Photovoltaics for businesses in the Canton of St. Gallen
Commercial solar in the Canton of St. GallenOwn power for businesses.
In the Canton of St. Gallen, new buildings must meet own-power requirements and large consumers have duties of their own. We clarify this with you and send your quote within 72 hours.
- Site visit: free and with no obligation
- Binding quote within 72 hours
- Calculated with the business tariff in the Canton of St. Gallen: 27.4 ct./kWh
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- documented reference systems
- 29
- output of these systems
- 718.1kWp
- to a binding quote
- 72h
- is what the site visit costs
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Data in the Canton of St. Gallen
Solar power for businesses in the Canton of St. Gallen
- Electricity price 2026 for small businesses
- 27.4ct./kWh
- Category C2 (30,000 kWh a year), excluding VAT. 2.3 ct. above the Swiss median (25.1 ct.).
- Household electricity price 2026
- 29.8ct./kWh
- Median of the grid operators, excluding VAT. 2.1 ct. above the Swiss median (27.7 ct.).
- Solar potential of the roofs per year
- 4,072GWh
- Used so far: 17.0% (Switzerland 12.8%).
- Solar potential of the façades per year
- 1,422GWh
- Façades yield less than roofs, but more in winter.
- Solar power per person per year
- 1,170kWh
- Switzerland: 866 kWh.
- hailstones are to be expected about every 50 years
- 3.5cm
- Typical value of the communes according to MeteoSwiss. Important for choosing modules and for insurance.
Example: 100 kWp system on a commercial roof in the Canton of St. Gallen
- Yield per yeararound 100,000 kWh
- Used in the business (50%)50,000 kWh
- Grid power saved per yeararound CHF 13,700
- Federal one-off paymentaround CHF 31,800
Guide value, not a quote. Assumptions: 1,000 kWh per kWp, a business that uses power during the day, electricity price 27.4 ct./kWh excluding VAT (category C2). Large businesses often have their own tariffs. We calculate with your load profile. More in our guide How much does a solar system cost?
Calculate it for my businessSources: ElCom (electricity prices 2026), Swiss Federal Office of Energy (solar potential), Energie Reporter by geoimpact on behalf of SwissEnergy (solar power, electric cars; CC BY 4.0), Federal Statistical Office (Register of Buildings and Dwellings), MeteoSwiss (hail climate), Energy Promotion Ordinance (one-off payment).
Commercial solar in the Canton of St. Gallen
What applies to businesses with a solar system in the Canton of St. Gallen
Rules for businesses in the Canton of St. Gallen
For new buildings, the Canton of St. Gallen generally requires own power generation up to a maximum of 30 kWp. If you do not want to install it, there are three alternatives: cut energy demand by 5 kWh per m² of heated area a year, join neighbouring buildings in a self-consumption community, or pay a replacement levy. For businesses, the system often pays off on its own, because the power is used on site. We run through the options with you.
For existing buildings, the notification procedure under Art. 18a RPG applies. We fill in the cantonal form and submit it to the building permit authority of your commune. On cultural and natural monuments of cantonal or national importance, a building permit is always needed. The fire safety permit also goes through the commune.
Large energy consumers (Grossverbraucher)
The Canton of St. Gallen requires sites that use more than 0.5 GWh of electricity or more than 5 GWh of heat a year to analyse their consumption and carry out reasonable measures (Energiegesetz, sGS 741.1). Around 400 businesses are affected. They choose between the universal target agreement, which also refunds the CO₂ levy and the grid surcharge, and the energy consumption analysis. Own power from the roof complements such measures. You clarify the extent with the Office for Water and Energy (Amt für Wasser und Energie).
Subsidies and one-off payment
The federal government pays the one-off payment (Einmalvergütung) through Pronovo, graded by system size. We submit the application and, on request, pre-finance the subsidies. We are not aware of a cantonal subsidy programme for photovoltaics. Several communes and regions have their own programmes. Energieagentur St.Gallen offers a subsidy calculator. For depreciation in business assets, your tax adviser can advise you.
Self-consumption in your business
In the Canton of St. Gallen, the electricity price is above the Swiss median, so each kilowatt-hour you use yourself saves more. We read out your load profile data and size the system to your daytime consumption. A battery storage unit or an EV charger for the vehicle fleet raises self-consumption.
Grid operators
Electricity prices 2026 in the Canton of St. Gallen
What power from the grid costs is set by your grid operator. The more expensive grid power is, the more every kilowatt hour you use from your own roof is worth.Swiss median: 27.7 ct./kWh.
| Commune | Grid operator | ct./kWh |
|---|---|---|
| St. Gallen | St.Galler Stadtwerke | 30.6 |
| Rapperswil-Jona | Elektrizitätswerk Jona-Rapperswil AG | 23.1 |
| Wil | Technische Betriebe Wil | 31.1 |
| Gossau | Stadtwerke Gossau | 27.9 |
| Uzwil | St. Gallisch-Appenzellische Kraftwerke AG | 29.7 |
| Buchs | Elektrizitäts- und Wasserwerk der Stadt Buchs (EWB) | 29.6 |
| Altstätten | Technische Betriebe Altstätten | 31.2 |
| Flawil | Technische Betriebe Flawil (TBF) | 27.9 |
| Widnau | Politische Gemeinde Widnau, Elektra / Stromversorgung | 27.1 |
| Rorschach | Technische Betriebe, Stadt Rorschach | 26.4 |
| Eschenbach | St. Gallisch-Appenzellische Kraftwerke AG | 29.3 |
| Wittenbach | St.Galler Stadtwerke | 29.5 |
| Kirchberg | rwt Regionalwerk Toggenburg AG | 25.1 |
| Goldach | Technische Betriebe Goldach | 30.5 |
| Mels | Politische Gemeinde Mels, Elektrizitäts- & Wasserwerk | 26.9 |
Source: ElCom, Federal Electricity Commission, tariffs 2026.
The free site visit
One appointment at your home. Then you know everything.
A project manager from our team visits you and checks three things. No sales show, no obligation. Afterwards you receive a binding quote with yield, subsidies and payback.
01Roof
Area, orientation, pitch, condition of the roof covering and shading.
02Electrical system
Grid connection, distribution board and space for inverter and battery.
03Your consumption
Electricity bill, car, heating, plans. From this we calculate yield and subsidies.
How your project runs
Request
Tell us briefly about your building and your goal. Online or by phone.
Site visit
We check your roof, electrical system and consumption at your home. Free of charge.
Quote in 72 hours
Binding and transparent, with yield, subsidies and payback.
Permit and subsidies
We handle the notification procedure, the grid operator and Pronovo.
Installation and commissioning
Our own installers, a fixed date, final inspection with you on the roof.
Step 1 takes one minute. We take care of the rest.
Google reviews
What our customers say about us.
5.0
Unabridged and unedited, straight from our Google profile. The reviews are in German.
All reviews on GoogleWir sind sehr zufrieden mit unserer Wallbox für unser E-Auto.
Cemil B. · October 2026
Wir können Solarinnovation.ch und insbesondere Jordan für seine kompetente Beratung und perfekte Umsetzung als zuverlässigen Partner für nachhaltige Energielösungen aus einer Hand von Herzen weiterempfehlen. Er hat uns mit seinem umfangreichen Fachwissen von der ersten Beratung bis und mit der Umsetzung kompetent begleitet. Er hat alle Fragen immer verständlich erklärt. Wir sind mit der Indach-Solaranlage, kombiniert mit einem Speicher sehr zufrieden.
Daniel · August 2026
Die SolarInnovation GmbH hat mich durch ihre sehr flexible und kompetente Beratung und Arbeitsausführung sehr überzeugt!
Frederic L. · September 2025
Eine sehr seriöses Firma. Danke Aulson, Danke Jorden.
Alex I. · August 2025
Top Service und super Beratung! Unsere Solaranlage am linken Zürichseeufer läuft perfekt, produziert mehr Strom als erwartet und sieht auch noch toll aus. Absolut empfehlenswert!
Marc W. · August 2025
Built near you.
29 projects, 718.1 kWp in total. From Zumikon and Lachen we work all over German-speaking Switzerland, most often in the cantons of Zurich, St. Gallen, Schwyz and Aargau.
Canton of Zurich
- Rüti41.1 kWp
- Zürich26.6 kWp
- Zürich6.8 kWp
- Zürich10.9 kWp
- Gossau ZH7.7 kWp
- Zollikerberg17.7 kWp
- Ebmatingen16.9 kWp
- Ebmatingen17 kWp
- Zürich7.5 kWp
- Maur6.9 kWp
- Herrliberg14.8 kWp
- Herrliberg12 kWp
- Meilen17.2 kWp
- Bachs10.2 kWp
Canton of St. Gallen
Canton of Schwyz
Canton of Aargau
- Staffelbach16 kWp
- Reinach AG20.7 kWp
- Berikon19.8 kWp
- Oberkulm20.7 kWp
Canton of Lucerne
Canton of Zug
Frequently asked questions
Before you get in touch.
Is the site visit really free?
Yes. The visit and the quote cost you nothing and commit you to nothing. You only decide once you hold the binding quote in your hands.
Which own-power duty applies to new buildings in the Canton of St. Gallen?
New buildings generally produce part of their electricity themselves, up to a maximum of 30 kWp. Alternatively, you cut energy demand by 5 kWh per m² a year, join forces with neighbours, or pay a replacement levy.
Does the large-consumer law affect my business in the Canton of St. Gallen?
It affects sites that use more than 0.5 GWh of electricity or more than 5 GWh of heat a year. The canton counts around 400 such businesses. If you are below that, these duties do not apply to you.
Is there a subsidy for commercial photovoltaics in the Canton of St. Gallen?
We are not aware of a cantonal programme for photovoltaics. The federal government pays the one-off payment (Einmalvergütung). Many communes and regions have their own programmes, and we check their status when preparing the quote.
How large a roof does a commercial system need?
A rule of thumb: each kWp needs around 5 to 6 m² of module area. Commercial systems often start at 30 kWp and go well beyond. We measure what fits on your roof at the site visit.
How high is self-consumption in a business?
That depends on the business. If you work during the day, you often use a large share of the solar power directly. Businesses with cooling, machinery or ventilation in the daytime usually do better than offices. We read out your load profile data for this.
Can a solar system reduce peak loads?
In part. Solar power peaks at midday, but demand peaks can also occur in the morning or evening. A commercial battery with controls can cut peaks. We calculate beforehand whether that brings anything under your tariff.
Which regions do you cover?
All of German-speaking Switzerland. We build most often in the cantons of Zurich, St. Gallen, Schwyz and Aargau. Our locations are in Zumikon ZH and Lachen SZ.
From one company
Goes well with
The first step
We come to you. Free of charge.
We check your roof, electrical system and consumption. Afterwards you know what is possible on your roof, what it costs and which subsidies you receive. The binding quote follows within 72 hours.
- Free and with no obligation
- Quote within 72 hours
- Subsidies pre-financed on request
