Solar power in Switzerland

Solar power in Switzerland has demonstrated consistent capacity growth since the early 2010s, influenced by government subsidy mechanisms such as the implementation of the feed-in tariff in 2009 and the enactment of the revised Energy Act in 2018.

[6] The AlpinSolar project, comprising nearly 5000 solar panels on Switzerland's Lake Muttsee dam, harnesses high-altitude sunlight and snow cover to maximize energy production, particularly in winter.

[4] In a February 2023 press release, researchers from ETH Zurich and the University of Bern highlighted findings from a study on the economic viability of solar panel installations across 2,067 Swiss cities and communes.

The study found that solar installations offer financial viability for slightly less than half of the single-family homes with gas heating, contingent on achieving a profitability threshold exceeding three percent over a 30-year period.

Typically, solar panels in Switzerland are mounted on existing infrastructure like mountain huts, ski lifts, and dams, with larger-scale installations in the Alps remaining rare.

Valais, known as one of Switzerland's sunniest regions suitable for solar parks, witnessed a significant vote that impacts the direction of renewable energy projects within the canton.

[10] The feed-in remuneration at cost (KEV, German: Kostendeckende Einspeisevergütung[12]) is a Swiss subsidy mechanism designed to support the production of electricity from renewable energy sources.