The Philippines sits near the equator with heavy cloud, dense low-rise cities, and some of the highest electricity prices in Southeast Asia. That combination makes shading analysis a commercial exercise rather than a technical one. The sun is high, so a shadow does not cost much energy. Electricity is expensive, so the energy it does cost is worth a lot.
Direct answer. The best solar shading analysis software in the Philippines is PVsyst for anything financed or commercial, because a heavily diffuse tropical sky means the sky-dome treatment matters more than the shadow geometry, and PVsyst handles it best. SurgePV covers the same hourly modelling alongside the layout and single-line diagram for the utility and inspection pack.
TL;DR
- The tropical sky is heavily diffuse, so blocked sky dome matters more than blocked direct beam.
- High sun angles make annual obstruction losses modest, but dense low-rise cities produce constant near-field obstruction.
- Electricity prices are high, so each lost kilowatt-hour is worth more than in most markets.
- Net metering caps and self-consumption make the timing of a loss matter.
- Installations follow the PEC 2017 with structural work under the NSCP and a licensed electrical engineer signing off.
What the Philippines Actually Changes About Shading Analysis
Diffuse dominates. Near the equator with high humidity and heavy cloud, a large share of annual irradiance arrives as diffuse radiation from across the sky dome rather than as direct beam. That changes what an obstruction does. A neighbouring building does not simply block the sun for two hours, it permanently removes a slice of the sky the array can see. Models that treat shading purely as beam blocking miss the diffuse component entirely, and it is the larger effect on many Philippine sites. This is the same error temperate installers make in reverse, and it is why the sky-dome treatment matters more than the shadow geometry here.
Cities are dense and low-rise. Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao put buildings very close together at varying heights. The obstructions are near-field, immediate, and permanent, and they surround the array rather than sitting on the horizon. A 3D scene with measured heights is the only workable approach.
High prices raise the stakes. Philippine electricity is expensive by regional standards, which means the value of each kilowatt-hour a shadow removes is higher than the same loss elsewhere. A modest percentage loss carries a real peso figure, and that makes the study worth doing properly on projects that would not justify it in a cheaper market.
Net metering has limits. Export arrangements are capped and compensated below retail, which pushes value toward self-consumption. As in every self-consumption market, that means the timing of a shading loss decides its worth, and the useful output is a loss profile against the load rather than an annual total.
The rules are defined. Electrical installations follow the Philippine Electrical Code, structural work follows the National Structural Code of the Philippines, and a licensed professional electrical engineer signs the design. No shading method is prescribed, so the tool choice is about accuracy and credibility.
The 7 Platforms Ranked for the Philippines
| Platform | Best for | Diffuse sky-dome treatment | Near-field 3D scene | Price per seat per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PVsyst | Financed and commercial studies | Best in class | Yes, scene builder | ~$500 |
| 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 |
| PV*SOL premium | Self-consumption modelling | Yes | Strong | ~€1,000+ |
| SketchUp plus Skelion | Bespoke dense geometry | Manual | Manual | ~$700 plus plugin |
| SAM (NREL) | Sensitivity studies | Yes | Limited | Free |
PVsyst is the correct default. In a diffuse climate the transposition and sky-dome model is what the number rests on, and its 3D near-shading scene builder handles the dense urban context. See PVsyst price.
SurgePV runs 8,760-hour shading and carries the same model into string design, the single-line diagram, and DWG export.
HelioScope suits fast commercial rooftop work where turnaround matters more than the last percent.
Try the software behind this guide
Count the blocked sky, not just the blocked sun
SurgePV runs 8,760-hour shading against a diffuse tropical sky and a full 3D urban scene, 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 Philippine Shading Deliverable Has to Contain
- 3D obstruction scene covering neighbouring buildings, rooftop plant, and vegetation at measured height and distance.
- Diffuse sky loss quantified separately from beam blocking, since it is often the larger component.
- Hourly shading loss with monthly breakdown.
- Loss profile against the load, because net metering limits push value toward self-consumption.
- Peso value of the loss, since high tariffs make the financial figure more persuasive than the percentage.
- Per-string loss table identifying compromised positions.
- Typhoon-related mounting constraints noted where they limit where the array can go.
Item 2 is the one that separates a competent tropical shading study from a transplanted temperate one. A beam-only model on a Manila rooftop surrounded by neighbours will understate the loss, which is the opposite of the error the same tool makes in London.
Pricing in Philippine Pesos
| Stack | USD per year | Approx. PHP at 58 | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| PVsyst | ~$500 | ~₱29,000 | Financed and commercial shading studies |
| HelioScope | ~$1,188 | ~₱68,904 | C&I layout and shading |
| SurgePV | $1,299 to $1,899 | ~₱75,342 to ₱110,142 | Shading plus full design |
| Aurora | $1,908 to $3,108 | ~₱110,664 to ₱180,264 | Sales-grade shading plus proposal |
Exchange rate is illustrative.
What Most Philippine Installers Get Wrong
They import a temperate shading model and trust the shadow.
A tool configured around direct-beam blocking will tell you a neighbouring building costs the two hours it physically shades. On a Manila rooftop under a diffuse sky, that building is also removing a permanent slice of the sky dome the array sees for the entire day, and the beam-only figure understates the real loss. Designers who carry over the temperate instinct that shading is softer than it looks get it backwards here: the shadow hours matter less, and the blocked sky matters more.
The second mistake is quoting the loss as a percentage rather than in pesos. With tariffs at Philippine levels, a loss that sounds trivial as a percentage is a meaningful annual figure, and the peso number is what persuades a commercial customer to move the array or trim the tree.
When Software Is Not the Answer
Typhoon wind loading frequently determines where and how an array can be mounted, and that constraint outranks the shading optimum. It is a structural question rather than a modelling one.
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 covering the construction pack. See the sample design pack or talk to our team.
Conclusion
- Quantify the blocked sky dome. Under a diffuse tropical sky it often exceeds the beam loss.
- Report the loss in pesos. High tariffs make the financial figure more persuasive than the percentage.
- Model the neighbours in 3D. Dense low-rise cities put permanent obstructions immediately around the array.
In this country series: solar software in the Philippines, best solar design software in the Philippines, best solar proposal software in the Philippines, Pvcase review. Tool deep dives: Pvsyst review, Helioscope 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 the Philippines? PVsyst for financed and commercial work, because the diffuse sky makes the sky-dome treatment the decisive factor. SurgePV where the same licence also has to produce the layout and single-line diagram.
Why does the diffuse sky matter so much? Because near the equator with heavy cloud, much of the irradiance arrives from across the sky dome. A neighbouring building permanently removes part of that dome, a loss that beam-only shadow models do not capture at all.
Does high sun mean shading is not a problem? It keeps the shadow hours short, but dense low-rise cities put permanent obstructions right beside the array, and the diffuse component of the loss runs all day rather than only when the shadow falls.
How do high electricity prices change the analysis? They raise the value of every kilowatt-hour lost, which justifies a more careful study on smaller projects and makes the peso figure the number worth quoting.
Does the Philippine Electrical Code specify a shading method? No. PEC 2017 governs the electrical installation, the NSCP covers structural work, and a licensed professional electrical engineer signs the design. The shading method is an engineering choice.
How much does solar shading analysis software cost in the Philippines? From roughly ₱29,000 per year for PVsyst alone to ₱180,000 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 the Philippines, and the method in how to do shadow analysis for solar rooftop projects.
