Do I need a permit for my solar system?Notification, not permit.

For a solar system on your roof you usually need no building permit in Switzerland today. A notification to the commune (notification procedure, Meldeverfahren) is enough. This is set out in Art. 18a of the Spatial Planning Act (RPG). The details are in Art. 32a and 32b of the Spatial Planning Ordinance (RPV). Cantonal rules come on top and differ from canton to canton. For a solar system from us, we handle the procedure. Here you can read what is behind it.

What Art. 18a RPG says

Art. 18a RPG provides that sufficiently adapted solar systems on roofs need no building permit. They must be notified to the building authority before building starts. The building authority is responsible, or another body named by cantonal law. The canton also sets the deadline, plans and documents for the notification.

The federal law also says what falls outside the simple procedure: on cultural and natural monuments of cantonal or national importance a building permit is always required. The system must not significantly impair such monuments. Apart from that, the interest in using solar energy generally takes precedence over aesthetic concerns. Design rules must not prevent the use, and a refusal of the permit must be given special reasons.

When is a system sufficiently adapted?

Art. 32a RPV sets out the requirements. A system on a pitched roof qualifies for the notification procedure if it meets these conditions:

• It is in a building zone or an agricultural zone.
• It projects no more than 20 cm at right angles from the roof surface.
• Seen from above, it does not extend beyond the roof surface.
• It is built to be low-reflection, in line with the state of the art.
• It forms a compact surface. Cut-outs for a chimney or roof window and offset arrangements are allowed.

Different conditions apply to flat roofs. The system may rise no more than one metre above the top edge of the roof. It must be set back from the roof edge far enough that it cannot be seen from below at an angle of 45 degrees. Low-reflection construction is required here too. You can read more about planning in our guide solar system on a flat roof.

The source for these details is the EnergieSchweiz fact sheet «Solarenergie im Raumplanungsgesetz» (July 2022, German).

When is a building permit still needed?

A building permit is needed if one of these situations applies:

• The system does not meet the requirements of Art. 32a RPV, for example because it does not form a compact surface.
• The building is a cultural or natural monument of cantonal or national importance.
• The building is in a designated protection zone, such as a historic core zone or a protected townscape or heritage area. The canton and commune decide which zones these are.
• The system is free-standing and not on a building.

Cantons may extend the notification procedure, for example to facades, flat-roof systems raised higher, or zones that are not aesthetically sensitive, such as commercial and industrial areas. What applies therefore depends on the canton. In the Canton of Zurich, facade systems are possible in the notification procedure on single-family homes and on buildings up to 11 metres high. You can read the details on the page solar system in the Canton of Zurich. For other cantons, you find the matching page under solar system.

What does low-reflection mean?

Solar systems should not cause excessive light reflection in their surroundings. Most modern modules are already low-reflection. The planner makes a rough estimate before building of whether neighbours could be dazzled. A suitable choice of module and an orientation that causes no glare help. We take this into account when planning.

The canton and the commune are responsible

The federal government only sets the framework. The cantons decide what the notification looks like. Some cantons use an electronic notification form, in others the notification goes through the building office of the commune. The federal government recommends that cantons use simple, electronic procedures, short deadlines and only the documents that are really needed. Your procedure therefore depends on where the house stands. We know the rules of the German-speaking cantons, for example under solar system in the Canton of Lucerne or solar system in the Canton of Bern, and prepare the notification according to the requirements of your commune.

Historic cores and protected buildings

In many village and town centres the roofscape is protected. The authority then checks in the building application how the system fits into the townscape. Calm-looking systems have better prospects: uniform modules, a closed surface, frame and mounting in the colour of the roof. An in-roof solar system replaces the tiles and is often the solution that gets approved in historic core zones. There is no guarantee. The individual case decides.

With a protected building it is worth involving the heritage authority early. Before the quote we check whether your building is in a protection zone and tell you which procedure to expect.

How the notification procedure works

1. Check: At the site visit we clarify whether your system meets the requirements and whether the building is protected.
2. Notification form: We fill it in and attach plans and module data sheets.
3. Waiting period: The canton decides how long you wait. In the Canton of Zurich you may build if the commune orders nothing else within 30 days of confirming receipt. Other cantons have their own deadlines.
4. Installation: After the waiting period our own installers start.
5. Registrations: We register the system with the grid operator and apply for the one-off payment (Einmalvergütung) from Pronovo.

The notification to the commune and the connection application to the grid operator are two separate procedures. Both are part of our quote.

What to have ready for the notification

We need little from you for the notification. The address and parcel number help, as do plans of the building if you have them, and a note on whether the house is protected or in a historic core zone. We collect everything else at the site visit: roof shape, roof area, pitch and orientation. The plans and module data sheets attached to the notification come from this information.

If you have already received a ruling from the commune or a note on townscape protection, please include it. That way we see early whether a building application is needed.

What to bear in mind as an owner

If the house belongs to several people, you need the consent of the other owners. With condominium ownership the roof is usually common property. The owners’ association (STWEG) then decides. We prepare the quote and the yield forecast as documents for the property management.

Start building only when the waiting period has ended and the commune has ordered nothing else. If you notify properly and follow the process, you create no problems for later.

We calculate it for your roof

At the site visit we see whether your system gets by with a notification. It is free and without obligation. Within 72 hours afterwards you receive a binding quote. We handle the notification to the commune, the registration with the grid operator and the subsidy applications. How the subsidies work is explained in our guide solar system subsidies. What the system costs is covered under solar system cost and payback.