US$13,200 on Premium, roughly C$11,100 to C$18,100. LIDAR modelling, bankable shade reports and battery modelling are Premium only, and plan sets are a separately priced service rather than a plan inclusion, with site models from US$9.99.
Who it suits. Established residential installers in Ontario and BC with more than ten designers and existing Aurora process debt.
Honest limitations. Per-seat monthly pricing scales painfully as you hire. The Canadian regulatory layer is thinner than the US layer: CSA C22.1 labelling and provincial net metering are supported less completely than NEC and US state rules. Onboarding a new designer typically takes two to three weeks. See our Aurora Solar alternative comparison for the full breakdown.
3. Solargraf
What it does best. Solargraf was founded in Montreal and is now owned by Enphase, which makes it the most genuinely Canadian-native tool on this list. Its residential proposal templates handle Quebec and Ontario utility formats and French-language output better than any US-built competitor, and Enphase microinverter design is native rather than bolted on.
Pricing. Solargraf sells project bundles rather than seats. Starter is US$2,799 for 240 projects and 2 users, rising to Enterprise at US$12,999 for 1,500 projects. API access is US$4,000 a year on every plan except Enterprise.
Who it suits. High-volume residential sellers in Quebec and Ontario, especially Enphase-heavy shops that want French proposals without manual translation.
Honest limitations. Shading analysis is weak compared with HelioScope or SurgePV, there is no bankable 8,760-hour output for commercial finance, and commercial and ground-mount work falls outside its scope. Enphase ownership also biases the component workflow toward Enphase hardware.
4. HelioScope
What it does best. HelioScope produces commercial and industrial yield simulation that Canadian lenders and independent engineers accept without argument. Module-level 8,760-hour modelling, sensible loss trees and clean export. For a 500 kW warehouse roof in Mississauga it is a defensible choice.
Pricing. Basic is US$159 a month (US$1,620 a year) and Pro is US$259 a month (US$2,640 a year), each covering one user and 10 projects a month, with DC design caps of 1.25 MW and 5 MW. Enterprise is custom. Five Basic seats come to US$8,100 a year, about C$11,100. HelioScope is Aurora-owned.
Who it suits. Engineering consultancies and C&I-only teams where the deliverable is a yield report, not a homeowner proposal.
Honest limitations. No AI 3D roof capture, weak proposal tooling that forces a second licence, no Canadian net metering library and no snow-shedding model tied to tilt. Read our HelioScope alternative guide before committing five seats.
5. OpenSolar
What it does best. The design tier is free, which is genuinely hard to argue with for a solo installer doing two or three residential jobs a month. The learning curve is short and the community is large.
Pricing. The core platform is free. From 16 April 2026 OpenSolar charges for API Access, billed per project on creation, and for Connectors, billed as a flat monthly fee, but it has not published the rates and they vary by region.
Who it suits. Solo Canadian installers and new entrants who need a working proposal without a licence commitment.
Honest limitations. Depth is the constraint rather than price: commercial work, bankable 8,760-hour shading and Canadian code labelling are all thinner than on the paid full-workflow tools. On cost OpenSolar simply beats everything else on this list, including us, and until the 2026 API and Connector rates are published nobody can tell you what a five-seat Canadian team will pay beyond zero for the core platform. See our OpenSolar alternative analysis.
6. PVsyst
What it does best. PVsyst remains the reference simulation engine. When a Canadian bank or an independent engineer wants a second opinion on a 20 MW Alberta project, the PVsyst loss diagram is the document they ask for. Its snow loss and near-shading models are well documented and defensible.
Pricing. CHF 700 per user per year for the Professional annual subscription, so CHF 3,500 for five licences before the 5 to 20 percent group discount. Education is CHF 420, Training and Research CHF 560, Student and Classroom CHF 25, and PVsystCLI CHF 3,000. That makes five PVsyst licences cheaper than five SurgePV seats.
Who it suits. Independent engineers, technical due diligence teams and developers who need lender-grade reports rather than customer-facing proposals.
Honest limitations. Desktop-only, steep learning curve, no proposal generation, no CRM, no collaborative cloud workflow and no automatic Canadian code output. It is a physics tool, not a business tool. Our PVsyst alternative guide covers where the tradeoff sits.
7. PVcase
What it does best. Terrain-aware ground-mount layout inside AutoCAD, which matters on Prairie sites where a 2 percent slope changes row spacing and pile schedules. Strong civil integration.
Pricing. Not publicly listed. PVcase is quote only and requires an AutoCAD licence on top; any per-seat figure circulating in software directories is an unverified third-party estimate.
Who it suits. Utility-scale developers and ground-mount EPCs in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Honest limitations. No residential capability at all, no proposal workflow, and it assumes an AutoCAD-competent operator. Overkill and mis-fit for rooftop work.
8. Scanifly
What it does best. Drone photogrammetry that turns a flight into an accurate as-built 3D site model. On a steep, icy or multi-dormer Canadian roof, sending a drone instead of a person is a real safety and accuracy gain.
Pricing. Not publicly listed. Scanifly quotes on request, so budget from a sales conversation rather than from any per-project or per-seat number you find in a directory.
Who it suits. Installers with complex roof stock and an existing drone programme, particularly in older Eastern Canadian housing.
Honest limitations. It is a capture tool, not a design suite. You still need something downstream for simulation, code-compliant SLDs and proposals. Winter flying conditions in much of Canada also limit usable days.
9. Pylon
What it does best. Fast, polished in-home sales presentation. If your motion is a rep at a kitchen table in Calgary closing on the first visit, Pylon’s speed matters more than its engineering depth.
Pricing. Pylon charges per project, not per seat: US$4.00 Standard and US$10.00 Pro, with no monthly minimum. The Solar CRM add-on starts at US$49 per user per month, eSignature is US$0.80 per project and payments carry a 2.50 percent transaction fee. For a low-volume Canadian team that is the cheapest entry on this list after OpenSolar.
Who it suits. Door-knock and appointment-set residential sales teams.
Honest limitations. Shallow engineering, limited hourly shading, no AI 3D roof from satellite, weak CSA code output. Anything beyond straightforward residential needs a second tool.
10. RatedPower
What it does best. Automated utility-scale plant engineering, generating full layouts, electrical design and documentation for large ground-mount sites in hours rather than weeks.
Pricing. Not publicly listed. RatedPower is enterprise quote only, and the $15,000-plus per seat figure that circulates for it is an industry-observed estimate rather than a vendor-confirmed price.
Who it suits. Developers working 10 MW and above, which in Canada means a small number of Alberta and Saskatchewan players.
Honest limitations. No rooftop or residential relevance, enterprise pricing and contract terms, and no Canadian-specific code library. Almost every Canadian reader of this article is outside its target market.
Cold-Climate Design Details Most Software Gets Wrong
Three specifics decide whether a Canadian design survives contact with reality.
Low-temperature Voc. String open-circuit voltage rises as temperature falls. At a design low of minus 35 Celsius, a string sized on a 25 Celsius assumption can exceed the inverter’s maximum DC input and either trip or void warranty. CSA C22.1 requires sizing to the record low ambient for the location. Your tool must apply Canadian design temperature data, not a continental average. Our sister engineering team covers the arithmetic in their solar inverter sizing guide.
Snow shedding versus snow load. These are different problems. Load is structural: the racking and roof must carry ground snow load factored per the National Building Code. Shedding is a yield question: a 45 degree array with 300 mm of ground clearance clears itself within days, a 15 degree array in Saguenay may hold snow for weeks. Higher tilt costs you summer irradiance and gains you winter production and faster clearing. There is no universally right answer, which is exactly why the tool has to model it rather than apply a flat 5 percent loss.
Inter-row spacing at high latitude. Steeper tilt plus a lower winter sun elevation means longer shadows. At 53 degrees north, a December 21 solar noon elevation is around 13 degrees. Designing row pitch to a 9 am to 3 pm December no-shade window on an Edmonton flat roof cuts usable capacity substantially compared with the same roof in Toronto. Tools that space rows on a fixed ground coverage ratio, rather than a solved shadow angle, quietly overpromise.
⚠️ Watch out
If your proposal software still shows the Canada Greener Homes Grant as an available C$5,000 rebate, remove it. The grant closed to new applications in 2024 and only the interest-free loan stream continues.
Mistakes Canadian Installers Make Choosing Design Software
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1
Buying a tool that outputs NEC-labelled drawings. Canadian inspectors work to CSA C22.1 as adopted provincially. An NEC 690 label set means a redraw and a delayed inspection.
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2
Applying one national electricity price. Quebec and Ontario residential tariffs differ enough that the same system pays back in half the time in one province. A single national rate produces a proposal you cannot defend.
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3
Ignoring Alberta's monthly settlement. Micro-generation credits settle monthly, so a summer-heavy overbuild loses value that Ontario's twelve-month carryover would have kept.
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4
Skipping the low-temperature Voc check. The most expensive Canadian design error we see is a string that is legal in October and over voltage in January.
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5
Comparing headline prices without comparing units. Aurora and HelioScope bill per seat with a monthly project cap, Solargraf sells project bundles, Pylon bills per project and OpenSolar's core platform is free. Work out the cost per finished Canadian project before you conclude anything about which is cheaper.
These patterns are not Canada-specific in kind, only in detail. Our writeup on common mistakes EPC companies make in rooftop solar covers the wider set.
Should a Canadian Installer Standardise on SurgePV?
- ✓ You design 5+ projects a month across provinces
- ✓ You bid commercial rooftops alongside residential
- ✓ You want CSA-labelled SLDs without a second licence
- ✓ Your current per-seat bill exceeds C$200 a month
- ✗ You are Quebec residential and French proposals rule (Solargraf)
- ✗ Your deliverable is lender due diligence (PVsyst)
- ✗ You build 10 MW+ ground-mount (PVcase or RatedPower)
- ✗ Your team has deep Aurora process debt and stable headcount
Verdict. For a five-person Canadian installer covering residential and commercial across two or more provinces, SurgePV wins on bundled scope and CAD total cost of ownership. For a single-province Quebec residential shop, Solargraf’s French templates and Enphase depth are the stronger fit, and we would say so on a sales call.
How Heaven Green Energy and SurgePV Help Canadian Teams
Heaven Green Energy has delivered more than 10,000 solar installations, and our engineering group builds the software we use ourselves. SurgePV came out of that: a design suite written by people who had to produce inspection-ready drawings on deadline. For Canadian teams the entry points are:
- Shadow analysis for 8,760-hour module-level shading including winter sun angles.
- Solar simulation software for P50, P75 and P90 yield reports in the format lenders typically ask for.
- Heaven Designs permit design when you need stamped drawing packages produced by a dedicated engineering team.
- Structural and civil engineering for snow load and racking verification on commercial roofs.
- QuickEstimate proposal generator if your gap is sales follow-up rather than design.
If you also run projects in Asia or the US, our commercial solar and industrial solar pages set out how the same design stack carries across markets. Broader market context for Canada sits with the IEA renewables tracker and IRENA country profiles.
Related Solar Design Software Guides
- Solar Design Software 2026: 7 Tools Compared and Priced
- Solar Design Software USA: Top Tools Ranked
- Solar Design Software Australia: Top Tools
- Solar Design Software UK: Platforms Compared
- Best Solar Design Software: The Global Ranking
- Commercial Solar Design Software Compared
Compare Other Markets and Tool Categories
- Best solar proposal software in Canada
- Best solar the full software stack in Canada
- Best solar design software in Ireland
- Best solar shading analysis software in Canada
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best solar design software in Canada in 2026?
SurgePV ranks first on our 4-point Canada bench with 37 of 40, at US$1,299 per user per year on the 5-User Team plan (about C$1,780). It covers CSA C22.1 labelling, provincial net metering libraries, snow loss and high-latitude tilt in one licence with proposals included. Aurora Solar scores 34 and is the closest full-workflow rival, and Solargraf is the stronger pick for Quebec residential teams needing French-language proposals.
Does solar design software need to support CSA C22.1 rather than the NEC?
Yes. Canadian electrical inspections are carried out against CSA C22.1, the Canadian Electrical Code, as adopted and amended by each province. Section 64 covers renewable energy systems. A single-line diagram labelled to NEC 690 conventions will be sent back for redraw, and the conductor ampacity and disconnect requirements differ enough that the underlying design may also need changing, not just the labels.
How much does solar design software cost in Canada?
Vendors bill in their own currencies and in different units, so compare carefully. Aurora Solar is US$135 per user per month on Basic and US$220 on Premium when billed annually, which is US$1,620 and US$2,640 a year. HelioScope is US$159 a month on Basic and US$259 on Pro. Solargraf sells project bundles from US$2,799 to US$12,999 a year. SurgePV is US$1,299 per user per year on the 5-User Team plan, so US$6,495 for five seats, about C$8,900 at C$1.37 to the US dollar. PVsyst is CHF 700 per user per year. Pylon bills per project at US$4.00 Standard and US$10.00 Pro. OpenSolar’s core platform is free. PVcase, Scanifly and RatedPower do not publish prices.
How much production does snow cost a Canadian solar array?
Typical annual snow losses run 3 to 8 percent, with the range driven by tilt, ground clearance and location rather than by module choice. A 45 degree array with adequate clearance sheds within days of a storm, while a 15 degree low-slope commercial array in Quebec can hold cover for weeks. Any design tool used in Canada should model this rather than applying a flat national loss figure.
Is the Canada Greener Homes Grant still available for solar?
No. The Canada Greener Homes Grant stopped accepting new applications in 2024. The Canada Greener Homes Loan continues, offering interest-free financing of up to C$40,000 for eligible retrofits. Proposal templates that still show the C$5,000 grant as claimable produce a financial model your customer cannot realise, so remove that line from any inherited template.
Which province has the most favourable net metering for solar?
Nova Scotia and Ontario are generally the most favourable, combining retail-rate credit with relatively high electricity tariffs. Ontario carries surplus credits for twelve months under O. Reg. 541/05. Alberta credits at retail but settles monthly, which penalises summer overbuild. Quebec has the least favourable payback economics because its residential tariff is among the lowest in North America, not because the net metering rule itself is poor.
Do I need PVsyst if I already use a cloud design platform?
Usually not for residential or small commercial work. You need PVsyst when a lender, insurer or independent engineer specifically requests a PVsyst loss diagram as part of due diligence, which typically starts at the multi-megawatt scale. For everything below that, a cloud platform running an 8,760-hour module-level simulation with P50, P75 and P90 outputs is commonly accepted, and it also produces the customer-facing proposal that PVsyst, as a simulation package, does not set out to produce.
What is SurgePV’s biggest weakness for Canadian installers?
Brand recognition. SurgePV launched in 2025 and is not yet a name Canadian lenders and utilities recognise the way they recognise Aurora or PVsyst, which can add a conversation to a financing review. Its racking-component database is also thinner for smaller Quebec suppliers than for modules and inverters, and it does not perform drone capture or structural stamping, so complex roofs still need an upstream survey step.
Stop paying for four tools. Design it all in one.
SurgePV replaces Aurora + HelioScope + PVsyst + a separate proposal tool in a single license. AI 3D roof in under 60 seconds, bankable 8,760-hour simulation, auto-SLD, BOQ, DXF/DWG export and branded proposals.
Free trial, no credit card · $1,299 per user per year on the 5-User Team planDisclaimer: SurgePV is our own product. It is built by the Heaven Group, the same company as Heaven Green Energy, so treat this as a recommendation from its maker.