SMA Solar - India

Happy Birthday, Sunny Design! 🎉

For 20 years, Sunny Design has supported solar professionals around the world — growing from a simple Excel-based tool named GenAu (German for exactly 😉) into a powerful digital platform for planning solar systems across the entire SMA ecosystem.

Let’s take a moment to look back at some key milestones on this journey:

2005: A big step for the industry: for the first time, an inverter manufacturer launches its own tool for PV-planning based on Windows. With a simple 3-step workflow, solar designers can now quickly estimate the potential yield of a solar system.

2011: Battery storage and self-consumption move into focus. Sunny Design evolves too, helping users see how solar energy can be used efficiently—whether at home or in businesses.

2012: With the new web-based version, Sunny Design becomes accessible anytime, anywhere. A big win for flexibility—and a hit with users.

2018: Planning expands beyond the inverter: Sunny Design now includes technologies like heat pumps and, a year later, EV charging—paving the way for true sector coupling.

2020: Sunny Design goes 3D: realistic shading simulations from chimneys or dormers bring a new level of precision to system planning.

And what’s next?
With the upcoming release, Sunny Design gets a brand-new team feature—making it even easier to document projects and collaborate with others.

To all the planners, installers, and energy pioneers who have used, trusted, and shaped Sunny Design over the years: thank you. You’ve made these 20 years possible. 🫶

Here’s to the next 20!