Enphase Energy to ‘supercharge’ digital offering with acquisition of system design software house

Enphase Energy has closed the acquisition of software firm Sofdesk, bolstering its digital offering with the addition of solar system design software.

Montreal-based Sofdesk is the developer behind Solargraf, a design platform that enables solar installers to design solar systems and produce quotes for customers on a PC, tablet or mobile device.

Enphase said the addition of Solargraf to its offering would not only bolster the microinverter manufacturer’s customer experience, but also improve the reach of its Enphase Installer Network, providing them with enhanced proposal generation, permitting, third-party financing and post-sales support.

The company also talked up the potential for Sofdesk’s other product Roofgraf, a tool used by roofing contractors to generate proposals, to open up a new customer segment for Enphase to target.

In addition, Enphase said Sofdesk’s team would bring to the company software engineering capabilities and experience with artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies it does not currently possess.

Jayant Somani, VP of digital transformation at Enphase Energy, said the acquisition would “supercharge” the company’s digital transformation efforts.

“With these tools, residential installers can drive the industry towards better customer journeys, create happier customers, and help accelerate the transition to clean energy,” he added.

Enphase Energy will report its Q4 2020 performance early next month having previously beat its Q3 revenue guidance, the manufacturer reporting a quicker than anticipated recovery from a COVID-induced slump in demand.

The residential solar market in the US has in general rebounded quicker than expected and in November installers were said to be expecting “blockbuster” installation figures in Q4 as companies worked through project backlogs caused by the pandemic and associated lockdown periods.