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Energy · head to head

Helioscope vs Novity

Helioscope logo

Helioscope

Energy

Accurate solar design for commercial projects

From
$159/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Novity logo

Novity

Energy

Hybrid physics and machine learning prognostics that estimate remaining useful life for process equipment

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; Novity novity is a small venture-backed company with a strategic investor rather than a profitable business, so continuity risk is real and the Tokyo Gas investment signals a likely eventual acquisition that would reset the roadmap.
  • They diverge on capability: Helioscope covers PV system design, Novity covers TruPrognostics engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Helioscope and Novity actually diverge.

Attributes where Helioscope and Novity differ
AttributeHelioscopeNovity
Starting price$159/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, Cloud
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Novity

  • TruPrognostics engine
  • Cold-start modelling
  • Fault mode diagnosis
  • Remaining useful life
  • Existing sensor reuse
  • Recommended actions
  • Historian connectors
  • Asset class libraries

What people use each for

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

Helioscope

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

Novity

  • A gas processing plant that needs a defensible time-to-failure number before deferring a turnaroundnot Helioscope
  • An LNG terminal with critical compressors and no run-to-failure history to train a conventional modelnot Helioscope
  • A wastewater operator whose existing vibration alarms are ignored because they carry no severity or horizonnot Helioscope
  • A generator operator supplying data centre load where an unplanned trip carries contractual penaltiesnot 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

Novity

  • Novity is a small venture-backed company with a strategic investor rather than a profitable business, so continuity risk is real and the Tokyo Gas investment signals a likely eventual acquisition that would reset the roadmap.
  • Physics-based models must be configured per equipment class, so each new asset type is an engineering engagement rather than a configuration screen, and rollout speed is limited by Novitys own capacity.
  • Prognostics depend on the quality and sampling rate of your historian data; plants recording ten-minute averages will not get useful remaining-useful-life estimates without new instrumentation.
  • Nothing about pricing is published and there is no self-service entry point, so evaluation always starts with a sales-led pilot on a handful of assets.
  • The deployment footprint is concentrated in oil and gas, LNG and water, so reference customers and pre-built asset models outside those industries are limited.

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

Novity

On request
  • TruPrognostics$undefined/year
    • Quoted per asset class and monitored equipment count
    • Model configuration and commissioning quoted as a project
    • Typically an annual subscription tied to a pilot then a rollout

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 Novity if

  • You need truprognostics engine.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want cold-start modelling.
Novity review

Questions people ask

Is Helioscope or Novity better?
Neither clearly leads. Helioscope starts at $159/month and Novity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Helioscope or Novity?
Helioscope starts at $159/month and Novity at On request.
Does Helioscope or Novity run on more platforms?
Helioscope runs on Web, Api. Novity runs on Web, Cloud.
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 Novity is typically brought in for.
What can Helioscope do that Novity cannot?
Helioscope covers PV system design, 3D shade modeling, Performance simulation, Single-line diagrams. Novity covers TruPrognostics engine, Cold-start modelling, Fault mode diagnosis, Remaining useful life.

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
Novity: What does Novity actually output?

A named failure mode and an estimated remaining useful life with a confidence band, not just an anomaly alert.

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
Novity: Do we need failure history to train it?

No. The physics component is what lets it produce useful prognostics on equipment with little or no run-to-failure data.

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
Novity: Do we need new sensors?

Often not. It reads from your existing historian, but low sampling rates or missing measurements can require additional instrumentation.

Novity: Who backs the company?

It was spun out of Xerox PARC and took a strategic investment from Acario Innovation, the venture arm of Tokyo Gas, in 2026.

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