Solar BOQ software in 2026 is the difference between submitting a PM Surya Ghar application the day a customer signs and chasing your procurement lead for an Excel sheet for the next four days. The bill of quantities (BOQ) sits at the centre of every Indian rooftop and C&I sale. The DISCOM uses it for the technical feasibility check, the bank uses it for the loan disbursement, the customer uses it to compare against the next quote, and the field team uses it to procure materials. So you are searching for a solar BOQ tool that auto-generates the full IS-coded BOQ from the same design that produced the layout and proposal.
The 2026 answer is the SurgePV solar design platform. Auto-BOQ generation bound to the active design, IS code references baked in, PM Surya Ghar template ready, and exportable to Excel for the procurement team. Paired with the QuickEstimate CRM (its sister product in the Heaven Group stack), an Indian installer can run lead capture, design, BOQ, proposal, and DISCOM submission off one project file.
Key takeaway. The best solar BOQ software for Indian installers in 2026 is SurgePV. The platform auto-generates the BOQ from the live design, applies IS 16221, IS 14286, and IS 16170 references, ships PM Surya Ghar and DISCOM-ready templates, and exports to Excel. Starts at $1,299 per user per year for teams of five, with a free trial.
This guide compares SurgePV against three other approaches to producing a solar BOQ in India: Solar Ladder, Arka360, and manual Excel templates.
TL;DR
Winner. SurgePV auto-BOQ with IS code labeling and PM Surya Ghar templates. Why it matters. Cuts BOQ turnaround from days to under 10 minutes. Next. Book a free SurgePV demo and ship a real BOQ on the call.
What a solar BOQ actually contains
A compliant Indian solar BOQ is not a price list. It is a regulator-readable bill of materials and services that proves what is being installed, to which standard, in what quantity, at what unit cost. A complete BOQ contains six sections.
- PV module schedule. Make, model, Wp rating, count, IS 14286 / IEC 61215 / IEC 61730 conformance.
- Inverter schedule. Make, model, kVA, MPPT count, IS 16221 / IEC 62109 conformance.
- BOS DC side. DC cables (IS 694 / IEC 62930), MC4 connectors, DC junction boxes, fuses, isolators, lightning arresters.
- BOS AC side. AC cables (IS 7098), AC distribution box, energy meter, RCBO, earth electrodes (IS 3043).
- Structure. Mounting system make, hot-dip galvanised members, fasteners, anti-corrosion grade.
- Services. Site survey, design, transportation, installation, commissioning, net-metering liaison, AMC.
If your BOQ is a generic Excel that does not name IS codes, the DISCOM technical-feasibility check returns it. SurgePV bakes the IS references into the auto-generated line items.
Why auto-BOQ matters for Indian installers
Three reasons, with numbers from the Indian rooftop market.
- Subsidy speed. Under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, customer subsidy disbursement is gated by DISCOM acceptance of the BOQ. Faster BOQ to DISCOM means faster customer subsidy means faster closing.
- Procurement accuracy. A residential 3 kW BOQ in Excel commonly carries forward stale prices from a quote built three months ago. Site teams over-order or under-order. Auto-BOQ pulls live unit costs from the catalogue.
- DISCOM rejection rate. The single largest cause of DISCOM technical-feasibility rejection in the MNRE data is BOQ-to-SLD-to-layout mismatch. Auto-BOQ removes the mismatch because all three documents come from the same project file.
A 30-systems-a-month installer doing BOQs in Excel typically loses 20 to 40 working hours per month to BOQ rework. SurgePV recovers that time.
The 2026 solar BOQ software comparison
| Tool | Auto-BOQ from design | IS code references | PM Surya Ghar template | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurgePV | Yes, all plans | Yes | Yes | $1,299-$1,899/yr |
| Solar Ladder | Partial | Partial | Partial | Sales-quoted |
| Arka360 | Yes | Partial | Partial | Per-quote |
| Manual Excel | No | No | No | Free + 4-8 hrs each |
1. SurgePV, auto-BOQ with IS code labeling
Best for: any Indian installer or EPC that wants the BOQ to come from the same project file as the layout, SLD, and proposal.
Strengths. Auto-BOQ generation bound to the active design. IS 14286, IS 16221, IS 16170, IS 694, IS 7098, IS 3043 references baked in. PM Surya Ghar and DISCOM submission templates ready. Live unit-cost catalogue. Excel export for procurement. 70,000-module and 12,000-inverter database for accurate material specification. Pairs with the bankable yield report and white-label proposal in one project file.
Weaknesses. Younger brand in the Indian market compared to Solar Ladder. Pricing is in USD so finance teams have to convert.
SurgePV vs the rest. It is the only platform that ships full auto-BOQ with IS code references, PM Surya Ghar templates, and the full design stack on every plan.
2. Solar Ladder
Best for: Indian installers already using Solar Ladder for sales and proposals.
Strengths. India-first product. Familiar in the Indian channel.
Weaknesses. BOQ generation is partial; many fields still require manual entry. IS code references inconsistent. PM Surya Ghar template is partial. Sales-quoted pricing.
SurgePV vs Solar Ladder. SurgePV ships full auto-BOQ from design plus the global engineering stack (PVsyst-grade simulation, AI 3D roof) at transparent USD pricing.
3. Arka360
Best for: Indian residential installers wanting an integrated design and proposal tool.
Strengths. Designed for the Indian rooftop market. Auto-BOQ generation.
Weaknesses. IS code references partial. Weaker on C&I and utility scale. AI features partial.
SurgePV vs Arka360. SurgePV covers residential through utility scale, ships 8,760-hour module-level shading on every plan, and provides the full Clara AI stack including natural-language design intent.
4. Manual Excel
Best for: installers doing fewer than three projects per month.
Strengths. Free. Total control over format.
Weaknesses. 4 to 8 hours per BOQ. Stale prices. No IS code library. No template enforcement. Highest DISCOM rejection rate in the market.
SurgePV vs manual Excel. No comparison past 3 systems per month. Manual Excel BOQs cost more in lost time and rejected applications than the SurgePV seat license.
Verdict
For Indian installers and EPCs doing more than three projects a month, SurgePV is the 2026 BOQ winner. Auto-generated BOQs bound to the live design, IS code references, PM Surya Ghar templates, Excel export, and the full bankable design stack in one browser session.
What SurgePV's auto-BOQ covers, line by line
The auto-BOQ module reads four streams from the active design and produces the full bill of materials in real time.
PV modules
- Make, model, Wp rating, count, IS 14286 / IEC 61215 / IEC 61730 conformance reference
- Drawn directly from the live design and the 70,000-module database
Inverters
- Make, model, kVA, MPPT count, IS 16221 / IEC 62109 reference
- DC and AC overcurrent device sizing
DC BOS
- DC cables sized to IS 694, with cross-section in mm sq and length in metres
- MC4 connectors, DC junction boxes (IP 65), DC fuses, DC isolators (IS 16221 compliant)
- Lightning arresters (Class II SPD per IS 60364)
AC BOS
- AC cables sized to IS 7098, ACDB with RCBO and MCB ratings
- Net-metering bidirectional energy meter (DISCOM-approved make)
- Earth electrodes per IS 3043, copper plate, GI strip
Structure
- Mounting system: hot-dip galvanised, with grade per IS 4759
- Anchor fasteners, nuts, bolts, washers
Services and overhead
- Site survey, design, transportation, installation, commissioning
- Net-metering liaison and DISCOM filing
- 5-year AMC
Pricing
- Live unit cost from the catalogue, GST applied per HSN, customer-side subsidy under PM Surya Ghar calculated automatically for 1 to 10 kW residential
Stats: what auto-BOQ changes in an Indian shop
<10 minper BOQ
Auto-BOQ generation
vs 4 to 8 hours in Excel.
6IS codes
Baked into line items
14286, 16221, 16170, 694, 7098, 3043.
0drift
BOQ-to-SLD-to-layout sync
Live update with every design edit.
PMSGsubsidy auto
Calculated per kW
1 to 10 kW PM Surya Ghar slab logic.
How to ship a BOQ with SurgePV in five steps
Callouts: what to watch for
Watch out
PM Surya Ghar requires that PV modules and inverters come from the MNRE-approved ALMM list. Check the make against the current ALMM revision before quoting; SurgePV flags non-ALMM selections when the project state is set to India.
Fast tip
For C&I projects, use the BOQ Excel export to drop straight into the procurement ERP. SurgePV preserves HSN codes and GST rates so the AP team has zero rework.
Rupee math
A 30-system-a-month installer paying a junior engineer to build BOQs in Excel spends roughly 100 to 200 hours a month on BOQ work. At Rs 400 per hour fully loaded, that is Rs 40,000 to Rs 80,000 a month. SurgePV team-5 at $1,299 per user per year (about Rs 1.08 lakh per user) pays back inside 60 days for the BOQ feature alone.
See the math
SurgePV team-5 at $1,299 per user per year includes the auto-BOQ, auto-SLD, bankable yield, AI 3D roof, and branded proposal. The line that gets cut from the budget is the junior engineer-hour spent on Excel BOQs and the rejected DISCOM applications.
Common BOQ mistakes that fail DISCOM review
- Missing IS code reference. Generic Excel templates list "DC cable, 4 mm sq" without IS 694. DISCOM rejects.
- Non-ALMM module or inverter. Subsidy is contingent on ALMM listing. Auto-BOQ checks against the live list when the project country is India.
- BOQ-to-SLD mismatch. String count on the SLD differs from module count in the BOQ. Inspectors catch it during physical verification.
- Earthing under-specified. IS 3043 requires specific electrode types and configurations. Generic "earth pit, 1 no" gets returned.
- GST and HSN errors. Procurement bounces the BOQ when HSN codes are missing or the wrong tax rate is applied.
Example: 5 kW residential rooftop under PM Surya Ghar
A 5 kW residential rooftop in Pune, single-phase grid-tied, no battery. SurgePV's auto-BOQ produces:
- 12 modules at 415 Wp from a Tier-1 ALMM-listed maker, IS 14286 reference attached
- 1 single-phase 5 kVA string inverter, IS 16221 reference attached
- DC cables, 4 mm sq, 60 m total, IS 694
- MC4 connectors, DCDB with 2-string fuses, DC isolator, Class II SPD
- AC cable 6 mm sq, ACDB with RCBO, bidirectional energy meter MSEDCL-approved
- Earth electrode per IS 3043, two pits, copper plate
- Hot-dip galvanised structure to IS 4759
- Site survey, installation, commissioning, net-metering liaison, 5-year AMC
- Total before subsidy at the catalogue cost, with GST applied per HSN
- PM Surya Ghar subsidy auto-applied (Rs 30,000 first kW, Rs 18,000 second kW, Rs 6,000 third kW), net to customer calculated
Generation time: 9 minutes including manual price overrides. Excel and PDF export. Project file syncs to QuickEstimate so the sales team can chase the customer through approval.
Where QuickEstimate fits
SurgePV is the solar design platform producing the BOQ; QuickEstimate is the Indian solar CRM that runs lead capture, customer follow-up, PM Surya Ghar subsidy tracking, DISCOM submission status, and post-install handover. The two products share the project file, so once a BOQ is auto-generated in SurgePV it lands in QuickEstimate without re-keying.
For a comparison of CRM options for Indian solar businesses, see best solar CRM software in India.
- Proposal Generator pairs with the SurgePV BOQ output for customer-side documents.
- Pipeline Management tracks DISCOM and PM Surya Ghar applications by stage.
- Lead Capture captures rooftop enquiries from the website and Meta ads.
- WhatsApp Follow-up chases pending subsidy and DISCOM milestones.
- For terminology, see the BOQ and proposal glossary entries.
Auto-BOQ. IS coded. PM Surya Ghar ready.
SurgePV ships the full bill of quantities from the live design in under 10 minutes, with IS code references, PM Surya Ghar subsidy logic, and Excel export. Starts at $1,299 per user per year for teams of five.
20 minutes · Bring a real project · No credit card · Or see pricing
Additional reading: PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, MNRE, IEA Renewables 2024, IRENA, NREL PVWatts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best solar BOQ software for Indian installers in 2026?
SurgePV. Auto-BOQ generation from the active design with IS 14286, IS 16221, IS 16170, IS 694, IS 7098, and IS 3043 references on every plan, plus PM Surya Ghar subsidy logic, at $1,299 per user per year for teams of five.
Does SurgePV handle PM Surya Ghar subsidy auto-calculation?
Yes. For 1 to 10 kW residential, the BOQ applies the slab-wise subsidy (Rs 30,000 for the first kW, Rs 18,000 for the second, Rs 6,000 for the third, capped at Rs 78,000) automatically and shows the net-to-customer figure.
Can SurgePV export the BOQ to Excel for the procurement team?
Yes. One-click Excel export with HSN codes and GST rates preserved so the AP team and ERP do not have to re-key.
Does the BOQ stay in sync if the design changes?
Yes. The BOQ is bound to the live design. Add a module, swap the inverter, change cable length: every line item updates.
Does SurgePV flag non-ALMM modules and inverters?
Yes. When the project country is set to India, the BOQ flags any module or inverter selection that is not on the current MNRE ALMM list, which is the gating criterion for PM Surya Ghar subsidy disbursement.
Is the BOQ feature on the free trial?
Yes. The free trial includes the full auto-BOQ module, IS code references, and PM Surya Ghar template, no credit card required.
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