OpenSolar launches free 3D solar design software

OpenSolar, the free software platform digitizing the solar industry, launched the beta version of its latest innovation in remote solar design: OpenSolar 3D. The system enables solar professionals to provide an efficient, immersive design experience to customers without requiring in-person visits.
Starting today, users of OpenSolar’s software can enable 3D Beta mode, which allows salespeople in areas with digital surface map data to ‘paint’ solar panels directly onto the roofs of three-dimensional models to accurately design solar solutions in an immersive customer experience and at amazing speed.
“Designing a customer’s solar solution live with them in this ‘virtual world’ is so engaging. I can literally just touch panels directly onto a 3D model of the customer’s roof and fly around the property live with them online, checking out how it looks and seeing how the shadows move over the course of the day. And the software figures out pitch, azimuth and shading without me doing anything. It’s a game-changer,” says Vince Imperiale, president and owner of Seapoint Solar in Bringantine, New Jersey.
OpenSolar 3D beta allows solar professionals to guide their customers through highly detailed three-dimensional designs, built-in real-time with accurate and clearly visible shading, as well as integrated utility and manufacturer data.
Integrated energy and finance data enable cost and payment modeling that also supports battery storage and time-of-use energy calculations.
“Our goal was to unlock the value of digital surface map data to create a beautifully simple and efficient design experience,” said OpenSolar co-founder Adam Pryor. “Making the next generation of modeling technology available to the maximum number of solar professionals is a great next step for OpenSolar.”
The new 3D design toolkit boasts advanced functionality including:
‘fly-around’ technology to take virtual tour of the property and the solar solution with the customer
Automatic scale, pitch and azimuth calculations — all tied to OpenSolar’s calculation engine including time-of-day solar-storage-grid performance
Automatic shading calculations down to sub-string level.
“I used OpenSolar’s 3D tool to review a system I had designed looking at top-down imagery. I was able to see the roof had a different shape and needed a different design. OpenSolar’s 3D tool lets me see roof shapes in a whole new way and design systems more quickly and accurately.” says Pedro Nomberto, VP of operations at Sun Up Electric in Sacramento, California.
OpenSolar partners with leading product and service providers to support their dealers with content and connectivity, to further enhance installer efficiencies and support industry scale.
“This next innovation is about making solar more accessible and easier for absolutely everyone to access the power of sunlight and to ultimately make an impact on climate change,” said OpenSolar co-founder Andrew Birch. “In a period where remote selling is critical to success, this is a timely addition to installer’s toolkits. The ability to leverage current data and imagery sources is changing the way solar is sold.”