Germany has the most demanding shading analysis culture in the world, and for good reason. Fifty degrees north gives long winter shadows, the east-west flat-roof array is standard practice and self-shades by design, and a market with this much operating history has customers who compare modelled yield to metered yield and ask questions. A shading study here is read.
Direct answer. The best solar shading analysis software in Germany is PVsyst, because German practice is built around the level of rigour it provides and its outputs are what technical reviewers, lenders, and experienced customers expect. PV*SOL is the strong domestic alternative with better 3D shading visualisation, and SurgePV covers hourly shading alongside the layout and single-line diagram.
TL;DR
- East-west flat-roof arrays self-shade by design. Modelling that correctly is the core German skill.
- At 50 degrees north, winter shadows are long and the loss concentrates in low-generation months.
- PV*SOL is the domestic reference alongside PVsyst, with stronger 3D shading visualisation.
- Grid connection runs to VDE-AR-N 4105 with registration in the Marktstammdatenregister.
- German customers compare modelled against metered yield, so an optimistic study surfaces within a year.
What Germany Actually Changes About Shading Analysis
East-west arrays self-shade on purpose. The German flat-roof standard is east-west facing rows at low tilt, which raises the kilowatts per square metre and flattens the generation curve. It also means adjacent rows shade each other in the morning and evening by design. Getting the pitch right on an east-west array is a genuinely harder calculation than on a south-facing one, because the shading is bidirectional and the optimum depends on tilt, pitch, and row orientation together. Tools that handle only south-facing inter-row arithmetic are not adequate.
Latitude is high. Berlin sits above 52 degrees north, Hamburg above 53. Winter solar elevation at noon is low, so obstruction shadows are long precisely through the months when generation is scarce and self-consumption value is highest. Any assessment reporting an annual average without the monthly profile is hiding the part the customer will notice.
The domestic tool matters. PV*SOL is used widely across the German market and its 3D shading visualisation is genuinely better than PVsyst’s for showing a customer where the loss comes from. PVsyst remains the more rigorous engine for detailed loss analysis. Many German firms run both, and that is a defensible choice rather than duplication.
Connection follows a defined path. Grid connection runs under VDE-AR-N 4105 for low voltage, with the installation registered in the Marktstammdatenregister and remuneration under the EEG framework. None of this prescribes a shading method, but it does mean the yield figure is attached to a system with a documented commercial life.
Customers check. Germany has more solar operating history per capita than almost anywhere. Owners compare their modelled yield against their metered yield and they raise it. An optimistic shading assumption does not quietly disappear here, it produces a conversation in year one.
The 7 Platforms Ranked for Germany
| Platform | Best for | East-west self-shading | 3D shading visualisation | Price per seat per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PVsyst | Detailed loss and financed studies | Best in class | Functional | ~$500 |
| PV*SOL premium | German market standard workflow | Yes | Best in class | ~€1,000+ |
| SurgePV | Shading plus design and SLD | Yes, 8,760-hour | Yes | $1,299 to $1,899 |
| HelioScope | Fast C&I layout and shading | Yes | Moderate | ~$1,188 |
| Aurora Solar | Complex roof geometry | Yes | Strong, LIDAR | $1,908 to $3,108 |
| PVcase | Large ground-mount layout | Yes | Terrain-aware | Enterprise quote |
| SketchUp plus Skelion | Bespoke geometry | Manual | Manual | ~$700 plus plugin |
PVsyst is the engine of record. Its near-shading scene and loss diagram give the east-west pitch trade explicitly, and its output is what a technical reviewer expects. See PVsyst price and our PVsyst loss diagram guide.
PV*SOL premium is the domestic standard and produces the clearest customer-facing shading animation available.
SurgePV runs 8,760-hour shading and carries the same model into string design, the single-line diagram, and DWG export.
Try the software behind this guide
Solve the east-west pitch, then export the drawings
SurgePV runs 8,760-hour bidirectional self-shading across candidate pitches and tilts, then carries the same model into string design, single-line diagrams, and DWG export.
Book a free SurgePV demo →No credit card. 20-minute walkthrough on one of your own projects.
What a German Shading Deliverable Has to Contain
- 3D obstruction scene covering the building’s geometry, adjacent structures, and vegetation.
- East-west pitch and tilt study where the array is east-west, comparing candidate combinations.
- Hourly shading loss with monthly breakdown, winter months explicit.
- Bidirectional self-shading shown for east-west arrays, morning and evening separately.
- Per-string or per-module loss table identifying compromised positions.
- Optimiser rationale where module-level electronics are proposed.
- Modelled yield stated as a range, because it will be compared against a meter.
Item 7 is the German-specific discipline. A single point estimate invites a dispute the first time the meter disagrees. A stated range with the assumptions behind it is a document that survives.
Pricing in Euro
| Stack | USD per year | Approx. EUR at 0.92 | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| PVsyst | ~$500 | ~€460 | Detailed shading and yield |
| PV*SOL premium | Quoted in EUR | ~€1,000+ | German workflow plus 3D shading |
| HelioScope | ~$1,188 | ~€1,093 | C&I layout and shading |
| SurgePV | $1,299 to $1,899 | ~€1,195 to €1,747 | Shading plus full design |
| Aurora | $1,908 to $3,108 | ~€1,755 to €2,859 | Sales-grade shading plus proposal |
Exchange rate is illustrative.
What Most German Installers Get Wrong
They apply south-facing pitch logic to an east-west array.
An east-west array shades bidirectionally, and the loss is not symmetric with a south-facing case at the same ground coverage ratio. The optimum tilt is lower, the optimum pitch is different, and the two interact. Designers who take a familiar ground coverage ratio and apply it to an east-west layout usually end up either giving away roof capacity or eating morning and evening losses they never quantified. Running the pitch and tilt combination through an hourly model is the only way to find the actual optimum, and on a large flat roof it is worth real money. Our ground coverage ratio guide covers the underlying arithmetic.
The second mistake is quoting a single yield number. In a market where owners routinely compare modelled against metered production, a point estimate with no stated range is an unforced commitment.
When Software Is Not the Answer
If a flat roof cannot carry the ballast the chosen pitch and tilt require, the constraint is structural rather than optical.
Our solar civil and structural engineering team produces snow, wind, and ballast assessments delivered as STAAD Pro report calculations, with solar rooftop detailed engineering design covering the construction pack. See the sample design pack.
Conclusion
- Model east-west self-shading bidirectionally. South-facing pitch logic does not transfer.
- Show the monthly profile. At 52 degrees north the loss lands in the months that matter most.
- Quote a range, not a point. German owners compare modelled yield against the meter.
In this country series: solar software in Germany, best solar design software in Germany, best solar proposal software in Germany, Opensolar review. Tool deep dives: Pvsol review, Pvcase review.
More from our network
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 Germany? PVsyst for rigour, PV*SOL premium for the domestic workflow and the best 3D shading visualisation, and SurgePV where the same licence also has to produce the layout and single-line diagram.
Why are east-west arrays harder to model? Because adjacent rows shade each other in both the morning and the evening, and the optimum tilt and pitch interact. A ground coverage ratio derived for a south-facing array does not give the right answer.
Should I use PVsyst or PV*SOL? PVsyst for detailed loss analysis and anything financed, PV*SOL where the customer-facing shading visualisation matters. Running both is common German practice and is defensible rather than wasteful.
Does VDE-AR-N 4105 specify a shading method? No. It governs the low-voltage grid connection, not the yield calculation. The shading method is an engineering choice, which is why market convention rather than regulation sets the bar here.
Why quote yield as a range? Because German owners commonly compare their metered production against the modelled figure. A stated range with visible assumptions holds up in that conversation, a single number does not.
How much does solar shading analysis software cost in Germany? From roughly €460 per year for PVsyst alone to €2,859 for Aurora’s higher tiers, with PV*SOL premium quoted separately in euro. Full math is in our solar design software pricing breakdown.
Related: the wider tool decision is in best solar design software in Germany, and the method in how to do shadow analysis for solar rooftop projects.
