Solar proposals are more technical than most freelance documents—they need to include production modeling, financing comparisons, and savings projections alongside standard business terms. The right software depends on whether your challenge is technical accuracy or sales presentation.
A homeowner or facility manager reviewing a solar proposal is making a 20-year financial decision. Your proposal needs to answer two questions convincingly: how much will this system produce, and will the numbers actually work out as promised. Most proposal software can’t answer the first question—that requires solar-specific modeling tools.
What makes solar proposals different
Standard proposal software handles scope, pricing, timeline, and e-signature. Solar proposals need all of that plus:
- Energy production estimates based on actual location, roof pitch, and shading conditions
- Utility rate comparisons showing projected savings against the client’s current bill
- System sizing (kilowatts, panel count, inverter specifications)
- Financing options with side-by-side comparisons of loan, lease, PPA, and cash purchase
- Payback period and ROI projections
- Equipment specifications and warranty details
- Incentive calculations (federal ITC, state incentives, utility rebates)
General proposal software can display this information if you calculate it externally and paste it in, but purpose-built solar tools calculate it for you.
Solar-specific proposal tools
Aurora Solar
Aurora is the dominant platform for solar design and proposal generation. It combines satellite imagery with 3D shading analysis, irradiance modeling, and energy production forecasting. The proposal output is professional and includes all the technical data a homeowner needs to evaluate the investment.
Best for: Residential and commercial installers who need engineering-grade accuracy. Widely used by installers who submit to utilities and need production data that can be audited.
Trade-off: Premium pricing and significant setup time. More than most small solar contractors need.
Solargraf
Solargraf (from Omnivoltaic) focuses on fast residential proposals. It generates a complete proposal from satellite imagery in 5–10 minutes—faster than Aurora but less technically detailed.
Best for: High-volume residential sales operations where speed-to-proposal matters more than engineering precision.
Energy Toolbase
Energy Toolbase specializes in commercial and storage projects. Strong financial modeling for commercial rate structures (demand charges, time-of-use, storage dispatch optimization).
Best for: Commercial solar and solar-plus-storage projects.
General proposal tools used in solar
For the business and terms sections of solar proposals—pricing, payment schedules, scope, e-signature, and client tracking—many solar contractors use general proposal tools alongside their technical tools.
The tracking capability matters in solar sales because the buying cycle is long (30–90 days for residential, longer for commercial). Knowing when a homeowner has re-opened your proposal weeks after the initial visit tells you exactly when to make a follow-up call.
In solar sales, the difference between closing and losing is often timing. A prospect who re-opens your proposal three weeks after the site visit is actively reconsidering. Without proposal tracking, you’d have no idea. With it, you can call within 24 hours while they’re engaged.
The workflow most solar contractors use
Residential high volume: Solargraf or Aurora for the design and production estimate. General proposal tool for the business terms and tracking. E-signature handled by either tool.
Commercial: Energy Toolbase for financial modeling. Full proposal assembled in a professional proposal tool with the technical exhibits as appendices.
Small contractors: Many use a single tool—whatever their supplier or installer network recommends—and accept that it won’t be perfect for every section. Adding a general proposal tracking tool on top is a low-cost way to improve follow-up.
What to look for in evaluation
Production accuracy: Does the tool account for actual shading conditions? Generic production estimates that ignore shading will produce projections that don’t match reality—which damages trust and generates post-installation disputes.
Financing flexibility: Can the tool model multiple financing options side by side? Homeowners make decisions based on monthly cost comparisons, not system price totals.
Sales presentation quality: Is the output something you’d be comfortable leaving behind after a site visit? Cheap-looking proposals undermine premium pricing.
Client tracking: Do you get notified when the proposal is opened? In a 60–90 day sales cycle, this data shapes your follow-up strategy considerably.
Integration with your CRM: For multi-rep operations, does the proposal tool connect to your lead management system?
The solar proposal market is more fragmented than general proposal software, but the evaluation criteria are similar: accuracy of output, ease of use, and quality of the sales presentation.
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