Comparison
Ritwerk and archelios PRO, side by side.
Both run in the browser. archelios PRO is sold in four tiers by project size; the designer calculates the mounting loads in the same drawing.
Updated
What archelios PRO is
archelios PRO comes from Trace Software International and is a web application, with plug-ins for SketchUp and Revit. Trace aims the tool at engineering consultancies, installers and developers. More than 100 manufacturers’ catalogues are included.
Weather data comes from Meteonorm 9 as standard, with more than 4,000 stations, and can also be imported via PVGIS, 3E and Solargis. Mounting systems can be imported from Enstall, and shading is calculated with near and far horizon, module by module. The tier sets how large a project may be: 9 kWp in Free, 100 kWp in Silver, 1 MWp in Gold and unlimited in Platinum.
Side by side
| Ritwerk | archelios PRO | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs in | The browser, on a computer and iPad, with no account | Web application; plug-ins for SketchUp and Revit |
| Components | Register of 570 products (120 panel models, 415 inverters, 35 batteries) from many manufacturers, with product sheets and datasheets; you can add your own panels | More than 100 manufacturer catalogues |
| Base data | Aerial imagery from Esri; the outline is traced on the photo and Inner edges raises the roof in 3D | 3D modelling and import of the 3D surroundings; satellite imagery and LIDAR: not stated |
| Shading | The sun’s path every month plus sky view, at nine points per panel; the loss per panel | Near and far horizon, shading and irradiance module by module |
| Strings | Longest strings within Voc at −25 °C, Vmp at 70 °C and the current per MPPT, with an explanation | Automatic string connection; check against the inverter: not stated |
| Yield data | PVGIS 5.3 from the European Commission, simulated hour by hour | Meteonorm 9 (more than 4,000 stations), import via PVGIS, 3E and Solargis |
| Mounting and loads | Snow and wind loads to the Swedish BFS 2024:6 in the designer: zones, fixings and largest c/c spacing for 12 systems from Nordmount, SOLTOP and Weland; ballast in the manufacturer’s software | Mounting systems from Enstall via API; loads: not stated |
| Battery | Battery sizing tests every size hour by hour; control by hourly price in SE1–SE4 | Self-consumption with battery, EV charging station, virtual battery |
| For the customer | PDF report in A4 at three levels, with a 3D view, strings, yield, shading and economics | Customisable PDF report with IRR, NPV and LCOE |
| Interface | Swedish, English and German | Not stated; website in English, French, German and Spanish |
| Price | Designer at no cost; Pro €49 per user per month excl. VAT, with volume discount (pre-order) | Free up to 9 kWp per project; Silver €990, Gold €1,490, Platinum €1,990 per year excl. tax |
The details on archelios PRO come from the vendor’s own pages and were checked on 14 November 2026; the sources are listed at the end of the page. "Not stated" means the detail could not be verified there. The Ritwerk column describes the designer as it is today.
When archelios PRO is the better fit
When the firm designs everything from houses to multi-megawatt plants in one tool and wants to choose the weather source: Meteonorm 9, PVGIS, 3E or Solargis. The economics are calculated with IRR, NPV and LCOE, and EV charging stations and virtual batteries can be simulated.
If you design in SketchUp or Revit, there are plug-ins for both. For small projects there is a no-cost tier for up to 9 kWp per project.
When Ritwerk is the better fit
When the mounting and the loads belong in the same drawing. The designer calculates snow and wind loads to BFS 2024:6 per zone, with fixings per panel and the largest c/c spacing for systems from Nordmount, SOLTOP and Weland, and the parts list following the manufacturer’s installation instructions carries through to the report. Ballast on racks is calculated in the manufacturer’s software.
The roof is drawn from the outline of the house on the aerial photo. The battery is sized hour by hour and can be controlled by hourly price in the bidding zones SE1–SE4, and the interface is available in Swedish, English and German.
Battery sizing
Battery sizing tests every battery that pairs with the inverter, in every size, and suggests the size where the next module stops adding much. Control can follow hourly prices, using 2025 spot prices for SE1–SE4.
Sources
- Trace Software – archelios PRO (product page and prices) – checked 14 November 2026
- Trace Software – archelios PRO Free – checked 14 November 2026
- Trace Software – the features in each version of archelios PRO – checked 14 November 2026
- Trace Software – archelios PRO (version 2025.1: Meteonorm 9, Enstall) – checked 14 November 2026
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
What does archelios PRO cost?
According to Trace Software there are four tiers per year: Free for up to 9 kWp per project, Silver for 990 euros up to 100 kWp, Gold for 1,490 euros up to 1 MWp and Platinum for 1,990 euros with no power limit, all excluding tax.
Does archelios PRO run in the browser?
Yes. Trace Software describes archelios PRO as a web application, with plug-ins for SketchUp and Revit.
Which languages is archelios PRO available in?
The interface language is not stated on the pages we read. Trace Software’s website is available in English, French, German and Spanish.
Does Ritwerk calculate ballast?
No. Snow and wind loads, zones, fixings and c/c spacing are calculated in the designer. Ballast on racks is calculated in the manufacturer’s software, such as NM Planner for Nordmount and SOLTOP’s Systemstatik.
Read next
- Mounting and loadsSnow and wind loads to BFS 2024:6: wind zones, fixings per panel and the largest c/c spacing per roof face.
- Energy and batteryConsumption profile or hourly readings, PVGIS 5.3, an hour-by-hour simulation and the battery sized against hourly prices.
- Shading analysis per panelSun path, sky view and shading loss per panel – with dormers, chimneys, trees and walls.
Try it on a real roof.
The designer opens in your browser, with no account. Search for an address and start drawing.