Sell Solar Energy
in Switzerland 2026:
Which option pays most?
Feed-in tariff, LEG or ZEV — three ways to monetise your solar surplus. New rules apply from 2026. The numbers make clear which model earns solar producers the most.
You have a solar system. It produces more than you use. The question is: what do you do with the surplus — and what is your electricity actually worth?
Until 2025, the answer was simple: feed into the grid, collect the annual reference market price, done. Since January 2026, the model is more complex — and for many producers, significantly less attractive. At the same time, 2026 brings a genuine alternative for the first time: the local energy community (LEG), where you sell your electricity directly to neighbours at a negotiated price.
This article explains all three options, shows the real 2026 numbers, and helps you decide what earns most for your system.
What changed in 2026 — and why it matters
The new Electricity Supply Act (StromVG) brought three fundamental changes for solar producers:
Comparing the three options — with real numbers
Reference market price 2026 — current quarterly rates
The figures below are not the price you pay for power from your utility. They are the centimes (Rappen) per kilowatt-hour your grid operator pays you for surplus solar you feed into the public grid (reference market price / feed-in remuneration under the quarterly rules). Only exported kWh count — self-consumed solar is a separate benefit.
Each column is a calendar quarter of 2026. The average payment per exported kWh is usually higher in Q1 and Q4 (less solar supply on the market) and lower in Q2–Q3 (lots of PV pushing down spot prices). That does not mean you automatically earn less every quarter in absolute terms: in summer you often export more kWh at a lower rate, and in winter fewer kWh at a higher rate — your annual total depends on both price and volume.
Published BFE reference values for PV (≤30 kW): Q1 2026 base rate below; many producers also receive a separate HKN add-on from their grid operator (not a single national total — check your utility).
+ HKN (utility); min. ≤30 kW: 6 Rp.
lower market prices expected
solar on grid → lower
solar, higher prices
Q1 (lower solar output) tracks a higher reference than summer quarters; Q2–Q3 are expected around ~6–9 Rp. for the base rate. The annual average base rate for many systems is therefore often in the ~7–9 Rp./kWh range — before any utility-specific HKN add-on.
The three options in detail
| Criterion | Feed-in to grid | ZEV (building) | LEG (neighbourhood) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surplus compensation | ~6–11 Rp./kWh (quarterly) | Own consumption replaces 27.7 Rp./kWh grid electricity | ~13–18 Rp./kWh (negotiated, benchmark ~15 Rp.) |
| Buyer pool | Grid — anonymised | Residents of same building | Entire municipality / neighbourhood |
| Price risk | High — fluctuates with spot market | Medium — self-consumption ratio | Low — price set by you |
| Grid discount | – | Internal (no grid fee internally) | 20–40% discount for consumers |
| 70% power cap | Affected | Partially affected | Local consumption doesn't count as grid feed-in |
| Admin burden | Very low | Medium (internal billing) | Minimal with Upgrid as operator |
| Best suited for | All PV owners, no nearby neighbours | Apartment buildings, co-ownership (STWEG) | PV owners with neighbours in the same municipality |
Option 1: Feed-in — the classic model
You produce more than you consume, the surplus goes into the public grid. Your grid operator pays you the quarterly reference market price.
The core problem: the price is lowest exactly when production is highest.
Properties with no LEG-eligible neighbours in the same municipality (or no buyers for surplus), very small systems where switching models is not worth it, or anyone who prefers to stay on the standard feed-in contract only. Joining an LEG does not mean investing your own time in running a community — when an operator like Upgrid runs it, signing up is what you do day to day.
Option 2: ZEV — local, but only within the building
The Zusammenschluss zum Eigenverbrauch (ZEV — consumption sharing group) has been possible since 2018. All residents of a building share the PV system.
The economic advantage is real: internally consumed solar electricity replaces grid electricity costing 27.7 Rp./kWh. The limitation: you are confined to your own building.
LEG is not always higher than ZEV. ZEV is often best when almost all your production stays inside one building (multifamily / STWEG): internal kWh replace retail grid power (~27.7 Rp./kWh in the ElCom 2026 median illustration), and only the remainder is paid as feed-in. LEG wins when a large share of production leaves the building and can be sold to neighbours in the municipality at a negotiated price (often ~13–18 Rp./kWh) instead of summer-low feed-in rates. Many sites do both: ZEV for in-building sharing, LEG for surplus beyond the building. The two models are not mutually exclusive — an existing ZEV can join an LEG and contribute its surplus.
Full ZEV guide: ZEV Switzerland 2026 explained →
Option 3: LEG — the new route to more
From January 2026, you can sell your solar electricity through the public grid directly to households in your municipality or neighbourhood.
Why the LEG keeps getting better as the network grows
A local electricity community is not a fixed pool of users. The more producers and consumers join LEG in your area, the stronger the network becomes: more potential buyers for midday solar, more liquidity, and more political and practical acceptance of community trading. That feedback loop — cheaper power attracting more members, and more members making local supply more useful — is the same flywheel idea we unpack in our piece on compounded benefits from solar communities.
Read: the solar community flywheel (network growth & compound benefit) →
"You produce the same electricity. You decide whether to sell it for 8 Rappen or for 15 Rappen."
What do you need for an LEG as a producer?
How much admin — and who handles it?
Running a fully compliant LEG yourself is demanding — that is why operator services exist. With Upgrid, producers do not spend their time on registrations, meter data, billing or payouts day to day.
| Task | Producer alone | With Upgrid |
|---|---|---|
| Grid operator registration | Complex, forms, deadlines | Upgrid handles it |
| Smart meter coordination | Own clarification with grid operator | Upgrid coordinates |
| Meter data processing (15-min) | Own software required | Upgrid platform |
| Monthly billing | Manual or own system | Automated via Upgrid |
| Producer payment | Must invoice yourself | Upgrid pays monthly |
| Compliance (StromVG) | Own legal responsibility | Upgrid ensures it |
Conclusion: what actually pays off?
For a producer with neighbours in the same municipality, an LEG is structurally superior to pure feed-in — regardless of system size.
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