Australian shading analysis carries a consequence that does not exist in most markets: it can change the rebate. Small-scale technology certificate calculations account for the installation’s circumstances, and a heavily shaded array is not treated the same as a clear one. That turns the shading assessment from a design nicety into a commercial document, and it means the number has to be defensible rather than optimistic.
Direct answer. The best solar shading analysis software in Australia for most CEC-accredited installers is OpenSolar for residential, since it is built with Australian market rules in mind and handles shading alongside STC calculation, or SurgePV where the same license also has to produce the string design and single-line diagram for commercial work. PVsyst remains the reference for anything financed.
TL;DR
- Shading assessment feeds the STC calculation, so the number has commercial consequences beyond yield.
- Australian sun is high, so obstruction shading is a smaller annual loss than at high latitude, but morning and afternoon losses concentrate hard.
- Export limits mean shading losses at midday can be partly invisible on a clipped system. Model against the limit.
- CEC accreditation and AS/NZS 5033 govern the install, and the accredited designer owns the shading judgement.
- Tree species matter. Eucalypt canopies are open and behave differently from dense northern hemisphere species.
What Australia Actually Changes About Shading Analysis
Shading affects the rebate. The small-scale technology certificate calculation reflects the installation’s circumstances, and an array with significant shading is not equivalent to an unshaded one. That makes the shading assessment part of the commercial paperwork rather than an internal design step, and it is a reason to keep the assessment documented and conservative rather than favourable.
High sun changes the geometry. Across most Australian population centres the sun sits high for much of the year, so a given obstruction casts a shorter shadow than it would in Europe or Canada. The annual loss from a nearby tree or neighbouring building is generally smaller. What remains significant is early morning and late afternoon shading, and on east-west arrays that is exactly when the array is meant to be producing.
Export limits hide shading. Where a distribution network service provider caps export, a system may be clipping at midday anyway. Shading losses that occur during clipped hours cost nothing, because the energy was going to be curtailed. That means the true financial impact of shading on an export-limited Australian system is lower than the raw yield loss suggests, and modelling it correctly requires running shading and the export cap together rather than sequentially.
The accredited designer owns the call. Clean Energy Council accreditation carries the design responsibility, and AS/NZS 5033 governs the installation. The shading judgement sits with the accredited person, not with the software.
Vegetation behaves differently. Australian native canopies, particularly eucalypts, are relatively open compared with dense deciduous species. A tool that models a tree as a solid volume will overstate the loss. Tools that allow a transmission factor produce a better answer.
The 7 Platforms Ranked for Australia
| Platform | Best for | Hourly shading | Export limit interaction | Price per seat per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenSolar | Australian residential volume | Yes | Yes | $0 plus transaction fees |
| SurgePV | Shading plus design and SLD | Yes, 8,760-hour | Yes | $1,299 to $1,899 USD |
| PVsyst | Financed and detailed studies | Best in class | Yes, manual | ~$500 USD |
| HelioScope | Commercial rooftop | Yes | Yes | ~$1,188 USD |
| Aurora Solar | Complex roof geometry | Yes, LIDAR | Configurable | $1,908 to $3,108 USD |
| Scanifly | Drone capture of obstructed sites | Inherited | No | ~$3,000+ USD |
| SketchUp plus Skelion | Bespoke geometry | Manual | No | ~$700 USD plus plugin |
OpenSolar is the residential default in Australia, free at the seat, with strong local market awareness and shading modelling adequate for domestic work. See OpenSolar pricing.
SurgePV suits commercial rooftop, running 8,760-hour shading against an export cap and carrying the model into string design and the single-line diagram.
PVsyst is the reference for anything a lender reviews and the tool with the most explicit control over shading and transmission parameters. See PVsyst price.
Try the software behind this guide
Run shading and the export cap in the same model
SurgePV models 8,760 hours of shading against a DNSP export limit, sizes strings to AS/NZS 4777.2 inverter windows, and produces the single-line diagram from the same file.
Book a free SurgePV demo →No credit card. 20-minute walkthrough on one of your own projects.
What an Australian Shading Deliverable Has to Contain
- 3D obstruction model covering the building’s own geometry, neighbouring structures, and vegetation with a transmission factor where species justify it.
- Hourly shading loss with monthly breakdown.
- Morning and afternoon loss shown separately, since that is where high-sun-market shading concentrates.
- Export limit applied, so the financial impact reflects clipped hours rather than raw yield loss.
- Per-string or per-module loss table.
- STC implications documented where shading is material.
- Optimiser rationale where module-level electronics are recommended.
Item 4 is the calculation that distinguishes a good Australian shading study. Losing modelled generation during a clipped hour costs the customer nothing, and a proposal that treats all shading losses as equal will recommend tree removal that does not pay.
Pricing in Australian Dollars
| Stack | USD per year | Approx. AUD at 1.52 | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenSolar | $0 plus fees | Transaction-linked | Residential shading and proposal |
| PVsyst | ~$500 | ~A$760 | Detailed shading and yield |
| HelioScope | ~$1,188 | ~A$1,806 | Commercial layout and shading |
| SurgePV | $1,299 to $1,899 | ~A$1,974 to A$2,886 | Shading plus full design |
| Aurora | $1,908 to $3,108 | ~A$2,900 to A$4,724 | Sales-grade shading plus proposal |
Exchange rate is illustrative.
What Most Australian Installers Get Wrong
They quote shading losses without applying the export limit.
On a system behind a 5 kW export cap with a 10 kW array, a large share of midday generation is curtailed regardless. Shading that occurs during those hours has no financial effect, yet a standard shading report counts it as lost energy. The consequence is bad advice: customers are told to remove a tree that was costing them nothing, or systems are downsized on the basis of a loss that never reached the meter.
The second mistake is modelling native canopy as solid. Eucalypts transmit meaningful light, and a tool set to treat them as opaque produces a pessimistic result that loses otherwise viable sales.
When Software Is Not the Answer
If the array cannot be built where the shading model says it should go because of structural or wind loading constraints, that is engineering rather than modelling. AS/NZS 1170.2 wind loading governs mounting design and is a separate deliverable.
Our solar civil and structural engineering team produces wind-load and mounting designs delivered as STAAD Pro report calculations, with solar rooftop detailed engineering design for the full construction pack. See the sample design pack.
Conclusion
- Apply the export cap before valuing shading losses. Energy lost during clipped hours costs nothing.
- Use a transmission factor for native canopy. Modelling eucalypts as solid overstates the loss.
- Document the shading assessment. It feeds the STC position, so it is commercial paperwork, not just design.
In this country series: solar software in Australia, best solar design software in Australia, best solar proposal software in Australia, Pvsol review. Tool deep dives: Pvcase review, Pvsyst 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 shading analysis software in Australia? OpenSolar for residential, because it is free at the seat and built with Australian rules in mind, and SurgePV for commercial work where the license also has to produce the string design and single-line diagram.
Does shading affect the STC rebate? The certificate calculation reflects the installation’s circumstances, so significant shading is relevant to the commercial position. Keep the assessment documented and conservative.
Why should the export limit be in the shading model? Because on an export-capped system a share of midday generation is curtailed anyway. Shading during those hours costs nothing, so a raw yield-loss figure overstates the financial impact.
Does Australian shading matter less than in Europe? Annual obstruction losses are generally smaller because the sun sits higher. Morning and afternoon shading still concentrates hard, particularly on east-west arrays.
How should Australian trees be modelled? With a transmission factor where the species justifies it. Native canopies such as eucalypts are relatively open, and modelling them as solid volumes overstates the loss.
How much does solar shading analysis software cost in Australia? From A$0 with OpenSolar’s transaction model to roughly A$4,724 for Aurora’s higher tiers. Full math is in our solar design software pricing breakdown.
Related: the wider tool decision is in best solar design software in Australia, and the method in how to do shadow analysis for solar rooftop projects.
