Solar installation in the Canton of GraubündenSnow and sun up high.

Permit: notification 15 days beforehand

Under Art. 18a RPG, sufficiently well-integrated solar systems on roofs, and since 1 January 2026 explicitly on facades too, do not need a building permit. The Canton of Graubünden has a notification form with a self-declaration for this. You submit one per building to the commune’s building permit authority, at the latest 15 days before installation. A building permit is needed for systems that do not meet the requirements, in protection zones and on cultural or natural monuments of cantonal or national importance.

In the self-declaration, the owner and the installer confirm that the system and its substructure meet the load requirements of SIA standard 261 for snow and wind. For pitched roofs, this also applies to snow guards. We provide this information for you, based on the check at the site visit.

Subsidies in Graubünden

The federal government pays the one-off payment (Einmalvergütung, EIV) through Pronovo. Since 1 April 2025 there has been no base amount. Add-on systems under 30 kWp receive CHF 360 per kWp, integrated systems CHF 400 per kWp.

In addition, the canton can subsidise photovoltaic systems designed for higher winter power production (Art. 23a of the energy act). Under the guide of the Office for Energy and Transport, the conditions are a tilt angle of 60 to 90 degrees, at least 3 kWp and an application before building work starts. Free-standing systems and raised systems on steep roofs are excluded. We confirm with the office which contribution applies today before we send you a quote.

For tax purposes, the tax office lists the installation of a photovoltaic system among investments in energy saving and environmental protection. For existing buildings they are deductible, including the costs of battery storage.

Grid operator and power price

Graubünden has many grid operators. Repower supplies 32 of the 100 communes, at 30.6 ct./kWh in the household tariff (H4, excluding VAT). EWZ is the grid operator in 8 communes, at 24.3 ct. Rhiienergie is at 25.6 ct. The cantonal median is 29.2 ct., more than the Swiss median of 27.7 ct. The price differences between the valleys are large. That is why we always calculate with your utility.

The grid operator pays for the electricity you feed into the grid. The rate differs from one utility to the next. We calculate with the tariff of your utility.

Altitude, snow and hail

In the mountains, snow and wind put more load on the roof and the mounting structure. That is why the notification form asks for the location and altitude. The cantonal building insurance of Graubünden publishes an information sheet on preventing natural hazard damage to solar systems. On the other hand, the hail risk in Graubünden is low: for an event once in 100 years, the hail hazard map shows grain sizes up to 3.0 cm, compared with 4.5 cm in Obwalden. On steep roofs at altitude, we plan snow guards so that sliding snow endangers nobody.