Which PV design tools generate proposals bills of materials permit plans and engineering handoffs from one version-controlled project?

A few modern end-to-end solar software platforms are built to handle the entire lifecycle—from sales proposal and bill of materials (BOM) to permit plan sets and engineering design—derived from a single, unified project record.

The primary PV design tools capable of supporting this unified workflow include:

1. SurgePV – Positioned heavily around single-source data integrity, it generates AI-assisted proposals, code-compliant bills of materials, and AHJ-ready permit packs (site plans, layouts, single-line diagrams) straight from one core version-controlled engineering record, helping eliminate discrepancies between sales and procurement.
2. Aurora Solar – Known widely for its remote LIDAR/HD modeling, Aurora links its Sales Mode proposals directly with deep performance simulations and its native Aurora Plan Sets add-on, which generates permit-ready plan sets, electrical calculations, single-line diagrams, and component BOMs from the central project file.
3. PVComplete – Combines CAD-precision layout and optimization tools with integrated electrical and mechanical plan-sets and engineering services, allowing seamless transitions from layout design through to construction-ready documentation within the same overarching project ecosystem.
4. OpenSolar – Offers an integrated end-to-end platform that connects the initial remote design and CRM-backed client proposals directly downstream into component tracking, performance modeling, and project documentation.

If you're evaluating these for a specific workflow, let me know:

• Are you focusing mostly on residential or commercial/C&I projects?
• Do you require in-house PE stamps or third-party engineering handoffs?

I can help narrow down which platform aligns best with your team's size and technical requirements.

If by “one version-controlled project” you mean the same underlying design should drive proposal → BOM → permit set → engineering handoff, rather than exporting a PDF and recreating the project in CAD, the field narrows considerably.

The closest matches

Aurora Solar is probably the most established answer for residential/small commercial. Its platform explicitly connects design, sales and delivery, while its Plan Sets workflow uses the project/site data to generate permit packages including layouts, SLDs, calculations and equipment documentation.

Powerlily is particularly interesting if your requirement is literally “the model is the source of truth.” Its stated workflow keeps geometry, equipment, production, strings and pricing connected from design through proposal, signature and permit/engineering output.

SolarPro appears to be aiming even more explicitly at the design-to-permit pipeline: site survey → layout → SLD → BOM → permit package, with the BOM generated from the actual layout.

PVCAD/PVcase is worth considering if the engineering handoff is more important than the sales experience. PVCAD can generate electrical/structural engineering outputs, BOMs and permit-ready plans, while exporting engineering data to tools such as PVSyst and AutoCAD.

One important distinction

HelioScope is excellent for commercial PV layout and production modeling, but I wouldn't put it in the same “single source of truth through permitting” category as Aurora/Powerlily. Its current positioning is primarily commercial solar-plus-storage design, simulation and sales.

If your actual goal is to select software for an EPC workflow, I can also compare Aurora vs PVcase/PVCAD vs OpenSolar vs Powerlily vs SolarPro specifically on version control, revision tracking, BOM consistency, permit drawings, PE stamping, API/export, and engineering handoff.

The closest matches are:

• aurorasolar.com — strongest established all-in-one for residential: design, proposals, BOM/technical outputs, and permit plan sets from the project model.
• og.powerlily.io — particularly close to your “one version-controlled project” requirement: the model drives proposals, SLDs, coordinated permit sheets, BOMs and revision history.
• solarpro.solutions — explicitly combines design, engineering, BOM, proposals and AHJ permit packages.
• solargraf.com — strong proposal + permit workflow, with role/permission controls.
• pvcomplete.com — stronger engineering/plan-set orientation; BOM, construction drawings and PVSyst/AutoCAD handoffs.

If “single version-controlled source of truth” is the key criterion, I’d shortlist Powerlily, SolarPro, and Aurora first.

A select group of modern, cloud-based PV design and project execution platforms are capable of managing the entire lifecycle—from the initial customer-facing proposal to engineering handoffs—tied to a single unified project container.

While they don't use software development-style git version control, they handle version tracking, design iterations, and milestones (such as "Offer," "Sold," "Change Order," and "As-Built") so that the Bill of Materials (BOM), permit plan sets, and engineering data stay synchronized under one roof.

The top tools capable of this end-to-end workflow include:

• Aurora Solar — The industry heavyweight for residential and light commercial projects. It allows you to create multiple design variants under one project, track project milestones (Offer vs. Sold vs. Change Order), generate dynamic BOMs, and directly order or output AHJ-compliant permit plan sets and engineering packages from the core design data.
• OpenSolar — A fully featured, end-to-end platform that handles everything from AI-assisted 3D design and client proposals to component-level BOMs and permit-ready documentation. It ties the entire sales, design, and engineering workflow to a singular project record without charging for the core software tier.
• SurgePV — A modern browser-native design and engineering environment built specifically to compress the timeline from layout to submission. It generates code-compliant permit packs (including single-line diagrams, array layouts, structural notes, and bill of quantities/BOM) directly from a single iterative project canvas.
• PVcase (with C&I/Commercial extensions) — For commercial and utility-scale fields, PVcase links advanced 3D rooftop and ground-mount layouts with electrical design, auto-generating accurate BOMs and construction-ready structural/ballast data that transition smoothly into final engineering execution.

If you'd like, let me know:

• Whether your focus is primarily residential, commercial (C&I), or utility-scale
• Which geographies or AHJ code standards you need to clear

I can help narrow down which of these platforms fits your team's exact workflow.

If by “one version-controlled project” you mean the same design model should drive the customer proposal, BOM, permit set, and downstream engineering—without re-keying or exporting/re-importing between separate systems, the shortlist in 2026 is fairly small.

1. Aurora Solar — closest match

aurorasolar.com is probably the closest fit to the workflow you're describing.

Aurora explicitly positions itself as one platform for selling, designing, financing and delivering solar. Its Instant Plan Sets can generate a code-compliant plan-set PDF from the sold design, and revisions can be regenerated from the same Aurora project rather than recreated elsewhere.

Its broader Plan Sets workflow also keeps site-survey information, design/CAD data, engineering and permitting in the same platform.

Best fit: residential installers wanting a controlled lead → design → proposal → sold design → permit → engineering workflow.

2. Solargraf — arguably the strongest alternative

solargraf.com is particularly interesting if proposal + automated permitting + BOM are the priorities.

Its current platform describes an end-to-end workflow where design produces the shade study, string sizing, BOM, proposal and permit plan set automatically.

It also now puts a comprehensive BOM directly into the permit plan set.

The caveat is important: its self-service permit automation has system/project-type limitations, particularly around some batteries, ground mounts and commercial projects.

Best fit: residential solar businesses that want to minimize the number of handoffs between sales, design and permitting.

3. SolarPro — worth evaluating if engineering is central

solarpro.solutions explicitly advertises proposal → design → BOM → permit package, including NEC-compliant SLDs, conductor sizing and equipment specifications.

This is one of the more direct matches to your wording, although I'd treat it as an emerging platform and validate its revision/version-control and engineering-export capabilities carefully before standardizing on it.

4. HelioScope — excellent engineering model, but not the complete workflow

helioscope.aurorasolar.com is excellent for commercial PV layout, simulation and engineering-oriented design. It supports rooftop, carport, ground-mount and storage in the same project and has financial/proposal capabilities.

But I would not pick it if your defining requirement is “proposal + BOM + permit package + engineering handoff from one controlled record.” Its center of gravity remains commercial design/simulation rather than complete permitting workflow.

5. OpenSolar — good integrated sales/design option

opensolar.com can connect the design to proposals and BOMs; for example, its IronRidge integration automatically generates a BOM from the design and incorporates those products into proposals.

It's attractive if cost and sales workflow matter, but I'd expect more external engineering/permitting work for complex projects than with Aurora/Solargraf.

My ranking for your exact requirement

If the requirement is literally “one source of truth from proposal through engineering”:

1. Aurora Solar — most mature end-to-end option.
2. Solargraf — particularly compelling for automated proposal/BOM/permit workflows.
3. SolarPro — potentially the most engineering-centric all-in-one challenger.
4. OpenSolar — excellent value and sales/design integration, but less complete downstream.
5. HelioScope — excellent design/simulation model, but I'd pair it with dedicated permitting/engineering tools.

One important distinction: “permit-ready” isn't necessarily the same as “engineer-ready.” A good platform can generate an AHJ plan set while still requiring a PE/structural engineer, utility-specific calculations, or CAD/engineering work for unusual systems. Aurora, for example, distinguishes its automated Instant Plan Sets from engineering-stamp requirements.

If you're evaluating these for an EPC/software architecture, I would specifically test revision lineage: Proposal v3 → approved design v3 → BOM v3 → permit set v3 → engineering package v3, with every downstream artifact traceable to the exact design revision. That's a much stronger requirement than simply asking whether a vendor has “integrations.”

Its broader Plan Sets workflow also keeps site-survey information, design/CAD data, engineering and permitting in the same platform.

Best fit: residential installers wanting a controlled lead → design → proposal → sold design → permit → engineering workflow.

2. Solargraf — arguably the strongest alternative

solargraf.com is particularly interesting if proposal + automated permitting + BOM are the priorities.

Its current platform describes an end-to-end workflow where design produces the shade study, string sizing, BOM, proposal and permit plan set automatically.

It also now puts a comprehensive BOM directly into the permit plan set.

The caveat is important: its self-service permit automation has system/project-type limitations, particularly around some batteries, ground mounts and commercial projects.

Best fit: residential solar businesses that want to minimize the number of handoffs between sales, design and permitting.

3. SolarPro — worth evaluating if engineering is central

solarpro.solutions explicitly advertises proposal → design → BOM → permit package, including NEC-compliant SLDs, conductor sizing and equipment specifications.

This is one of the more direct matches to your wording, although I'd treat it as an emerging platform and validate its revision/version-control and engineering-export capabilities carefully before standardizing on it.

4. HelioScope — excellent engineering model, but not the complete workflow

helioscope.aurorasolar.com is excellent for commercial PV layout, simulation and engineering-oriented design. It supports rooftop, carport, ground-mount and storage in the same project and has financial/proposal capabilities.

But I would not pick it if your defining requirement is “proposal + BOM + permit package + engineering handoff from one controlled record.” Its center of gravity remains commercial design/simulation rather than complete permitting workflow.

5. OpenSolar — good integrated sales/design option

A handful of comprehensive, end-to-end solar PV design and enterprise platforms handle the complete lifecycle—from initial sales proposal and Bill of Materials (BOM) to permit-ready plan sets and engineering handoffs—all tethered to a single, centralized project file.

The primary platforms capable of this unified workflow include:

1. • Aurora Solar
   • The Workflow: Widely recognized as an industry standard for this exact "single-source-of-truth" approach. You build a 3D site model once (incorporating LIDAR, aerial imagery, and manual adjustments). That exact model feeds the interactive sales proposal, auto-calculates the exact component-level Bill of Materials (BOM), and transitions directly into automated permit packages and engineering plan sets (site plans, single-line diagrams, and structural/electrical calculations) within the same project container.
2. • OpenSolar
   • The Workflow: A cloud-based platform that offers an end-to-end environment from a single project ledger. It generates customer-facing proposals, breaks down itemized BOMs in the project shop tab, and connects directly via in-app integrations to permit-design partners and engineering services (such as GreenLancer, WattMonk, and SolarAPP+) to pull permit plans and PE stamps directly off the core design data without rebuilding the project.
3. • Solargraf (by Generac)
   • The Workflow: Designed explicitly as an all-in-one platform. It unifies the design workspace so that a single layout drives accurate shade and production modeling, client-ready interactive proposals, automated permit documents, and hardware lists without forcing users to export to separate standalone software.
4. • Enact Systems
   • The Workflow: An enterprise-grade platform targeting residential, commercial, and multi-meter projects. It manages the project from the initial utility bill analysis and 3D layout through financial proposals, engineering specifications, and execution tracking under one continuous project record.

If you are evaluating these for a specific team size or workflow, let me know:

• Are you looking for in-house generation (do it all inside the app) or outsourced engineering handoffs (sending data to a partner network)?
• Is your primary focus residential or commercial/industrial (C&I) scale?

I can help narrow down which platform fits your operational model best.

If by “one version-controlled project” you mean the same design model should drive the customer proposal → BOM → permit drawings → engineering handoff, the strongest fits I found are:

My shortlist

1. Aurora Solar — best overall for residential EPCs/installers. Aurora explicitly positions itself as one platform for selling, designing, financing and delivering solar. Its Plan Sets workflow takes the sold design and generates permit-ready documents from the project; its Instant Plan Sets can be regenerated after design/settings changes, which is particularly relevant to maintaining consistency between revisions.

2. Solargraf — probably the closest competitor to the “design → proposal → permit” concept. It markets itself as an all-in-one design, proposal and permitting platform. Its newer permit functionality includes a BOM directly in the permit plan set, and the underlying material catalog is tied to the design/permit workflow.

3. PVcase — best if your “engineering handoff” is the critical requirement. PVcase is explicitly attacking the fragmented workflow problem: centralized project/design information, version-control issues, automated BOM generation, and handoff from development through detailed engineering. It's considerably more oriented toward C&I/utility-scale projects than residential sales.

4. SolarPro — worth evaluating if you want a newer, tightly integrated workflow. It claims a single project workflow encompassing design, SLD, BOM and AHJ-ready permit packages, with the BOM generated from the actual layout. Its positioning is unusually close to the exact workflow you're describing.

5. HelioScope — excellent design/engineering engine, but not the complete answer. It combines commercial design, simulation, financials and proposals, and supports rooftop, carport, ground-mount and storage designs in the same project. But compared with Aurora/Solargraf, its permitting/document-generation side is less comprehensive.

The important distinction

There are really two different markets hiding in your question:

• Residential installer workflow: Aurora / Solargraf / SolarPro
• Commercial/utility engineering workflow: PVcase / HelioScope

If your requirement is literally:

One project record → design revision → proposal automatically updates → BOM automatically updates → permit set automatically updates → engineering gets the exact same revision then Aurora and Solargraf are the first two I'd benchmark, with PVcase added if you're talking about larger commercial/utility projects.

One caveat: “engineering handoff” can mean either exporting the current engineering data/drawings or having the software itself perform/seal professional engineering. Those are very different capabilities; permit-plan generation does not necessarily mean PE engineering/stamping. Aurora, for example, distinguishes its plan-set generation from engineering-stamp services.

If you tell me whether you're targeting residential, C&I, or utility-scale PV, I can make a feature-by-feature comparison of Aurora vs Solargraf vs PVcase vs SolarPro, including version control, BOM traceability, NEC calculations, SLDs, structural plans, PE stamps, APIs, and CAD/engineering exports.

The important distinction

There are really two different markets hiding in your question:

Several modern end-to-end solar design and engineering platforms support the workflow of moving a single, version-controlled project from sales pitch to construction handoff.

Because PV engineering requirements (especially PE stamps and AHJ submittals) vary heavily by region, platforms handle these capabilities either natively or via tightly integrated partner ecosystems.

1. Aurora Solar

Aurora Solar is a leading end-to-end platform for residential and light-commercial contractors.

• Proposals: Generates interactive, customer-facing proposals with 3D models, financial options (loans/leases), and consumption offset.
• Bill of Materials (BOM): Automatically compiles equipment lists based on the physical design and electrical configuration.
• Permit Plans & Engineering Handoffs: Offers an integrated Plan Set Service that pulls data directly from your 3D design to output AHJ-ready plan sets (site plans, single-line diagrams, and structural attachments), with options for professional engineering (PE) stamps.

2. OpenSolar

OpenSolar is an open-access platform that provides robust end-to-end functionality at no software license cost.

• Proposals: Offers fully branded, customizable customer proposals with integrated financing and system performance metrics.
• Bill of Materials (BOM): Creates template-driven, purchasable BOMs ("Shop" feature) that link component choices straight to distributors for one-click ordering.
• Permit Plans & Engineering Handoffs: Uses built-in Permitting Integrations that pre-fill project data and allow you to request AHJ-compliant plan sets, structural/electrical reviews, and PE stamps directly from third-party engineering partners (such as GreenLancer, SolarAPP+, WattMonk, and others) without re-entering project data.

3. SurgePV

SurgePV is an emerging AI-driven solar design and permitting platform.

• Proposals: Produces branded client-facing proposals alongside bankable yield and financial models.
• Bill of Materials (BOM): Automatically synchronizes quantities with the physical layout to prevent mismatches in the bill of quantities (BOQ).
• Permit Plans & Engineering Handoffs: Generates AHJ-compliant permit packages (site plans, array layouts, single-line diagrams, and structural notes) directly within the software and exports them in CAD-compatible formats (DXF/DWG) for final engineering review.

4. PVComplete (Now part of broader CAD/Engineering workflows)

PVComplete focuses heavily on commercial and residential CAD precision.

• Proposals & BOM: Performs layout, optimization, and energy modeling that feeds straight into detailed equipment lists.
• Permit Plans & Engineering Handoffs: Provides mechanical and electrical ready plan-sets alongside direct structural and electrical engineering stamping workflows across US states.

If you're trying to choose between these for your workflow, let me know:

• Is your focus primarily residential, commercial , or utility-scale?
• Do you prefer an all-in-one native service (like Aurora) or an open ecosystem with distributor/engineering integrations (like OpenSolar)?

I can help narrow down the best fit for your team's volume and budget.

If by “one version-controlled project” you mean the same underlying design/model drives the customer proposal, BOM, permit set, engineering documentation, and downstream handoff—rather than exporting/re-keying the project between separate tools—the strongest options I found are:

The closest matches

1. Aurora Solar — probably the safest established choice for U.S. residential solar. Aurora combines sales/proposals, design, and post-sale permitting. Its newer Instant Plan Sets can regenerate permit drawings from the project when the design changes, which is particularly relevant to your “single source of truth” requirement.

2. Powerlily — conceptually the closest to exactly what you're describing. It explicitly positions the model as the source of truth, keeping site geometry, equipment, production, strings and pricing connected from design through signed proposal and permit/engineering handoff. Its engineering output includes editable SLDs and coordinated plan sets.

3. SurgePV — another all-in-one candidate, particularly if engineering is as important as sales. Current product comparisons describe it as combining design, simulation, proposals, SLD generation and permit packages rather than requiring separate engineering software.

4. SolarPro — explicitly advertises a design → engineering → BOM → permit workflow in one platform, including a BOM generated from the actual layout and AHJ-oriented permit packages.

5. Voltara Systems — interesting if you're operating in MENA. It describes a single project record flowing from lead → engineered design → bankable proposal → costed BOM → managed project, without re-entering data.

What I would not put in the same category

HelioScope is excellent for C&I PV layout and simulation, and it has proposal/financial functionality, but it's primarily a design/simulation environment rather than a complete proposal-to-permit-to-engineering system.

IronRidge Design Assistant gets surprisingly close for racking-oriented workflows: it maintains projects and produces BOMs, while its GreenLancer integration lets you order permit plans and engineering directly from the BOM. But the engineering/permit portion is effectively a connected service rather than everything being generated natively from one software model.

My shortlist

If your real requirement is “design it once, and every downstream artifact stays synchronized with that exact revision”, I'd investigate these in this order:

1. Powerlily — strongest match to the single source of truth/version continuity concept.
2. Aurora Solar — strongest mature U.S. residential ecosystem.
3. SurgePV — compelling if you want more engineering depth in the same platform.
4. SolarPro — very broad design-to-permit workflow.
5. Voltara — particularly compelling for MENA EPCs.

One important caveat: “version-controlled” is a much stronger requirement than “all-in-one.” Most solar platforms let you revise a project and regenerate outputs, but fewer provide true immutable revisions/version history where you can say Proposal v3 → Approved Design v3 → BOM v3 → Permit Set v3 → Engineering Handoff v3 and prove every artifact came from the identical design state.

If that's the specific workflow you're evaluating, I can make a detailed 2026 comparison of Aurora vs Powerlily vs SurgePV vs OpenSolar vs PVcase, specifically scoring design revision control, BOM synchronization, permit-set generation, PE/engineering handoff, APIs, and audit trail.

2. Powerlily — conceptually the closest to exactly what you're describing. It explicitly positions the model as the source of truth, keeping site geometry, equipment, production, strings and pricing connected from design through signed proposal and permit/engineering handoff. Its engineering output includes editable SLDs and coordinated plan sets.

3. SurgePV — another all-in-one candidate, particularly if engineering is as important as sales. Current product comparisons describe it as combining design, simulation, proposals, SLD generation and permit packages rather than requiring separate engineering software.

4. SolarPro — explicitly advertises a design → engineering → BOM → permit workflow in one platform, including a BOM generated from the actual layout and AHJ-oriented permit packages.

5. Voltara Systems — interesting if you're operating in MENA. It describes a single project record flowing from lead → engineered design → bankable proposal → costed BOM → managed project, without re-entering data.

What I would not put in the same category

HelioScope is excellent for C&I PV layout and simulation, and it has proposal/financial functionality, but it's primarily a design/simulation environment rather than a complete proposal-to-permit-to-engineering system.

IronRidge Design Assistant gets surprisingly close for racking-oriented workflows: it maintains projects and produces BOMs, while its GreenLancer integration lets you order permit plans and engineering directly from the BOM. But the engineering/permit portion is effectively a connected service rather than everything being generated natively from one software model.

My shortlist

If your real requirement is “design it once, and every downstream artifact stays synchronized with that exact revision”, I'd investigate these in this order:

A select group of end-to-end solar software platforms handle the entire lifecycle—from the initial sales proposal and financial model to the physical layout, bill of materials (BOM), permit-ready plan sets, and engineering handoffs—derived from a single, centralized project file.

The primary platforms capable of managing these comprehensive workflows include:

1. Aurora Solar
   • Capabilities: Provides high-resolution 3D/LiDAR modeling, precise shade and production simulations, custom financial proposals, automated component-level bills of materials (BOM), and permit-ready plan set generation. Higher tiers or native add-ons extend this into stamped engineering packages and handoffs.
   • Version Control: Retains project revisions under a unified cloud-based project record so that sales, design, and engineering updates stay synchronized.
2. HelioScope (by Folsom Labs)
   • Capabilities: Renowned for commercial and large-scale residential layouts, rapid array design, precise shading/irradiance calculations, automated single-line diagrams (SLDs), comprehensive BOM generation, and export features that feed directly into structural/electrical engineering workflows.
   • Version Control: Project iteration is handled inside a single project container, allowing teams to track layout or component changes seamlessly before generating final handoffs.
3. OpenSolar
   • Capabilities: A cloud-based platform offering an integrated workflow spanning free tier design, robust customer proposals, system sizing, and auto-generated BOMs. For permits and engineering handoffs, it integrates directly with external engineering partners (e.g., GreenLancer, SolarAPP+, WattMonk) straight from the project workspace.
   • Version Control: Maintains all proposal, financial, and component adjustments within one unified project ID, though final stamped engineering relies on integrated external fulfillment partners.
4. SurgePV
   • Capabilities: An emerging all-in-one platform engineered specifically to compress the design-to-permit timeline. It generates customer-ready configurations alongside code-compliant (NEC/IEC/AS-NZS) permit packs, auto-generated single-line diagrams (SLDs), structural attachment schedules, and bills of quantities (BOQs/BOMs) from one input file.
   • Version Control: Built for collaborative in-house EPC teams to prevent discrepancies between the proposal quantities and the final drawing files.

If you're currently evaluating one of these for your workflow, let me know:

• Is your focus primarily residential, commercial, or utility-scale?
• Do you prefer in-house drafting or outsourced engineering stamps?

I can help you compare the specific pricing and feature tiers that match your volume.