Solar installation in Upper ValaisLots of sun, notify early.

Permit: notification to the commune

Under Art. 18a RPG, sufficiently well-integrated solar systems on roofs in building and agricultural zones do not need a building permit. In the Canton of Valais, the building ordinance (BauV, SGS 705.100) governs systems that use renewable energy and replaces the permit procedure for them with a notification. It goes at the latest 30 days before building work starts to the building permit authority, that is, to your commune, on paper or digitally through the cantonal platform.

In protection zones, for protected buildings and for systems that are not well integrated, a building application is still needed. We check this before the quote. For new buildings and when the roof covering is renewed, Valais also has an obligation to generate power, with exceptions. The details are on the canton’s energy page.

Subsidies in Valais

The federal government pays the one-off payment (Einmalvergütung, EIV) through Pronovo. Since 1 April 2025 there has been no base amount, and add-on systems under 30 kWp receive CHF 360 per kWp. We file the application. On request, we pre-finance the subsidy.

We did not find a cantonal programme for photovoltaics. The canton subsidises solar thermal systems through the buildings programme. Individual communes or energy suppliers may offer their own contributions, and we clarify that for your address.

For tax purposes, the Canton of Valais allows the costs of a photovoltaic system to be deducted as an energy-saving measure. The five-year waiting period for new buildings does not apply here.

Grid operator and power price

In Upper Valais, the median of the 63 communes in 2026 is 24.6 ct. per kWh excluding VAT, compared with 27.7 ct. for the Swiss median. The largest grid operators are EnBAG Netze (11 communes, 28.5 ct.), RELL (11 communes, 24.6 ct.) and VED Visp Energie Dienste (7 communes, 24.6 ct.). Utility prices are far apart: in Lötschen, power costs 31.7 ct. Because power is cheaper, self-consumption has more influence on whether the system pays off, so we calculate with your consumption.

The grid operator pays for the electricity you feed in. The rate differs from one utility to the next, and we calculate with the tariff of your utility.

Altitude, snow and winter power

The solar potential of roofs in Upper Valais is around 12,300 kWh per inhabitant. At the same time, altitude and snow shape the planning. We design the mounting structure and fixings for snow load and wind. Steeply mounted modules on the facade produce power in winter, and snow is less likely to stay on them.