Switzerland allocates $488.5 million for solar rebates in 2022

This year, more than 18,000 photovoltaic systems, totaling around 360 MW, have already been registered for the one-off payment. The rebate covers around 20% of the investment costs, depending on the system performance.

The Swiss Federal Council has earmarked CHF450 million ($488.5 million) for solar rebates in 2021.

In 2021, a total of CHF470 million was available for solar funding. The one-time remuneration covers around 20% of the investment costs, depending on the system performance.

This year, more than 18,000 photovoltaic systems, totaling around 360 MW, have already been registered for the one-off payment. This is about 25% more than in the same period last year. The registrations in the third quarter were 40% higher, compared to the same period a year earlier, and in September alone more than 2,000 photovoltaic systems were registered.

According to the Swiss authorities, all system operators who submitted their applications for PV systems not exceeding 100 kW to the Pronovo AG energy agency, between the beginning of April and the end of August, will receive a guarantee of their one-off remuneration by the end of the year. This year alone, around 26,000 photovoltaic systems of this size should be subsidized and will reach a total capacity of around 350 MW and a total budget of CHF150 million will be paid out for this one-off payment.

Switzerland also supports large photovoltaic systems with an output of 100 kilowatts or more through the GREIV one-off remuneration. In 2021, around 500 of the large scale systems, with a total capacity of 168 MW, received funding. In this way, all applications that were submitted in full by the end of October should be approved.

According to the latest figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency, the Alpine country had an installed PV capacity of around 3.11 GW at the end of last year. In 2020, newly deployed PV systems reached a record figure of 529 MW.