There is no single software platform that handles everything a UK renewable energy installer needs. This article compares the main options honestly: what each one does well, where it falls short, what it costs, and which type of installer it suits best. We also cover the bespoke alternative for businesses that have outgrown off-the-shelf tools.
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Before comparing individual platforms, here is what a UK renewable energy installer actually needs from software. Use this as a checklist when evaluating any option.
No off-the-shelf platform covers all of these. The question is which gaps you can tolerate and which ones cost you money or create compliance risk.
Payaca is the most complete dedicated platform for UK clean tech installers. It covers CRM, pipeline management, MCS-compliant proposals, job scheduling, invoicing, and customer communication. It integrates with design tools including OpenSolar, EasyPV, and HeatPunk, so design specifications can feed directly into proposals.
The platform handles solar, heat pumps, battery storage, and EV charger installations. Proposals include system specifications, pricing options, finance calculations, and e-signatures. The Growth plan adds automated follow-ups, a customer portal, AI assistant, and advanced reporting.
The most UK-focused platform available. Built specifically for clean tech installers rather than adapted from generic field service software. MCS-compliant proposals out of the box. Design tool integrations mean less manual data entry. Active development with features being added regularly.
The Core plan at £299/month is a significant commitment for a small installer. The five-year cost on the Core plan alone is £17,940 (or £14,940 on annual billing). BUS grant tracking and handover pack generation may require workarounds depending on your specific workflow. The platform is still relatively young compared to generic field service tools, and some features are more mature than others.
Mid-sized installers (10+ installations per month) who want a dedicated renewable energy platform and are willing to pay the premium over generic tools. Particularly strong for businesses installing across multiple technologies.
Pylon is a solar design and proposal tool with a CRM add-on. It uses high-resolution imagery for roof design, calculates system performance and financial returns, and generates instant web-based and PDF proposals for customers. The Pro tier adds battery storage design and support for commercial-sized projects up to 99kW+.
The pay-per-project model is cost-effective for smaller installers. At £4 per project, an installer doing 20 jobs a month pays £80 for the design tool, far less than a monthly subscription platform. The proposals are polished and customer-ready. Free credits let you evaluate the tool without commitment.
Pylon is a design and proposal tool, not a project management system. It does not handle scheduling, commissioning workflows, handover pack assembly, MCS certificate tracking, or warranty management. The CRM add-on adds lead tracking and communication but does not cover the operational side. If you add the CRM at $49/user/month for a three-person team, the cost advantage over Payaca narrows considerably. No heat pump design capabilities.
Small to mid-sized solar installers who need affordable, high-quality design and proposals, and who are happy managing the rest of their workflow in a separate tool or manually.
OpenSolar is a free solar design platform offering system design, performance simulation, financial modelling, and customer-facing proposals. The platform is funded by hardware distributors, financing companies, and equipment lenders who pay for placement within the installer network. The core design tool remains free for installers.
Free is a genuine advantage. For design, performance modelling, and proposal generation, OpenSolar offers a feature set that competes with paid tools. Unlimited users and projects means it scales without additional cost. Strong integration ecosystem, particularly with Payaca for UK installers.
OpenSolar is a design tool. It does not handle project management, scheduling, invoicing, MCS compliance documentation, commissioning workflows, handover packs, BUS grant tracking, or warranty management. The platform's free model means you are the product: hardware and finance companies get preferred placement. This is transparent but worth understanding. API access becoming paid from April 2026 means connecting OpenSolar to your other tools now has a cost. Solar only, no heat pump design.
Any solar installer who needs a capable design and proposal tool without adding to their monthly costs. Pairs well with Payaca or a bespoke system for the operational side.
EasySolar combines solar panel design with CRM and project management features. It offers panel layout on satellite imagery, shading analysis, financial calculations, and proposal generation. The platform also includes pipeline tracking, status management, and analytics.
Combines design and basic CRM in one tool at a lower price point than Payaca. The per-user pricing works well for small teams. Integrates with Payaca for UK installers who want EasySolar's design capabilities alongside Payaca's operational features.
Pricing is in US dollars, which introduces currency fluctuation for UK businesses. The minimum 2-user requirement on the Basic plan means a sole trader pays for two seats. CRM features are more basic than dedicated CRM tools. No MCS-specific compliance features, no BUS grant tracking, no commissioning workflows. Solar-focused, with limited heat pump or EV charger support.
Small solar installation teams (2 to 5 people) who want design and basic project tracking in one affordable tool.
Reonic is a European platform for renewable energy installers covering lead management, CRM, project design, procurement, and billing. Founded in Germany in 2021, it raised a €13 million Series A in 2024 and has been expanding into the UK market. The platform aims to be an end-to-end operating system for SME installers.
If Reonic delivers on its promise, it addresses the fragmentation problem by covering lead management through to billing in one platform. Well-funded with serious investment behind it. European presence means it understands regulatory compliance requirements.
Pricing is not transparent. The platform was built primarily for the German market (DACH region), and UK-specific features (MCS compliance, BUS grants, UK DNO processes) may be less mature than locally-built alternatives. Being demo-based in its sales process makes comparison difficult without investing time in the evaluation. Still relatively early in its UK expansion.
Installers who are willing to evaluate a newer platform and who want a single vendor covering the full workflow. Worth requesting a demo to assess UK feature readiness.
Jobber is a field service management platform used across home service industries. It handles scheduling, quoting, invoicing, online booking, customer communication, and payment collection. Plans range from $29/month (Core, 1 user) to $529/month (Plus, 15+ users). Available in the UK.
For renewable installers: Jobber handles the operational basics, but it has no renewable energy features. No MCS compliance. No solar design. No heat loss calculations. No BUS grant tracking. No handover pack generation. You can use it for scheduling engineers and sending invoices, but everything specific to renewable energy installation happens outside the system. Best suited to EV charger installers whose workflow is closer to standard electrical contracting than to solar or heat pump installation.
SimPRO is a job management platform for trade businesses covering estimating, project management, invoicing, and inventory. Pricing is custom (estimated from $149/month for a single user), with implementation costs of £2,000 to £8,000+ depending on complexity.
For renewable installers: SimPRO is more configurable than Jobber and can handle more complex project workflows. Some larger installation companies use it. However, the same gap applies: no MCS compliance features, no design integration, no grant tracking. The implementation cost and learning curve are also significant. Better suited to larger operations (15+ staff) that need robust job costing and inventory management and can afford to build renewable-specific workflows around the platform.
Commusoft is a UK-built field service tool for trades, covering job management, scheduling, invoicing, and customer communication. Pricing is custom (estimated from £60/user/month, minimum 4 licences).
For renewable installers: The same gap as Jobber and SimPRO. Strong on scheduling and invoicing, no awareness of MCS, BUS grants, or renewable-specific documentation. The minimum 4-licence requirement means a 2-person installer pays for 4 seats. UK-built, which helps with VAT handling and general business workflows, but not designed for renewable energy compliance.
| Feature | Payaca | Pylon | OpenSolar | EasySolar | Jobber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar design | Via integration | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Heat pump support | Via HeatPunk | No | No | No | No |
| CRM / lead management | Yes | Add-on | No | Basic | Yes |
| MCS-compliant proposals | Yes | Partial | Partial | No | No |
| Job scheduling | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Invoicing | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| BUS grant tracking | Partial | No | No | No | No |
| Handover packs | Partial | No | No | No | No |
| Warranty management | Limited | No | No | No | No |
| Monthly cost (typical) | From £299 | £4-10/project | Free | From ~£42 | From ~£25 |
Here is what most UK renewable energy installers actually end up running:
At every size, there are gaps. The gaps get more expensive as you grow, because the workarounds that a 3-person team manages with memory and spreadsheets require dedicated administrative staff at 20+ people.
A bespoke system is not the right choice for every installer. Here is an honest assessment of when it makes sense and when it does not.
A bespoke system covering lead management, multi-technology surveys, quoting with grant handling, project tracking, MCS documentation, commissioning workflows, handover packs, and warranty management typically costs £8,000 to £35,000 depending on scope. For an installer spending £500+/month across multiple tools, the breakeven point is under four years, after which every month represents pure saving.
Speak to us about renewable energy installer software · +44 7494 618 651 · Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm