PVcad (PV CAD) Software: AutoCAD Solar Design Plugin 2026

Quick answer

PVcad (also written PV CAD or PVCAD) is solar design software that runs inside Autodesk AutoCAD rather than as a standalone program. The best-known version, from PVComplete, lays out PV arrays, estimates production with NREL PVWatts algorithms and drafts single-line diagrams and permit drawing sets, so solar drafters can stay in one CAD file.

PVcad (PV CAD) is solar design software built to run inside AutoCAD. This entry is for solar designers, drafters and EPC engineering teams who want to know what PVcad does, how it differs from plain AutoCAD for solar work, and where it sits next to other solar design software.

What is PVcad software?

Key Takeaways

PVcad = AutoCAD plugin for solar electrical schematics.
Pre-built solar symbol library.
Accelerates SLD drafting.
Companion to AutoCAD Electrical.

What does PVcad do inside AutoCAD?

PVcad’s job is narrow but useful: it drops a library of solar-specific electrical symbols, inverters, combiner boxes, disconnects, meters, into standard AutoCAD, then automates the repetitive parts of building a single line diagram from those symbols.

Instead of a drafter constructing each symbol and label from scratch, PVcad speeds up assembling the schematic and can carry equipment data through to a schedule, which cuts down on the manual re-entry that otherwise happens between the drawing and the equipment list.

Where PVcad Fits in the Design Workflow

PVcad sits downstream of site-layout tools. A designer typically lays out the array and string sizing in a tool like HelioScope or Aurora first, then brings that layout into AutoCAD, often via a HelioScope DXF export, before adding the electrical schematic on top.

Teams that need more than symbol automation, such as wire numbering or automated panel and conduit schedules, tend to reach for AutoCAD Electrical instead of or alongside PVcad; the two overlap in purpose but differ in depth, a distinction covered in more detail in Heaven Designs’ breakdown of AutoCAD Electrical versus general AutoCAD drafting for solar SLDs.

Because PVcad is one tool in a broader CAD-and-drafting stack, it’s worth seeing how it stacks up against the alternatives solar teams actually use. Heaven Designs’ roundup of the best solar design software in 2026 places SLD-drafting plugins like PVcad alongside full site-design platforms, and the comparison of Aurora, HelioScope, and Heaven Designs shows where layout tools hand off to CAD-based electrical drafting.

For a wider view of CAD tooling specifically built for solar, SurgePV’s roundup of solar CAD software covers plugins in the same category as PVcad.

Disclosure: SurgePV is a Heaven Designs group company.

Frequently Asked Questions

4 commonly searched questions about PVcad.

What is PVcad used for?

Solar drafters use PVcad inside AutoCAD to place module arrays, check spacing and shading, and produce single-line diagrams, equipment schedules and permit drawing sheets. Keeping layout and electrical drafting in one DWG file cuts the re-entry that happens when designs move between separate tools.

Do I need AutoCAD to run PVcad?

Yes, in most cases. PVcad is an add-on that loads into a licensed copy of full AutoCAD, not AutoCAD LT. PVComplete has also sold a bundle that includes an AutoCAD OEM engine, so check the current licensing options on the vendor site before buying.

Is PVcad the same as AutoCAD Electrical?

No. PVcad adds solar-specific layout, symbols and drawing automation on top of standard AutoCAD. AutoCAD Electrical is Autodesk's broader schematic toolset with wire numbering and panel schedules. Some solar teams use one, some use both, depending on how much general electrical drafting they do.

Is PVcad the same as PVcase?

No. PVcase is a separate AutoCAD and Civil 3D plugin focused on terrain-aware layout for large ground-mount plants. The names look alike, but they are different products from different vendors, and a small Indian ground-mount tool also uses the PVCAD name.

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