South Africa’s 7Secondsolar (Pty) Ltd, a renewable energy solutions firm, was named a finalist for The smarter E AWARD 2025 in the Photovoltaics category for its AUTOPV software. AUTOPV was built for planning multi-megawatt PV installations using real-time iterations and automated design processes. It calculated system layouts, optimal cable routes, component placement and loss analyses. The platform also produced CAD drawings, detailed bills of materials and cable schedules. AUTOPV has enabled eight design iterations in one day, covering over 2,000 km of cables, 370,000 modules and 200 MW (DC), with cable loss values accurate to three decimal points. It delivered DXF drawings, complete cable schedulesand a bill of 85% accuracy. AUTOPV has been used to plan PV installations with a combined output exceeding 1.8 GW. The winners will be announced on May 6 at Messe München, Germany.