Evaluate subscription and SGU

In this document

You will learn how the Solargis subscriptions work, what Solargis units (SGU) are and how they are spent, why subscription continuity matters, and what the limited Evaluate access means.

Solargis Evaluate subscription

If you want to access the Evaluate application, you must purchase a subscription. By buying a subscription, you will gain access to Evaluate, get Solargis units (SGU) that you can use to activate projects with the selected datasets, create a design of photovoltaic (PV) power plants, run simulations, and get your PV energy yield data to evaluate the project’s feasibility.

Subscription tiers

You can have only one subscription at a time and we currently offer only one subscription tier. You can buy it by contacting our sales team. .

Our subscription tier includes pricing plans that offer different amounts of SGU and discounts, with higher discounts for higher purchase value. Our sales team will provide you with more information about the price plans and will help you purchase the subscription. You can upgrade your subscription plan at any time. Information about your subscription is in your account admin section.

Downgrading your subscription plan is available only upon subscription renewal. In this case, your SGU will NOT be transferred to the new subscription.

Solargis units (SGU)

The SGU, or Solargis units, are credits that you buy as part of your subscription. The quantity of SGU you receive is determined by the pricing plan you choose. You will need them to:

Activate your projects (automatic loading of solar, meteorological, and environmental data),
Conduct simulations,
Buy add-on data.

The costs for these services vary depending on the evaluation type you select when activating your project.

Generally, Early evaluation project activation cost is lower compared to Full evaluation, and the same applies to the cost of simulations - they are cheaper in the former. This is mainly due to the different datasets available for each activation.

You can purchase additional SGU anytime during your subscription.

The simulation cost model

You always pay for the first simulation of the energy system with the highest installed capacity per project. Each starting MW of installed capacity counts. Therefore, the 4.1 MW project is considered as 5 MW in the MW price calculation. If you create a second, smaller energy system and simulate it, there will be no extra cost. When you simulate an energy system with a larger installed capacity compared to the largest in the project so far, you will pay the difference only. This applies according to the selected project evaluation level (Early or Full evaluation).

Price per MW discounts

The unit price per megawatt (MW) decreases as the size of the system increases. Generally speaking, the simulation of a 250MW energy system will cost less per MW than the same simulation of a 25MW energy system.

Evaluate access

After purchasing the subscription, you can log in to your Solargis account and access the Evaluate application. The Evaluate access status in your account administration section will be set to Full access and you can start working on your projects.

Continuity of service

The continuity of service (Evaluate application access) directly depends on the continuity of your subscription periods. It determines the access to your projects, SGU, and paid features and is indicated by the access status in your account administration section. The standard subscription period is 12 months.

The following table summarizes the key attributes of each status:

Access status	Description
Full access	You have full access to: All Evaluate features. Energy system designer. Your remaining SGU credits. You can activate projects, create designs, and run simulations (subject to your SGU balance).
Limited	You have full access to: All Evaluate features apart from simulations. Energy system designer. View your existing projects. You can not: Access and use your SGU. Activate new projects or run simulations.
Suspended	You can not use the Evaluate application or any of its features. Your access to the application is blocked. You will lose all your unspent SGU. You may lose all your previous project data.

The limited access to our application while your subscription period is pending renewal is offered by us as a gesture of goodwill. The duration of this access is 15 days and will be changed to suspended status afterwards. We appreciate your understanding and encourage you to renew your subscription promptly.

Access status mechanism explained

Specific relations exist between Evaluate access status, paid Evaluate features, and SGU availability, which depend on the continuity of your subscription periods.

Continuous subscription renewal

Continuous subscription renewal means that a subscription remains active without any interruptions or unpaid gaps between paid periods, ensuring that the service is consistently available to you as long as you maintain your payment schedule.

There are two ways you can achieve it in our subscription model.

The subscription is paid on time/before the end of the previous subscription period.

The subscription is paid back, covering the gap between the previous subscription period's end and the date of payment, creating a continuous subscription renewal.

The key advantage of continuous subscription renewal is that your previously unspent/frozen SGU will be transferred to your new subscription. You will not lose them once you renew your subscription.

Interrupted subscription renewals with gaps or limited access periods

Interrupted renewal periods refer to a situation where a subscription experiences gaps in payment, resulting in periods during which the service is not available or limited.

The following scenarios are considered to be interrupted in terms of service payments.

The previous status of your Evaluare access was limited when your new subscription period started. This happens when the new paid period does not cover back the limited access period and begins, for example, from the date of purchase instead.

The previous status of your Evaluare access was suspended when your new subscription period started. This also happens when the new paid period does not cover back the gap and begins from the date of purchase instead, or the limited period was too long, and the account has been suspended.

No SGU will be transferred from the previous period. You will also loose all your previous project data. The status of your account will be identical to the new account after the new subscription period purchase.