Background
#Photovoltaic incentives in the City of Lucerne mean in the standard 2026 case: 20 percent of the Pronovo one-time remuneration is added as a city contribution if the funding application is submitted before construction starts.
Additional property-specific bonuses may apply, such as CHF 200 per installed kWp when combined with a green roof, CHF 100 per m² for steep systems from 75°, or CHF 300 per kWp for low-glare modules with glare evidence. The key exception is clear: the City of Lucerne excludes retroactive funding. For owners, the sequence of funding application, attachments, quote, grid connection and installation matters just as much as the technical PV design.
The CKW feed-in payment and the BFE reference market price belong separately in the economic calculation because they are ongoing revenues and do not replace investment incentives.
What counts for funding
#The first decision is the deadline: the City of Lucerne requires the funding application before construction starts and expressly excludes retroactive funding. Anyone ordering material or installing before the application is properly filed risks losing the city contribution regardless of the system’s technical quality.
The base contribution is tied to Pronovo: the City of Lucerne pays an additional 20 percent of the federal one-time remuneration. System size, Pronovo category and city application therefore have to be considered together; the city does not replace Pronovo, it adds to the federal contribution.
On flat roofs, the construction determines the bonus: CHF 200 per installed kWp is available only if photovoltaics and the green roof use the same area and the mounting system does not hinder vegetation. Low-lying aerodynamic A-shaped systems are not eligible according to the City of Lucerne.
Steep systems and facades need their own check: from a 75° tilt, the City of Lucerne lists CHF 100 per m², and the installed capacity must reach at least 100 Wp per m². This particularly affects facades, steep roof areas and projects with a higher winter-electricity share.
Low-glare modules are not a blanket bonus: the City of Lucerne lists CHF 300 per installed kWp but requires glare evidence, for example via blendtool.ch, and product documents such as data sheet, luminance measurement and extra cost per module. Without this evidence, the bonus does not belong in the quote.
The feed-in payment is a second bucket: CKW refers for solar electricity to the BFE reference market price under Art. 15 EnFV and to minimum tariffs from 2026. This ongoing payment affects the economics, but it is not an investment funding commitment.
The process in seven steps
#Tick off for your project
Define the property
first check whether the building is in the City of Lucerne and whether the roof, facade or retaining wall will be used for photovoltaics. Only then can you decide whether the City of Lucerne bonuses are relevant in addition to Pronovo.
Clarify eligibility before the quote
decide whether the standard add-on of 20 percent of the Pronovo one-time remuneration is enough or whether green roof, 75° facade, low-glare modules or heritage-related extra costs belong in the design.
Prepare attachments
low-glare modules require glare evidence and product documentation; for the heritage bonus, extra costs versus reference costs matter. These documents need to be concrete enough before submission, otherwise the funding amount remains uncertain.
Submit the application
the City of Lucerne points to the portal portal.energie-foerderung.ch/sl. User account, funding item, attachments and submission are handled there; the decisive project anchor remains submission before construction starts.
Run Pronovo and grid connection in parallel
the federal one-time remuneration runs through Pronovo, while grid connection and later feed-in payment are coordinated with the responsible grid operator such as CKW. Both tracks belong in the same schedule but are legally and financially separate.
Only then fix the quote
the quote should state funding assumptions clearly: Pronovo EIV, 20-percent city add-on, possible CHF/kWp or CHF/m² bonuses, document duties and the boundary that funding decisions are not guaranteed by the installer.
Settle after commissioning
after installation, grid connection and commissioning, the final documents for Pronovo, the City of Lucerne and the grid operator are completed. For ongoing economics, the CKW feed-in payment under the current tariff logic then also matters.
Checked for your roof, not just read up on
Once the framing is clear, a property-specific check with roof, grid and documentation is worthwhile.
Frequently asked questions
#Sources
#The responsible authorities are decisive. Always verify binding details – amounts, deadlines and conditions – for your specific property against the current status of the respective authority.