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Energy & Utilities · head to head

Helioscope vs Oracle Utilities

Helioscope logo

Helioscope

Energy & Utilities

Accurate solar design for commercial projects

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Oracle Utilities logo

Oracle Utilities

Energy & Utilities

Complete customer care and billing for utilities

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Helioscope has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Helioscope licences are single user, so each designer needs their own; Oracle Utilities oracle Utilities does not appear on Oracle's published price list index, which covers Technology, eBusiness Suite, Fusion Applications, Engineered Systems, Business Intelligence, Siebel, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, MySQL, Java and several cloud lines
  • They diverge on capability: Helioscope covers PV system design, Oracle Utilities covers Customer information system.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Helioscope and Oracle Utilities actually diverge.

Attributes where Helioscope and Oracle Utilities differ
AttributeHelioscopeOracle Utilities
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, Mobile, Api
Founded20121977

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Energy & Utilities).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Helioscope

  • PV system design
  • 3D shade modeling
  • Performance simulation
  • Single-line diagrams
  • BOM generation
  • Proposal templates
  • Component database
  • Financial modeling

Only in Oracle Utilities

  • Customer information system
  • Billing and invoicing
  • Meter data management
  • Customer self-service portal
  • Revenue management
  • Credit and collections
  • Field service management
  • Regulatory compliance

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • SOC2
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Helioscope

  • Simulating photovoltaic system performance and energy yieldnot Oracle Utilities
  • Laying out commercial solar arrays and producing design reportsnot Oracle Utilities

Oracle Utilities

  • Customer information and billing systems for electric, gas and water utilitiesnot Helioscope
  • Meter data management for utility smart metering programmesnot Helioscope
  • Work and asset management for utility field operationsnot Helioscope

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Helioscope

  • Licences are single user, so each designer needs their own
  • Projects are capped at 10 a month on both Basic and Pro
  • System size is capped by plan, at 1.25 MW DC on Basic and 5 MW on Pro, so a larger array forces an upgrade regardless of project count
  • Trackers, LIDAR modelling and API access sit on the higher tiers
  • Enterprise is priced per project with no published figure

Oracle Utilities

  • Oracle Utilities does not appear on Oracle's published price list index, which covers Technology, eBusiness Suite, Fusion Applications, Engineered Systems, Business Intelligence, Siebel, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, MySQL, Java and several cloud lines
  • Where Oracle does publish prices they are downloadable PDF price lists rather than an interactive pricing page
  • Oracle publishes separate commercial and US Public Sector price lists, so the commercial rate does not apply to government buyers

Pricing, plan by plan

Helioscope

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 projects
    • Basic design tools
    • Shade analysis
  • Professional$95/month
    • Unlimited projects
    • Advanced shading
    • Custom reports
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • API access
    • Custom integrations

Oracle Utilities

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Oracle Utilities review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Helioscope if

  • You need pv system design.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want 3d shade modeling.
Helioscope review

Choose Oracle Utilities if

  • You need customer information system.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want billing and invoicing.
Oracle Utilities review

Questions people ask

Is Helioscope or Oracle Utilities better?
Neither clearly leads. Helioscope starts at Free and Oracle Utilities at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Helioscope or Oracle Utilities?
Helioscope has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Helioscope and On request for Oracle Utilities.
Does Helioscope or Oracle Utilities run on more platforms?
Helioscope runs on Web, Api. Oracle Utilities runs on Web, Mobile, Api.
Can I use Helioscope for free?
Yes. Helioscope has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Oracle Utilities starts at On request.
What is Helioscope best used for?
Helioscope is most often used for simulating photovoltaic system performance and energy yield, laying out commercial solar arrays and producing design reports. Of those, simulating photovoltaic system performance and energy yield and laying out commercial solar arrays and producing design reports are not what Oracle Utilities is typically brought in for.
What can Helioscope do that Oracle Utilities cannot?
Helioscope covers PV system design, 3D shade modeling, Performance simulation, Single-line diagrams. Oracle Utilities covers Customer information system, Billing and invoicing, Meter data management, Customer self-service portal. Both handle Salesforce, SOC2, Cloud deployment.
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