Switzerland considers 40% solar tariff cut

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

The Swiss government is considering massive solar subsidy cuts in a move the country’s PV industry has warned could have “profoundly” damaging effects.

The Swiss Federal Office of Energy confirmed to PV Tech that the country’s Federal Council is contemplating cuts of 35-40% and a decrease in power purchase agreement periods from 25 to 15 years.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The national solar industry association, Swissolar, said that subsidy cuts of this magnitude would have a “profound” effect on the industry, decreasing the rate of new solar installations, especially larger projects.

But Swissolar said it was “quite optimistic” that the proposed cuts would be partially withdrawn as it claims the calculations behind the new tariffs are “wrong” and are not in line with Swiss energy laws.

No other incentives or tax breaks have been proposed to replace subsidies, but no more annual subsidy cuts would be made after if the changes go ahead; although the government would still have the ability to make further cuts if necessary, cuts would no longer be annually automatic, Swissolar said.

The deadline for submissions for companies and associations to submit opinions on the proposed changes to the council is 11 September. After looking at feedback, the council will decide if the legislation for solar subsidies needs to be changed.  

If approved, the legislation would be valid from 1 January 2014. Any systems already installed by then would receive the current FiT, but after that the new tariffs would apply.

Swissolar said it was “strongly campaigning against” the proposed changes.

Read Next

October 14, 2025
The curtailment of solar PV and wind capacity in Chile has reached 3.2TWh as of August 2025, a slight increase from the same period in 2024.
Premium
October 14, 2025
OCI Holdings’ decision this week to buy a Vietnamese solar wafer facility to supply the US solar cell manufacturing industry makes clear the biggest vulnerability facing the sector today.
Premium
October 14, 2025
Perovskite, tariffs, Section 232 and FEOC were among the key topics discussed at PV CellTech USA this year in San Francisco.
October 14, 2025
German IPP wpd has started construction at its 140.6MW Marcy solar park in the Nièvre department of central France.
October 14, 2025
Levanta Renewables will develop a 166MWp ground-mounted solar and storage project in the Visayas Islands as part of the Philippines’ Fourth Green Energy Auction. 
October 14, 2025
India has installed 4.9GW of residential rooftop solar capacity in the first half of 2025, according to a report by IEEFA and JMK Research.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK