What subsidies are there for a solar system?One-off payment and taxes.

If you build a solar system on an existing house in 2026, the federal government pays you a one-off payment (Einmalvergütung, EIV), and in most cases you can deduct the cost from your taxes. Depending on your canton or commune, further grants may apply, mainly for batteries and heat pumps. This page shows how these parts fit together and what amounts you can expect for a typical solar installation.

For the cost of the system itself, see the guide Solar system cost and payback.

The federal one-off payment

Pronovo, the federal implementing body, pays the one-off payment. It is the main subsidy for photovoltaics. For systems under 100 kW it runs as the “small one-off payment”. Larger systems follow a separate procedure.

For systems under 30 kWp, these rates have applied since 1 April 2025 (Energy Funding Ordinance, EnFV Annex 2.1):

Type	Rate	5 kWp	10 kWp	15 kWp
add-on (on-roof)	CHF 360 per kWp	CHF 1,800	CHF 3,600	CHF 5,400
integrated (in-roof)	CHF 400 per kWp	CHF 2,000	CHF 4,000	CHF 6,000

There is no longer a base amount. The payment therefore rises evenly with output. Different rates apply to systems from 30 kWp. We give them in the quote.

Further points:

• Timing: You apply once the system is built. It is not possible earlier.
• Operating obligation: Since 1 January 2025 you must operate the system for at least 20 years.
• Payout: According to Pronovo, the waiting time is currently around three months from a complete application. On request, we pre-finance the subsidy for you.
• Changes: The federal government adjusts the rates. The rate at commissioning applies.

Integrated systems receive more because they form part of the roof skin. More on the page in-roof solar system.

The tax deduction

The tax deduction is often larger than the one-off payment. The cost of a solar system on an existing building counts for income tax as an investment in energy saving and environmental protection, and it is deductible. At federal level the basis is the Property Costs Ordinance (SR 642.116). The cantons apply it in their tax laws.

Three points decide the deduction:

1. Existing building: On a new building, the system is not deductible if installed during construction. Some cantons allow the deduction if the system is installed later. In the Canton of Zurich the installation must take place at least one year after the new building, and the house must have been occupied for one year.
2. Subsidies: The deductible amount is reduced by the one-off payment and by other grants.
3. Spreading over several years: If you cannot use up the deduction in one year, according to Swissolar it can be spread over up to three tax periods. Your canton sets the exact rules.

Because every canton has its own rules, it is best to discuss the deduction with your tax office or tax adviser before ordering.

Grants from canton and commune

Some cantons and communes pay additional grants. They mostly concern home batteries, combination with a heat pump or special systems. Programmes differ from place to place, often have an annual budget and change regularly.

We do not state amounts per canton here, because they change quickly. On our pages for Zurich, Schwyz and the other cantons you find the figures we have verified. We check which grants apply to your address at the site visit.

Feed-in tariff: payment for surplus power

Your grid operator pays you for power you do not use yourself. Since 1 January 2026 the payment follows the market price at the time of feed-in. For systems up to 30 kW there is a statutory minimum payment of 6 ct. per kWh (Energy Act Art. 15, according to Swissolar). Many utilities pay more, and tariffs differ widely.

This is not a subsidy in the strict sense, but it enters your calculation. The lower the tariff, the more self-consumption matters. More in the guide Solar power from your own roof.

Worked example: 10 kWp on a single-family home

Assumptions: on-roof system, price CHF 27,000 (middle of the range of CHF 24,000 to 30,000), marginal tax rate 25%. The marginal tax rate is an assumption. For you it may be higher or lower.

Item	Amount
Cost of the system	CHF 27,000
One-off payment (10 kWp times CHF 360)	CHF 3,600
Deductible for tax (27,000 minus 3,600)	CHF 23,400
Tax saving at 25%	CHF 5,850
Net cost after one-off payment and taxes	about CHF 17,550

The yield comes on top. At 1,000 kWh per kWp and 30% self-consumption you use 3,000 kWh yourself. At an electricity price of 27.7 ct. per kWh (2026 household median excluding VAT, ElCom) that saves you around CHF 830 a year. For the remaining 7,000 kWh you receive your grid operator’s feed-in tariff. The tax saving, by contrast, arises only once.

What to watch with subsidies

Three points most often lead to surprises in practice:

• Quote with or without subsidy: Check whether the price is stated before or after deducting the one-off payment. Only then can you compare two quotes.
• Date of the invoice: The tax deduction applies to the year in which you bear the cost. Your tax office can tell you more.
• Application late or incomplete: Pronovo only reviews complete applications. Missing documents delay the payout. That is why we file the application ourselves.

How to proceed

1. Clarify the tax question: Ask your tax office whether and when you can deduct the system.
2. Site visit and quote: We visit free of charge and send a binding quote within 72 hours, with the subsidy amounts.
3. Notification and connection: We notify the commune and the grid operator.
4. Construction and commissioning: Our own installers build the system.
5. Application: We register the system with Pronovo and file the subsidy applications that apply to your address.
6. Payout: The subsidy can be pre-financed on request.

We calculate it for your home

The subsidy you receive depends on system size, type, canton and commune. We check this at the free site visit and show you in the binding quote within 72 hours what the system costs after the one-off payment. With a home battery we calculate both options side by side. Planning, installation, registration and subsidy applications are all with us, at our locations in Zumikon and Lachen.