Irish installers get told to use UK software because the markets look similar. They are not similar in the places that matter. Ireland runs its own wiring rules, its own grant administration, its own grid connection process, and its own export tariff regime. An installer who assumes the UK MCS workflow applies in Cork will find out at the grant claim stage that it does not.
Direct answer. The best solar design software in Ireland for most installers is SurgePV or OpenSolar, depending on whether you need the electrical design output in the same license. Neither is Ireland-specific, so the I.S. 10101 references, the ESB Networks NC6 or NC7 connection paperwork, and the SEAI grant documentation are workflow you add around the tool rather than inside it.
TL;DR
- Ireland uses I.S. 10101, the National Rules for Electrical Installations, not BS 7671. A UK-templated certificate is the wrong document.
- Grid connection runs through ESB Networks. NC6 is the connect-and-notify route for small installations, NC7 requires prior approval.
- SEAI grant eligibility requires a registered contractor and a specific documentation trail. No design platform produces it.
- Export is paid under the Clean Export Guarantee, with rates set by each supplier rather than fixed nationally.
- Irish irradiance is low and diffuse. Tools that model diffuse fraction badly will overstate yield.
What Ireland Actually Changes About Solar Design Software
The wiring rules are Irish. I.S. 10101, the National Rules for Electrical Installations, is the governing standard, published by the NSAI. It is closely related to the IEC 60364 family and therefore has a family resemblance to BS 7671, but it is a separate document with its own clause numbering and its own certification. Electrical work must be certified by a Registered Electrical Contractor under the Safe Electric scheme. A single-line diagram generated from a UK or US template carries the wrong code references.
Connection is ESB Networks. For domestic and small installations the NC6 form covers the connect-and-notify route within the microgeneration threshold. Above it, NC7 applies and requires prior approval, which introduces a timeline the customer needs to know about. Neither form comes out of a design platform, but the single-line diagram that supports the application does, and that is where a tool earns its keep.
Grant administration is SEAI. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland administers the domestic solar PV grant, and eligibility depends on using a registered contractor, meeting the scheme’s technical requirements, and submitting the documentation the scheme asks for. Treat the grant paperwork as a separate workflow.
Export is supplier-set. The Clean Export Guarantee obliges suppliers to pay for exported electricity, but each supplier sets its own rate. That makes the export assumption in any yield or savings model a variable, not a constant.
The resource is diffuse. Ireland receives a low annual irradiance with a high diffuse fraction, and the difference between a good and a poor diffuse-sky model shows up directly in the annual yield number. Tools with a credible hourly model handle this. Tools using simplified peak-sun-hours arithmetic do not.
The Platforms Ranked for Ireland
| Platform | Best for | Editable CAD output | Hourly diffuse modelling | Price per seat per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurgePV | Design plus proposal in one license | Yes, DXF and DWG | Yes, 8,760-hour | $1,299 to $1,899 |
| OpenSolar | Domestic volume, zero seat cost | No | Basic | $0 plus transaction fees |
| Easy PV | UK and Ireland domestic workflow | Limited | Yes | Subscription |
| PVsyst | Commercial and funded projects | No | Yes, the reference model | ~$500 |
| HelioScope | Commercial rooftop layouts | DXF only | Yes | ~$1,188 |
| Aurora Solar | Larger commercial-facing teams | Limited | Yes | $1,908 to $3,108 |
| AutoCAD | Full control of the final drawing set | Native | Not applicable | ~$2,030 |
SurgePV is the practical pick when the same license has to produce the layout, the string design, the single-line diagram, and an editable DWG that an Irish designer can correct to I.S. 10101 conventions. The 8,760-hour shading model matters at Irish latitudes where low winter sun angles drive inter-row and obstruction losses.
OpenSolar dominates on cost and is widely used in Irish domestic solar. It is a sales and basic-design tool, not an electrical design tool. See OpenSolar pricing for where the transaction model stops being cheap.
PVsyst remains the yield model funders accept on Irish commercial and utility projects. PVsyst price is roughly $500 per seat, and our PVsyst alternatives guide covers the substitutes.
HelioScope is the fastest commercial layout engine available and its hourly model is credible. Tiers are in HelioScope pricing.
Try the software behind this guide
Design the array and export a DWG for the NC7 pack
SurgePV gives you 3D roof modelling, 8,760-hour shading for low Irish sun angles, string design, single-line diagrams, and editable AutoCAD DWG export from one cloud license.
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What an Irish Installation Package Has to Contain
- Site and roof layout with module positions and attachment points.
- Single-line diagram referencing I.S. 10101, showing string configuration, DC and AC isolation, conductor sizing, overcurrent protection, and the connection point.
- ESB Networks connection application, NC6 for the connect-and-notify route or NC7 where prior approval is required.
- Certification by a Registered Electrical Contractor under Safe Electric.
- Structural assessment of the roof and mounting system under the relevant wind loading, which on exposed Atlantic-facing sites is the governing case rather than snow.
- SEAI grant documentation where the customer is claiming, including evidence of a registered contractor and compliant equipment.
Item 5 is the one Irish installers most often under-scope. Wind loading on the west coast is severe, and the mounting system specification that works in the Midlands is not automatically adequate in Clare or Donegal.
Pricing in Euro
| Stack | USD per year | Approx. EUR at 0.92 | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenSolar | $0 plus fees | Transaction-linked | Sales and basic design |
| SurgePV | $1,299 to $1,899 | ~€1,195 to €1,747 | Full design, SLD, DWG, proposal |
| HelioScope plus AutoCAD | ~$3,218 | ~€2,961 | Commercial layout plus drafting |
| Aurora plus drafting | ~$3,938 to $5,138 | ~€3,623 to €4,727 | Sales-led stack |
| Add PVsyst if funded | +$500 | +~€460 | Yield report only |
Exchange rate is illustrative. Ask each vendor about euro invoicing.
What Most Irish Installers Get Wrong
They import the UK workflow wholesale.
The market is small enough that most training material, most supplier documentation, and most peer advice comes from across the Irish Sea. The result is Irish jobs certified against the wrong standard reference, connection applications submitted on the assumption that a UK G98 equivalent exists, and grant claims that stall on documentation. The rules are close enough to be confusing and different enough to matter.
The second mistake is optimistic yield. Irish irradiance is genuinely low, and a tool default tuned for a sunnier market will produce an annual figure the array cannot deliver. Model the diffuse fraction honestly and quote the number you believe.
When Software Is Not the Answer
If your constraint is commercial rooftop enquiries you cannot quote because nobody has time to produce a layout, a shading study, and a compliant single-line diagram, more software does not fix it.
That is what our solar rooftop detailed engineering design service covers, with solar 3D pre-design turning sales-stage 3D and shading models around in 48 hours. Structural assessment for Atlantic wind loading is a separate deliverable again, covered by solar civil and structural engineering. See the sample design pack or talk to our team.
Conclusion
- Template your documentation to I.S. 10101, not BS 7671. They are related but not interchangeable, and the certification route is different.
- Model the diffuse sky honestly. Irish yield is diffuse-dominated and simplified peak-sun-hours arithmetic overstates it.
- Scope wind loading by location. West coast exposure changes the mounting specification, and no design platform will flag it.
In this country series: solar software in Ireland, best solar proposal software in Ireland, shading analysis software in Ireland, Aurora Solar review. Tool deep dives: Opensolar review, Pvsol review.
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Disclosure and accuracy note
Commercial relationship. Heaven Designs and SurgePV are part of the same group. Treat our recommendation of SurgePV as a vendor making its own case, not an independent verdict. We have tried to describe every other product fairly, and to say plainly where a competitor is the better choice.
Pricing. All prices are indicative, compiled from public sources when this page was written. They vary by tier, region, contract term and exchange rate, and change without notice. Several vendors quote rather than publish, and some price in currencies other than the US dollar, so a converted figure moves with the exchange rate. Confirm current pricing with the vendor before you decide anything.
Trademarks and corrections. All product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners, and are used here for identification and comparison only. Their use does not imply affiliation with or endorsement by those companies. If anything here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we will correct it.
FAQ
What is the best solar design software in Ireland? SurgePV when the license also has to produce the electrical design and an editable DWG, OpenSolar when seat cost has to be zero, and PVsyst alongside either one for commercial projects with funders.
Does any solar design software support I.S. 10101? None natively. The workable approach is a platform with fully editable CAD output so an Irish designer can correct code references and conductor tables before certification.
Do I need ESB Networks approval before installing? For small installations the NC6 connect-and-notify route applies. Above the microgeneration threshold, NC7 requires prior approval, which adds weeks. Confirm the current thresholds with ESB Networks before quoting a timeline.
Does software handle the SEAI grant paperwork? No. Grant administration is a separate documentation workflow requiring a registered contractor and scheme-compliant equipment.
How much does solar design software cost in Ireland? From €0 with OpenSolar’s transaction model to roughly €4,700 per user per year for a sales-led stack. Full math is in our solar design software pricing breakdown.
What about proposal software specifically? Covered separately in best solar proposal software in Ireland.
Related: the UK market next door has a different regime again. See best solar design software in the UK.
What about shading analysis specifically? Shading is a separate tool decision at Ireland’s latitude and approval regime. Covered in best solar shading analysis software in Ireland.
