PVsyst

PVsyst is a Windows desktop application for designing and simulating photovoltaic systems. It covers grid-connected, stand-alone, pumping and DC-grid systems. It runs hourly and sub-hourly simulations using large component and weather databases. Users build 3D near-shading scenes, model far horizons separately, and calculate electrical mismatch losses from module positions. The output is a detailed loss diagram and an engineering report with P50/P90 estimates and economics such as NPV and LCOE. Lenders and independent engineers often expect a PVsyst yield model in project due diligence, and that bankability is the main reason firms buy it. The software began as a University of Geneva research project in 1992 and is now developed by PVsyst SA in Satigny, Switzerland. The vendor also sells PVsystCLI for scripted batch simulations and PVsystBasic for sizing off-grid solar pumping. Third-party reviews report an annual subscription priced in Swiss francs: Professional is CHF 700 per licence per year with 5 to 20 percent group discounts, and lower-priced education, research and student licences carry watermarks. There is a one-month free trial, limited to generic components and with watermarked reports. The main limitations are its narrow scope and its setup. It produces no customer proposals, CRM or bill of quantities. It runs only on Windows with one licence per computer, and 3D shading scenes are built by hand. Reviewers describe a steep learning curve and a dated interface.