Short answer
How high is PV feed-in payment in St. Gallen in 2026?
In the St.Gallen municipal utility grid area, exported PV electricity in 2026 is generally paid at the statutory minimum or the higher BFE reference market price. Below 30 kW, the minimum is 6.00 ct./kWh; guarantees of origin and flexibility are separate. From 30 to below 150 kW, self-consumption changes the minimum calculation; from 150 kW, the quarterly market price applies.
Important
As of 3 September 2026, the 2026 SGSW tariff sheet applies only to exports into the St.Gallen electricity grid and lists all energy prices excluding VAT. The 4.60 ct./kWh for HKNs and 2.00 ct./kWh for flexibility are optional add-on items, not an automatic total payment. For addresses outside the SGSW grid and for the next quarter, the responsible distribution system operator must confirm the current rate.
At a glance
Key figures: PV feed-in payment SGSW St. Gallen
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| SGSW grid area | The tariff sheet applies to the St.Gallen electricity grid, not automatically to the whole canton |
| PV below 30 kW | 6.00 ct./kWh minimum or the higher BFE reference market price |
| 30 to below 150 kW | 6.20 ct./kWh without self-consumption; 6.0 to 1.2 ct./kWh with self-consumption |
| Optional add-ons | 4.60 ct./kWh for HKNs and 2.00 ct./kWh for flexibility |
| SFOE publication | Reference market price by 12 noon on the 10th working day after each quarter |
Decision points
What determines the right path.
The grid area determines the starting point. The SGSW tariff sheet applies to exports into the St.Gallen electricity grid; a property in the Canton of St. Gallen is not automatically in the SGSW area. Before quoting, the connection address must therefore be assigned to the responsible distribution system operator.
System size and self-consumption change the minimum payment. Below 30 kW, SGSW state 6.00 ct./kWh or the higher BFE reference market price. From 30 to below 150 kW, the rate is 6.20 ct./kWh without self-consumption, while systems with self-consumption follow a size-dependent minimum of 6.0 to 1.2 ct./kWh; from 150 kW, the tariff sheet provides for the BFE reference market price.
The BFE reference market price is a quarterly value, not a fixed annual rate. Under Art. 15 REO, the SFOE publishes it by 12 noon on the 10th working day after each quarter. An economic calculation that carries one market price across the entire lifetime therefore does not reflect the published system.
Guarantees of origin and flexibility are separate revenue items. The SGSW tariff sheet lists 4.60 ct./kWh for ecological added value and 2.00 ct./kWh for flexibility use, but marks both as optional. These amounts may only be included when the respective agreement with SGSW actually exists.
Self-consumption affects not only revenue but also system design. For a system from 30 to below 150 kW with self-consumption, the minimum shown in the tariff sheet decreases with system size from 6.0 to 1.2 ct./kWh. A battery, wallbox or heat pump also changes the amount that reaches the grid at all.
Federal law and the local tariff sheet serve different purposes. Art. 15 EnA and Art. 12 Energy Ordinance provide the statutory framework for purchase and minimum remuneration; the SGSW settlement separates energy, HKNs and flexibility. Feed-in payment must therefore not be equated with a Pronovo incentive or the value of self-consumed electricity.
Sequence
How the project stays cleanly managed.
- 1
Establish the connection address and grid operatorbefore calculating any rate, check whether the property is actually in the SGSW St.Gallen electricity grid. If another distribution system operator is responsible, use its current price sheet; the SGSW tariff sheet must not be applied to the whole canton.
- 2
Document system size and self-consumptionrecord planned capacity in kW, the self-consumption model and expected exports separately. The categories below 30 kW, from 30 to below 150 kW or from 150 kW, together with self-consumption or no self-consumption, determine which line of the SGSW tariff sheet belongs in the calculation.
- 3
Model self-consumption and exportscalculate production, directly used electricity, battery flows and feed-in separately. From 30 to below 150 kW with self-consumption, use the size-dependent minimum of 6.0 to 1.2 ct./kWh and do not mix it with the rate for systems without self-consumption.
- 4
Decide on optional products separatelybefore ordering, clarify whether SGSW will remunerate ecological added value at 4.60 ct./kWh and flexibility use at 2.00 ct./kWh. Include HKN transfer, controllable loads or battery control in the revenue calculation only once the SGSW agreement exists.
- 5
Coordinate grid process and commissioningregister the grid connection, metering and generating system according to SGSW requirements, and document the technical system as it is actually built. Building-law procedure, grid registration and tariff agreement are separate steps and must not be treated as one approval.
- 6
Check quarterly values and settlementafter the SFOE publication by the 10th working day after quarter-end, verify whether the higher reference market price or the minimum rate was applied. Show energy, HKNs, flexibility and VAT separately, and update the economic calculation when a new quarterly value is published.
Checklist
Questions to settle before the quote.
- Confirm the SGSW grid area from the connection address before calculating a feed-in rate
- Separate 6.00 ct./kWh below 30 kW, 6.20 ct./kWh without self-consumption up to 150 kW and the self-consumption formula
- Plan for the BFE reference market price and publication by the 10th working day after each quarter
- Include HKNs at 4.60 ct./kWh and flexibility at 2.00 ct./kWh only where separately agreed
FAQ
More questions: PV feed-in payment SGSW St. Gallen
Sources
Official sources & references.
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.
- SGSW 2026 self-generation tariff sheetSt.Gallen municipal utilities SGSW
- SFOE: reference market prices under Art. 15 REOSwiss Federal Office of Energy SFOE
- Fedlex: Energy Act, Art. 15Swiss Confederation, Fedlex
- Fedlex: Energy Ordinance, Art. 12Swiss Confederation, Fedlex
- ElCom: feed-in remuneration and responsibilitiesSwiss Federal Electricity Commission ElCom