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Energy · head to head

Helioscope vs Wood Mackenzie Lens

Helioscope logo

Helioscope

Energy

Accurate solar design for commercial projects

From
$159/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wood Mackenzie Lens logo

Wood Mackenzie Lens

Energy

Subscription research data and analytics covering oil, gas, power, renewables and mining assets

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Helioscope licences are single user, so each designer needs their own; Wood Mackenzie Lens licensing is per named seat and per dataset, so sharing a login across an analyst team breaches the contract and licensing the team properly multiplies the fee rather than adding to it.
  • They diverge on capability: Helioscope covers PV system design, Wood Mackenzie Lens covers Upstream asset data.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Helioscope and Wood Mackenzie Lens actually diverge.

Attributes where Helioscope and Wood Mackenzie Lens differ
AttributeHelioscopeWood Mackenzie Lens
Starting price$159/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Energy).

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 Wood Mackenzie Lens

  • Upstream asset data
  • Power and renewables
  • Metals and mining
  • Gas and LNG
  • Energy transition scenarios
  • Emissions data
  • Lens Direct
  • Scenario and portfolio tools

What people use each for

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

Helioscope

  • Solar project design and modelingnot Wood Mackenzie Lens
  • Rooftop, carport, and ground-mount solar system planningnot Wood Mackenzie Lens
  • Financial analysis and sales proposal generation for solar installationsnot Wood Mackenzie Lens

Wood Mackenzie Lens

  • A corporate development team screening acquisition targets against independent asset economicsnot Helioscope
  • A lender or investor testing a project sponsor case against third-party cost and production estimatesnot Helioscope
  • A strategy team building long-term scenarios that need consistent cross-commodity assumptionsnot Helioscope
  • A trading or origination desk that needs asset level supply data pulled into its own models through the APInot 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

Wood Mackenzie Lens

  • Licensing is per named seat and per dataset, so sharing a login across an analyst team breaches the contract and licensing the team properly multiplies the fee rather than adding to it.
  • The content is analyst-modelled rather than operator-reported, so asset economics and reserve figures are estimates and can differ materially from what the owner of the asset publishes.
  • Modules are split by commodity and by region, and a question that spans gas and power, or Americas and EMEA, can require two or three separate subscriptions to answer.
  • Content refresh follows the research publication calendar, so individual asset records can lag a transaction or a project decision by a quarter or more, which matters on live deals.
  • Ownership passed from Verisk to Veritas Capital in 2023, so buyers signing multi-year terms are contracting with a private equity holding whose plans for pricing and packaging are not public.

Pricing, plan by plan

Helioscope

$159/month
  • Basic$159/month
    • 1 user per license
    • 10 projects per month (120 per year)
    • 15% discount for annual billing ($1,620/year)
  • Pro$259/month
    • 1 user per license
    • 10 projects per month (120 per year)
    • 15% discount for annual billing ($2,640/year)
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited projects
    • Custom pricing

Wood Mackenzie Lens

On request
  • Lens subscription$undefined/year
    • Quoted per dataset and per named user
    • Regional variants of a module are priced as separate subscriptions
    • Lens Direct API access licensed on top of platform access

Which should you pick?

Choose Helioscope if

  • You need pv system design.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want 3d shade modeling.
Helioscope review

Choose Wood Mackenzie Lens if

  • You need upstream asset data.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want power and renewables.
Wood Mackenzie Lens review

Questions people ask

Is Helioscope or Wood Mackenzie Lens better?
Neither clearly leads. Helioscope starts at $159/month and Wood Mackenzie Lens at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Helioscope or Wood Mackenzie Lens?
Helioscope starts at $159/month and Wood Mackenzie Lens at On request.
Does Helioscope or Wood Mackenzie Lens run on more platforms?
Helioscope runs on Web, Api. Wood Mackenzie Lens runs on Web, API.
What is Helioscope best used for?
Helioscope is most often used for solar project design and modeling, rooftop, carport, and ground-mount solar system planning, financial analysis and sales proposal generation for solar installations. Of those, solar project design and modeling and rooftop, carport, and ground-mount solar system planning are not what Wood Mackenzie Lens is typically brought in for.
What can Helioscope do that Wood Mackenzie Lens cannot?
Helioscope covers PV system design, 3D shade modeling, Performance simulation, Single-line diagrams. Wood Mackenzie Lens covers Upstream asset data, Power and renewables, Metals and mining, Gas and LNG.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Helioscope: What is the starting price for HelioScope?

HelioScope Basic plan costs $159 per month per license with annual billing at $1,620/year (15% discount). The Pro plan is $259/month or $2,640/year. Each license covers 1 user. Source: https://helioscope.aurorasolar.com/pricing

Source
Wood Mackenzie Lens: Am I buying software or research?

Research. Lens is the delivery platform for Wood Mackenzie analysis, and the analysis is what the price reflects.

Helioscope: How many projects can I design monthly with HelioScope Basic and Pro?

Both Basic and Pro plans include 10 projects per month, equaling 120 projects per year. The project allocation is the same across both tiers; the difference is in design capability (1.25 MW for Basic vs. 5 MW for Pro). Source: https://helioscope.aurorasolar.com/pricing

Source
Wood Mackenzie Lens: Who owns Wood Mackenzie?

Veritas Capital, which acquired it from Verisk in 2023.

Helioscope: What is the maximum solar design capacity by HelioScope tier?

HelioScope Basic supports designs up to 1.25 MW DC, Pro supports up to 5 MW DC, and Enterprise supports unlimited designs up to 30 MW DC. Accuracy within 1% of PVsyst modeling is maintained across tiers. Source: https://helioscope.aurorasolar.com/pricing

Source
Wood Mackenzie Lens: Can a team share one licence?

No. Licences are per named user, and sharing breaches the subscription terms.

Wood Mackenzie Lens: Can I get the data into my own models?

Yes, through Lens Direct, which is licensed separately from platform access.

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