Guide hub
Photovoltaic guide for German-speaking Switzerland
Cantonal rules on permitting, subsidies, grid connection and economics — every guide with official sources and a review date. Pick topic and canton, read the answer.
- Guides
- 115Guides
- Cantons covered
- 26Cantons covered
- Topic areas
- 7Topic areas
Costs
1Know which cost drivers matter most — before the quote arrives.
Subsidies
24Make sure Pronovo, project documentation and subsidy logic align from the start.
Pronovo, AEW & tax rules Aargau
Explains how the Pronovo funding category, AEW feed-in model and the new Aargau tax rules from 2026 interact, and which project data needs to be consistently prepared.
PV funding roof renovation Aargau
How Aargau’s 2026 roof/facade bonus combines thermal insulation and PV: classify the supplement, area quota, documents and application before work starts.
PV incentives Appenzell Ausserrhoden
What support a PV system in Appenzell Ausserrhoden can receive in 2026, when the application is admissible and which Pronovo exceptions apply.
Pronovo & incentives PV Basel-Stadt
Explains how to prepare the Pronovo registration and the Basel-Stadt cantonal subsidy programme correctly for a PV installation, which sequence applies, which documents must be consistent, and what role IWB plays as the sole grid operator.
Pronovo one-time payment Bern
How high the Pronovo one-time payment for a PV system in Canton Bern is, how it splits into a base and a capacity payment, when to file the application, and how federal funding, the absence of cantonal PV funding and the tax deduction relate to each other.
Self-consumption association incentive Fribourg
Fribourg’s ZEV incentive pays CHF 750 per new self-consumption association. The decisive points are 10% system capacity, an additional electricity meter and filing before construction starts.
SIG Primesolaire Geneva
In 2026, the SIG Prime solaire supplements the Pronovo one-time incentive: 25% of the PRU for 2 to under 30 kWc and 15% for 30 to 100 kWc. Self-consumption, commissioning and Pronovo certification are decisive.
PV funding Glarus
Glarus offers two routes to a cantonal contribution towards a photovoltaic system: the GL-31 tilt-angle bonus of CHF 250 per kWp from 75 degrees, and the CHF 2,000 combination grant, which is only triggered together with a solar thermal system.
PV funding Graubünden
Graubünden funds photovoltaics through two mutually exclusive programmes: CHF 300 per kWp for steep winter-power systems and, since the end of 2025, CHF 150 per kWp for using the area potential on residential buildings.
Pronovo one-time incentive PV Lucerne
Explains how to prepare the Pronovo one-time PV subsidy cleanly in Canton Lucerne, which funding category applies, the role of CKW or ewl as grid operators, and which project data must be consistent.
Photovoltaic incentives City of Lucerne
How the City of Lucerne adds to the federal one-time remuneration, which bonuses apply for green roofs, facades, low-glare modules and heritage requirements, and why the application must be filed before construction starts.
Bidirectional wallbox subsidy Lucerne
Canton Lucerne pays CHF 2,000 per bidirectional DC charging station. The decisive points are residential use, renewable electricity, SIA 2060 installation standard D, commissioning from 1 January 2026 and the three-month deadline for the completion dossier.
PV incentives for large roofs in Neuchâtel
Neuchâtel’s incentive for large PV roofs pays CHF 11,000 per system. The decisive points are output above 90 kWc, a Pronovo decision, the same grid connection point and the six-month deadline at SENE.
Photovoltaic incentives Nidwalden
Which cantonal support paths for photovoltaics exist in Nidwalden, how solar consultation works and what to check separately through Pronovo.
PV funding Obwalden
Obwalden pays a flat CHF 1,000 plus CHF 750 per kWp — but only for winter-optimised systems with a 75 to 90 degree module tilt on existing buildings. A conventionally tilted roof system receives nothing from the canton.
PV incentives Schaffhausen
Which PV incentives in Schaffhausen run through Pronovo, where cantonal contributions for storage and coupled charging infrastructure apply, and why applications must be filed before installation starts.
PV funding Schwyz
Canton Schwyz does not fund photovoltaics and expressly refers applicants to the federal level. Only solar thermal energy is funded cantonally; for photovoltaics the Pronovo one-time payment applies, alongside municipal and sector-specific programmes.
PV incentives St. Gallen
Classifies Pronovo programmes, the right timing for the EIV application, required documents and additional city or municipal support for PV projects in St. Gallen.
Charging infrastructurefunding St. Gallen
How owners in Canton St. Gallen can prepare charging infrastructure with at least four stations, load management and building-owned PV for funding in existing parking garages.
PV incentives Thurgau
How property owners in Thurgau distinguish the Pronovo EIV, the cantonal funding portal and possible municipal programmes before implementation.
PV incentives Uri 2026
Uri's 2026 energy programme supports winter-optimised PV systems on existing buildings with a flat CHF 1,000 plus CHF 250 per kWp from 2 kWp when the tilt and application timing meet the rules.
PV incentives Vaud: protected buildings
Vaud measure S04 supports integrated photovoltaics on protected buildings and in protected sites. Eligibility depends on protection status, a pitched roof, at least 2 kW, a building permit and a comparison with a standard system.
PV bonus roof renovation Zug
When Canton Zug pays a PV bonus during roof or facade refurbishment, which area quota applies and why the funding application must be filed before work starts.
Pronovo & one-time incentive Zurich
Find out what the Pronovo one-time payment means for a PV project in Canton Zurich: when to file, which documents need to be consistent, and how grid operator registration and commissioning fit together.
Permitting
24Know before installation whether townscape, roof type or special cases require a permit.
Does a solar system need a permit?
The Switzerland-wide basic rule since 1 January 2026: sufficiently adapted solar systems on roofs and facades need no building permit in building and agricultural zones, only a notification – with clear limits and clearly named exceptions.
PV permitting Canton Aargau
Roof or facade: when notification via EVEN is enough in Aargau, which protected areas require a permit and what to submit before installation.
PV building permit Appenzell Ausserrhoden
When notification is sufficient for a solar system in Appenzell Ausserrhoden, when a building application is needed, and which plans the municipality expects.
PV permitting Appenzell I.Rh.
When a four-week notification is sufficient for PV in Appenzell Innerrhoden, when a building application is required and which plans must be filed.
PV notification Basel-Landschaft
Classify PV projects in Basel-Landschaft cleanly: notification form, 30-day timing, core and protection zones, agricultural zones, e-permit workflow, Primeo grid process and Pronovo documents.
PV permitting Basel-Stadt
In Basel-Stadt, the zoning category and heritage protection status determine whether a PV installation requires notification or a full building permit. The revised Solar Offensive 2025 has lifted the ban on historic town centres, but in sensitive areas a building permit remains required.
Solar Permit Bern
When a rooftop PV system in Canton Bern is permit-free, when only the eBau notification procedure applies, and which heritage and K-object exceptions trigger a building permit.
Solar obligation for car parks Bern
Bern’s car-park solar obligation from 2026 covers new public, managed outdoor car parks with at least 80 spaces and new P+R facilities with more than 50 spaces. Suitable areas need at least 50% solar-active canopy coverage; suitability, retrofit duties and exemptions follow defined criteria.
PV Facade Permit Fribourg
Since 2026, sufficiently integrated PV facades in the Canton of Fribourg can fall under the notification procedure. The decisive points are Art. 32abis RPV, the 20 cm distance, protection status and the 30-day notice to the municipality.
Ground-mounted PV Fribourg
How ground-mounted PV is planned in Fribourg building zones on open land, car parks or slopes, which simplified procedure applies and how Pronovo funding and electricity use fit together.
PV permit Glarus
When a 30-day notification is sufficient in Canton Glarus, when a building application is required, and how GeoViewer, protected objects and the 1,000 kW threshold change planning.
PV permitting Graubünden
Why roof-mounted systems in Graubünden fall under a notification duty rather than a building application, what the 15-working-day deadline triggers and why the municipality has the final say.
PV permitting Jura
In Jura, the municipality decides between notification and a building permit. The cantonal guide of 1 July 2026 sets out the 20 cm, 1.00 m and 45-degree tests, protected cases and JURAC.
PV permitting Canton Lucerne
In Canton Lucerne, system size determines the procedure: small installations up to 20 m² are exempt from notification under certain conditions, larger systems require notification, a building permit is only needed for monument protection, townscape protection or systems not sufficiently adapted.
PV notification Nidwalden
Understand when Nidwalden’s solar notification form is sufficient, when a building application is needed and how grid connection, EWN, self-consumption and incentives fit into the project workflow.
PV permitting Obwalden
In Obwalden, the notification procedure is usually sufficient for suitably adapted roof systems. Protected areas, protected objects, ground-mounted systems and certain facade systems instead require the ordinary building application.
PV permit Schaffhausen
When notification is enough for PV in Schaffhausen, when a building permit is required and which 30-day deadline applies before construction starts.
PV permits Schwyz
In Canton Schwyz a solar installation normally goes through the notification procedure: file the notification at least 20 days before work starts via the eBau portal, after which work may begin absent any contrary reply. Subject to notification does not mean exempt from a permit.
PV notification in Solothurn
When notification is sufficient for a PV system on a roof or facade in Canton Solothurn, which 30-day deadline applies and which protected cases trigger a building permit.
PV permitting St. Gallen
Clarify when a notification is sufficient for rooftop or facade PV in Canton St. Gallen, when cultural monuments, townscape protection or natural monuments trigger a building permit, and which documents the municipality needs.
PV notification Thurgau
Understand whether a PV system in Thurgau can be notified or whether heritage status, facade installation, design, size or grid connection triggers additional checks.
PV permitting Uri
In Canton Uri, notification is usually sufficient for suitably adapted roof systems. Art. 32a RPV, protected objects, protected zones and the Uri notification form determine whether a building application is required.
PV permits Zug
When a building notification is sufficient for solar systems in Canton Zug, when a building permit is needed and why design, townscape, facade and glare must be clarified before the quote.
PV permitting Canton Zurich
Find out why most PV projects in Canton Zurich have only needed a notification to the municipality rather than a formal permit since 1 January 2023, which 30-day deadline applies and which exceptions such as core zones or monument protection must be clarified early.
Storage
9See when a battery makes economic sense — and when it doesn't yet.
Is a battery storage worth it?
Whether a battery for your solar system pays off – calculated with the median prices from the SFOE price survey 2025, the self-consumption figures from EnergieSchweiz and the warranty practice described by Swissolar. Including the honest answer about when it does not pay off.
PV battery storage Aargau
Assess when a battery storage system fits a PV system in Aargau: prepare self-consumption, AEW metering, grid connection, wallbox, heat pump and incentive logic cleanly.
Battery storage sizing – Bern
How big a PV battery storage system in canton Bern should be: sizing rules from Swissolar and SwissEnergy, a guide price of CHF 600-900/kWh, the ewb storage subsidy of CHF 100/kWh limited to the city area, and the duty to report retrofitted storage to Pronovo.
Battery storage incentives Neuchâtel
Neuchâtel’s new battery storage incentive: CHF 800 plus CHF 80 per kWh, a 2 kWh-per-kWp cap, a six-month deadline and a minimum-capacity wording that requires clarification.
Battery storage with backup power in Nidwalden
Why a PV system with a battery does not automatically provide backup power – and what owners in Nidwalden should clarify before quoting, retrofitting and grid connection.
Bidirectional wallbox & PV Solothurn
How a bidirectional wallbox, PV system, electric car and building installation fit together in Canton Solothurn, including the technical, legal and tax limits to resolve first.
Battery storage funding Thurgau
Thurgau's 2026 battery-storage incentive pays CHF 1,000 per system, requires at least 10 kWh of usable capacity and is full after 700 applications. New applications go on a waiting list.
Battery storage & self-consumption Zug
Assess when battery storage, wallbox, ZEV, vZEV or WWZ self-consumption models in Zug really fit a PV system and when consumption, metering and grid connection need checking first.
Battery storage incentives Zurich
How to assess battery storage in Zurich cleanly: city incentives from 1 August 2026, cantonal boundaries, Pronovo for the PV system and the technical check of self-consumption, metering concept and battery size.
Workflow & grid
20Connect registration, metering, installation and commissioning so nothing falls through the cracks.
What to consider for a PV system
The key points before buying a photovoltaic system – roof, electricity use, system size, components, costs, incentives and permits – in the order that actually matters.
PV monitoring & yield checks
How owners can set up PV monitoring, alerts and yield histories so that data gaps, system faults and genuine service cases can be distinguished early.
Solar obligation in Canton Aargau: what builders must clarify before PV planning
Clarify when Aargau's solar obligation applies to new buildings, how the minimum area is calculated, and which exceptions must be evidenced before building submission.
PV grid connection Aargau
How PV projects in Aargau coordinate the connection request, installation notice, metering concept and safety certificate before commissioning.
PV grid connection AR
Register PV and storage in the SAK grid area: prepare the connection request, inspection, test protocol and safety certificates for handover.
PV export limitation AI
How SAK limits the export capacity of new or technically modified PV systems, and what must be decided before quoting in the Appenzell SAK grid area.
Balcony solar Appenzell I.Rh.
What matters before buying a balcony solar system in Appenzell Innerrhoden: 600 W per metering circuit, the declaration of conformity, notification to the grid operator and the building-law exception for systems off the roof.
PV grid connection Basel-Landschaft
Prepare PV grid connection in Basel-Landschaft cleanly: connection request, regional technical rules, meter, acceptance, safety certificate and complete commissioning.
Solar offensive PV Basel-Stadt
Understand what Basel-Stadt’s solar offensive means for owners: suitable roof areas, protected buildings, notification path, incentives, IWB connection and project timing.
PV grid connection Basel-Stadt
How to put a PV system’s connection request, electrical installation, metering and commissioning with IWB in Basel-Stadt into the right sequence.
Grid Operator Registration PV Bern
In canton Bern the responsible grid operator depends on the location: ewb in the city of Bern, BKW across most of the rest of the canton, plus local utilities such as Localnet (Burgdorf). The contractor submits a technical connection application (TAG) before construction; building is only permitted after approval.
PV grid connection Lucerne
How owners in Canton Lucerne sequence CKW grid connection, technical connection request, metering concept, safety certificate and commissioning before installation.
PV grid connection Nidwalden
How owners in Nidwalden coordinate grid connection, notification form, technical documents, EWN process, commissioning and incentives before installation.
Balcony solar Nidwalden
A balcony solar system in the EWN supply area may be connected without a permit up to 600 W inverter output. The decisive points are EWN notification, the declaration of conformity, owner consent and the smart-meter requirement for remuneration.
PV grid connection Schaffhausen
How owners in Canton Schaffhausen bring together the EKS portal, grid connection, meter, safety certificate, Pronovo, guarantees of origin and commissioning cleanly.
PV grid connection Solothurn
How the connection request, technical connection conditions, installation notice, meter change, safety certificate and Pronovo data fit together in Canton Solothurn.
PV grid connection in St. Gallen
What owners in St. Gallen should clarify before installation and commissioning: grid connection, metering concept, safety verification, meter, Pronovo and handover.
PV grid connection Thurgau
Grid connection and commissioning for a PV system in Thurgau: connection request, metering concept, meter, safety certificate, Pronovo data and handover in the right order.
PV grid connection Zug
How owners in Zug align grid connection, WWZ registration, metering concept, permit route, safety certificate and Pronovo documents before PV installation.
PV export limit Zug
What the 70% rule from 1 January 2026 means for inverters, energy management and PV planning in the WWZ grid area.
Economics
27Judge whether yield, self-consumption and subsidies add up to a viable picture.
PV self-consumption Aargau
How owners in Aargau classify self-consumption, ZEV, vZEV, local electricity models, storage and metering before a PV quote.
PV tax deduction Aargau
How owners in Aargau prepare PV costs, Pronovo contributions, battery storage, self-consumption and electricity revenues cleanly for tax purposes.
vZEV photovoltaics Appenzell Ausserrhoden
When a virtual self-consumption community is possible in the SAK grid area and how metering, agreement and internal billing fit together.
vZEV photovoltaics Basel-Landschaft
When a virtual self-consumption community in the EBL grid area suits the building, metering concept and participating owners.
Virtual self-consumption PV Basel-Stadt
How a virtual self-consumption community in the IWB grid area is checked, registered and aligned with the photovoltaic system and tenancy arrangements.
PV feed-in payment Glarus
How TBGN structures PV feed-in remuneration in its Glarus service area in 2026 through the reference market price, minimum payment, HKNs and storage refunds.
PV feed-in payment Repower Graubünden
How Repower calculates PV feed-in payment in its grid area in 2026 using the SFOE reference market price, minimum rates, guarantees of origin and quarters.
PV tax deduction Lucerne
How the tax deduction for photovoltaics in Canton Lucerne works from the 2023 tax period: existing building, 3-year boundary, flat-rate deduction, payment date, EIV and evidence.
LEG solar power Lucerne
How a LEG in Canton Lucerne shares solar power through the public grid, why ewl and CKW must be checked separately, and which 5% rule and smart-meter lead time apply.
Solarpower sharing: vZEV, EVL & LEG
Which EWN model in Nidwalden fits several properties: vZEV, the self-consumption solution or LEG – including metering, the 5% rule and grid assessment.
PV feed-in tariff Nidwalden
EWN’s 2026 feed-in remuneration combines the reference market price, the minimum remuneration for PV systems below 150 kW and 2 Rp./kWh for solar quality. Owners in the EWN supply area can therefore assess feed-in, self-consumption and Pronovo separately.
PV contracting Obwalden
EWO PV contracting for businesses combines an EWO-financed and operated system with a fixed price, a 15- to 25-year term and free transfer at the end.
PV self-consumption Schaffhausen
Assess when self-consumption, vZEV or LEG make sense in Schaffhausen: check metering model, grid connection, storage, tenant electricity and Pronovo separately.
vZEV & LEC for PV in Schaffhausen
Assess when ZEV, virtual ZEV or local electricity community makes sense for PV in Schaffhausen: prepare metering concept, grid operator, participants, storage and billing cleanly.
PV feed-in tariff Schaffhausen
How SH POWER remunerates solar electricity in its grid area in 2026: the SFOE reference market price, a 6 Rp./kWh minimum up to 30 kW, quarterly values and separate guarantees of origin.
LEG photovoltaics Schwyz
How a LEG works in the ebs grid area: the municipal boundary, network level below 36 kV, 5% ratio, smart meters and a 40% or 20% grid-charge reduction.
PV tax deduction Solothurn
How the tax deduction for photovoltaics works in Canton Solothurn: existing buildings, new-build boundary, battery, Pronovo EIV and the net principle for feed-in payments.
LEG photovoltaics St. Gallen
How a local electricity community in St. Gallen shares solar power through sgsw, which addresses qualify and why 20% or 40% grid-use discounts may apply.
PV feed-in payment SGSW St. Gallen
The 2026 SGSW tariff sheet separates minimum remuneration, the BFE reference market price, guarantees of origin and flexibility by system size and self-consumption. The guide therefore expressly applies to the St.Gallen electricity grid, not to the entire canton.
PV feed-in payment Ticino
How the FER minimum, quarterly tariff, self-consumption, guarantees of origin and AET payments work together in Ticino in 2026.
PV feed-in tariff Thurgau
How PV feed-in remuneration works in Thurgau in 2026: the SFOE reference market price, the 6 Rp./kWh minimum up to 30 kW, the Thurplus grid area, and the separation of self-consumption, guarantees of origin and Pronovo EIV.
PV tax deduction Thurgau
Which PV costs can be deducted in Thurgau, how incentives and feed-in income are treated, and why new builds require a different classification.
LEG photovoltaics Uri
How a LEG works in the energieUri grid area: a 5% generation ratio, the same political municipality, smart meters and three months’ lead time before registration.
PV feed-in payment Uri
PV feed-in payment in the energieUri grid area follows the BFE reference market price in 2026; systems below 30 kW receive at least 6.00 Rp./kWh, while larger systems are classified by self-consumption and capacity.
PV feed-in payment Valais
How EnBAG structures PV feed-in payment in Valais in 2026 by summer, winter, HKNs and TOP-40, and which federal minimum payments apply where no agreement exists.
PV economics Canton Zug
Assess which factors genuinely drive PV system economics in Canton Zug, from self-consumption and current WWZ tariffs to ZEV models, LEG and Pronovo one-time payment.
LEG photovoltaics Zug
How the WWZ LEG works in Zug: 5% production ratio, smart meters, the municipal boundary, a 40% or 20% grid-use discount and a three-month lead time.
Roof & planning
10Understand roof form, visibility and technical limits before detailed planning begins.
Large PV systems in Aargau
How owners, commercial operators and property managers in Aargau assess large roof areas for photovoltaics: clarify potential, structure, permitting, grid connection, self-consumption and incentives before quoting.
Flat-roof PV business Basel-Landschaft
Prepare flat-roof PV on commercial and multi-family roofs in Basel-Landschaft cleanly: clarify roof condition, structure, fall protection, fire safety, electrical coordination, notification route and maintenance access before quoting.
PV green roofs Basel-Stadt
How green-roof duty, substrate build-up, structural capacity and PV layout fit together on Basel flat roofs.
Geneva solar obligation: 0.2 GWh
Geneva requires sites consuming more than 0.2 GWh per year to equip suitable roof areas with PV by 2030. The decisive points are the definition of suitable areas, priority for self-consumption and proof of any exemption to OCEN.
Flat-roof PV Lucerne with green roof
Explains how flat-roof PV in the City of Lucerne is prepared cleanly with solar obligation, green roof, notification route, incentives and installation planning.
Schaffhausen roof-renovation solar duty
What section 26h EnerV requires for comprehensive roof renovations in Schaffhausen: 300 m², 85% global irradiation and the correct minimum system size.
Solar obligation St. Gallen
What St. Gallen’s self-generation obligation for new buildings means in practice: 10 W per m² energy reference area, 30 kW cap, exemptions, substitute levy and project workflow.
PV with roof renovation Thurgau
Understand when a roof renovation in Thurgau becomes a PV planning question: check cantonal energy requirements, roof condition, notification route, grid connection and installation before quoting.
Large PV roof areas in Thurgau
Understand how large PV systems on barns, halls, commercial and infrastructure roofs in Thurgau should be prepared: roof assessment, grid connection, incentive path, self-consumption and project organisation.
PV solar obligation in Valais
Valais solar obligations distinguish between new buildings, extensions, removed roof coverings and roof areas above 500 m². The key anchors are 20 W/m² of energy reference area, the 30 kW cap, 80% of the renovated roof area and cantonal exemptions.
Regional projects
From research directly to the right regional service.
Anyone checking incentives, permitting or economics finds the right next step for their own region here.
PV installation Zurich
Roof, mounting structure and electrical coordination for projects in Canton Zurich.
Solar system installation Zurich
Full installation with planning, grid operator and commissioning in Zurich.
Flat-roof photovoltaics Zurich
Ballasting, roof protection and clean execution for flat roofs in Zurich.
PV installation Bern
Regional PV installation for residential and commercial roofs in Canton Bern.
Solar system installation Bern
Planning, installation and handover for solar systems in Canton Bern.
PV installation Aargau
Clean installation planning for homes, multi-family buildings and commercial roofs in Aargau.
Solar system installation Aargau
Complete PV installation with regional focus on Canton Aargau.
Flat-roof photovoltaics Zug
Flat-roof PV for commercial buildings, multi-family homes and high-value projects in Canton Zug.
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