In 2026, what your surplus solar power is worth depends more on your address than ever before. In Q2 2026, the federal reference market price collapsed to 3.896 Rp./kWh, below the statutory minimum remuneration. Anyone with a utility using a pure market price model therefore currently receives the 6.0 Rp. floor. Anyone whose utility has its own fixed price still gets that tariff: in Stäfa, that's 17.00 Rp./kWh in winter; at ewz an average of 12.91 Rp. Between the highest and lowest grid areas in the region, there's a gap of around 11 Rp./kWh. (As of 19 August 2026)
Key points in brief
- Since 2026, the new Electricity Act has applied throughout Switzerland: the standard is the federal quarterly averaged reference market price, backed by a minimum remuneration for small systems.
- The market price literally crashed in 2026: from 10.266 Rp. in the first to 3.896 Rp. in the second quarter. For most systems, this means the 6.0 Rp./kWh floor applies.
- That's exactly why the utility now decides: those offering their own fixed price currently pay two to three times as much as a pure market-price utility.
- The guarantee of origin is automatic almost nowhere. Without registration with Pronovo and a standing order, you give away 1.5 to 3 Rp./kWh.
- Your address determines the grid operator; you can't switch. The comparison serves to manage expectations and plan the system correctly.
- The same basic rule applies in every grid area: self-consumed electricity is more valuable than exported.
What has fundamentally changed in 2026?
Until the end of 2025, each utility set its feed-in tariff largely freely – the range was wide, the logic often opaque. With the new Electricity Act, a uniform framework has applied since 1 January 2026: standard remuneration is based on the quarterly averaged reference market price calculated by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. So that producers don't go away empty-handed in extreme low-price phases, there's a statutory minimum remuneration – for PV systems up to 30 kWp, it's 6.0 Rp./kWh.
Decisive for you: that's the floor, not the ceiling. Utilities may offer their own products above it – for political reasons (promoting solar expansion), for market reasons (securing guarantees of origin) or as a service promise (predictability). In the Zurich region, this has resulted in a veritable zoo of models.
The reference market price in 2026: the crash
Before the table makes sense, you need this figure. The federal government calculates the reference market price quarterly from exchange prices, weighted by the actual export of the respective technology. For photovoltaics, it looks like this in 2026:
| Quarter | PV reference market price | SFOE publication |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | 10.266 Rp./kWh | 15 April 2026 |
| Q2 2026 | 3.896 Rp./kWh | 14 July 2026 |
| Q3 2026 | still open | October 2026 |
| Q4 2026 | still open | January 2027 |
In April, the monthly value was 2.301 Rp./kWh. The reason is cannibalisation: solar power depresses the price exactly in the hours when all systems deliver at the same time. By comparison, hydropower achieved 9.318 Rp./kWh in the same quarter – more than double.
For you, this means: where remuneration is linked to the market price, the statutory floor of 6.0 Rp./kWh currently applies. The market price itself isn't decisive at the moment.
The big overview: who pays what?
We continuously update this list according to the utilities' official tariff sheets. It covers the grid areas where we actually build systems.
Utilities with their own model
These utilities don't link to the market price. Their tariff applies regardless of the quarter.
| Grid operator | Area | Remuneration 2026 incl. GO |
|---|---|---|
| Gemeindewerke Stäfa | Stäfa | Winter 17.00 Rp. / summer 9.00 Rp. (< 100 kW); from 100 kW 14.00 / 5.00 Rp. |
| ewz | City of Zurich | average 12.91 Rp.; in the ewz.solarquartier LEG model 14.00 Rp. |
| Stadtwerk Winterthur | Winterthur | Winter 13.00 Rp. / summer 10.00 Rp. (< 100 kW with self-consumption) |
| Energie Uster | Uster | Fixed price 10.52 Rp. in the summer half-year, if concluded by 31 January 2026; otherwise market model |
| Stadtwerke Wetzikon | Wetzikon | 10.17 Rp. from 2026 |
| AEW | Aargau | Choice model: 8.20 Rp. fixed incl. GO or reference market price without GO |
Utilities with a market price model
Here the base remuneration is identical: the reference market price with the statutory floor. The only difference is the guarantee of origin.
| Grid operator | Area | GO supplement | Remuneration Q2 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| EKZ | large part of the Canton of Zurich | up to 3.00 Rp. | 9.00 Rp. |
| die werke | Wallisellen | 3.00 Rp. | 9.00 Rp. |
| EKS | Schaffhausen | up to 3.00 Rp. | 9.00 Rp. |
| Regionalwerke Baden | Baden, Ennetbaden | 2.00 Rp. on request, only from 2 kW | 8.00 Rp. |
| Energie Uster (without fixed price) | Uster | max. 2.76 Rp. | 8.76 Rp. |
| Glattwerk | Dübendorf | 1.50 Rp., registration deadline 30 November | 7.50 Rp. |
| Gemeindewerke Rüti | Rüti ZH | 1.50 Rp. | 7.50 Rp. |
| WWZ | Zug, Baar, Cham | 1.00 Rp. (up to 100 kW) | 7.00 Rp. |
| Thurplus | Frauenfeld | sold separately via customer portal | 6.00 Rp. plus GO revenue |
| Utilities on Lake Zurich | Küsnacht, Erlenbach, Zumikon | no purchase, freely marketable | 6.00 Rp. |
| EW Höfe | Freienbach, Wollerau, Feusisberg | no purchase, freely marketable | 6.00 Rp. |
| SWL Energie | Lenzburg | separate; additionally the FlexPV product for grid-friendly export | 6.00 Rp. plus GO revenue |
All values excl. VAT, as of 19 August 2026, according to the utilities' official tariff sheets and publications. The «Remuneration Q2 2026» column adds the statutory floor of 6.0 Rp. plus the respective GO supplement, because the reference market price was below it in the second quarter. As soon as the market price rises above 6.0 Rp. again, that applies. The current publication of your grid operator always applies.
For some smaller utilities in the region, such as in Fällanden, Wettingen or Brugg, the operators don't publish a feed-in tariff sheet online. The only option there is to ask the utility directly. If you're building there, we'll clarify it for you during planning.
We cover the details – composition, conditions, deadlines and pitfalls – for each utility in separate guides: ewz · EKZ · Stadtwerk Winterthur · AEW · WWZ · Glattwerk · Thurgau/Thurplus · EW Höfe.
Large systems from 150 kW: the floor disappears
A point that almost always gets lost in the discussion and is decisive for commercial roofs: the statutory minimum remuneration only applies up to 150 kW. Above that, there's no floor any more, and the system is fully exposed to the market price. The tariff sheets say so unmistakably; Regionalwerke Baden simply lists 0 Rp./kWh for this category.
In Q2 2026, this led to a counter-intuitive situation:
| System | Remuneration Q2 2026 |
|---|---|
| Single-family home, < 30 kWp | 6.00 Rp./kWh (floor applies) |
| Commercial system, > 150 kW | 3.90 Rp./kWh (no floor) |
So the large system earned less per kilowatt-hour than the small one. Anyone planning on a commercial roof should therefore base the economics not on export, but on self-consumption and, where there are several parties in the building, on a ZEV. More on our pages for business and industry and apartment buildings; what the rule means in concrete terms for halls from 100 kWp is set out in the article Photovoltaics on industrial roofs.
Five models, five philosophies
The stable incentive tariff (ewz). The City of Zurich wants full roofs and pays for them: a fixed annual tariff well above market level, financed among other things through public service funds. Planning security is greatest here – but it's still no guarantee for future tariff years.
The seasonal price (Gemeindewerke Stäfa, Stadtwerk Winterthur). Both differentiate by season, Stäfa most clearly: 15.00 Rp. in winter versus 7.00 Rp. in summer, before guarantee of origin. With 2.00 Rp. for the GO, that gives 17.00 Rp./kWh in winter, the highest value in the entire region. Such models reward systems that also deliver in winter: steep roofs, east-west and facade layouts.
The market-price pass-through (EKZ, WWZ, die werke, Glattwerk and others). These utilities pass on the reference market price. The only difference is the guarantee of origin, ranging from 3.00 Rp. at EKZ to no purchase at all at the utilities on Lake Zurich. 2026 shows the downside of this model: because the market price fell below the floor in the second quarter, all these utilities are level at 6.0 Rp. base remuneration. For now, the GO is the only lever.
The choice model (AEW, Energie Uster). Here you decide yourself between a fixed price and the market price. In Aargau, that's 8.20 Rp. fixed including GO versus the market price with upside potential and downside risk. In retrospect, 2026 was a good year for everyone who chose the fixed price. The deadline is important: in Uster, the contract had to be in place by 31 January 2026, otherwise the market model applies for the whole year.
The grid-friendliness bonus (SWL Lenzburg). The newest model no longer pays only for the quantity but for the timing: anyone who exports in a grid-friendly way receives a supplement with the FlexPV product. We believe this is the direction in which remuneration as a whole will move.
That five such different answers exist to the same legal situation is no coincidence: remuneration has become an energy policy statement. For your planning, however, what counts isn't the philosophy but the figure that belongs to your address.
What is the guarantee of origin – and why does its value fluctuate so much?
The guarantee of origin (GO) is the certificate that identifies your electricity as solar power – it's traded separately from the energy. Utilities pay very differently for it: nothing at the utilities on Lake Zurich and EW Höfe, 1.00 Rp. at WWZ, 1.50 Rp. at Glattwerk and in Rüti, 2.00 Rp. in Stäfa and Baden, up to 3.00 Rp. at ewz, EKZ, EKS and die werke in Wallisellen. As long as the 6.0 Rp. floor applies, the GO makes up to a third of total remuneration. Its weight is therefore greatest precisely when the market yields the least.
The catch: GO remuneration almost never flows automatically. It usually requires registration of the system in Pronovo's GO system, sometimes certification by an auditor, and always active registration with the utility. The conditions differ: Glattwerk requires the application by 30 November, die werke in Wallisellen allow a switch at the start of any quarter, Thurplus handles the sale via its own customer portal, and where the utility doesn't buy at all, you have to market the GO yourself. The forgotten GO is the most common avoidable loss of revenue we encounter with existing systems – registration belongs firmly in every commissioning.
What does this mean for planning your system?
Three consequences run through all grid areas:
1. Self-consumption beats export – everywhere. Even the best feed-in tariff in the region is well below the electricity purchase price including grid and levies. Shift consumption into sunny hours, couple the heat pump and EV, consider storage with a suitable profile: optimising self-consumption remains priority number one.
2. The tariff changes the optimal system size. In Stäfa or the ewz area, full roof coverage pays off more often; where only the floor plus a small GO supplement applies, the leaner system sized for own needs pays off relatively better. The same question – «whole roof or half?» – has a different answer depending on the address.
3. Calculate conservatively and with the annual average. Market-price models fluctuate; anyone who calculates the economics with the best quarterly value is fooling themselves. Serious quotes work with cautious ranges – the overall calculation including the one-off feed-in incentive, incentives and tax effect then shows whether the system pays off.
And the special case: anyone living in the City of Zurich should look at the LEG model – neighbourhood electricity currently brings the highest remuneration in the region there.
The sentence we correct most often in consultations: «Exporting isn't worth it any more.» It comes from the time when some utilities paid 4 or 5 centimes – and it's simply no longer true in the region in 2026. In 2026, the gap has actually grown: between a utility that doesn't buy GOs and Gemeindewerke Stäfa, there's a difference of around 11 Rp./kWh in winter. For a 10 kWp system with a typical surplus, that's several hundred francs per year, with an identical system. That's why our quotes show the tariff of the actual grid operator at the system's address, not a regional average. Few things devalue an economic calculation faster than the wrong feed-in tariff.
Frequently asked questions
Can I switch grid operator to get a better tariff?
No – the grid operator is tied to your address; switching isn't possible. What you can influence: the model within your utility (for example at AEW), the GO registration and, above all, your self-consumption rate.
Which utility pays the most in 2026?
For a typical single-family home system, ewz (average 12.91 Rp., 14 Rp. in the solarquartier) and Stadtwerk Winterthur in the contract model (13.00 Rp. in winter quarters) lead. The market-price models of EKZ and WWZ can catch up in high-price quarters, but are lower on average.
What is the statutory minimum remuneration?
The floor guaranteed by the Electricity Act for small systems: 6.0 Rp./kWh for PV up to 30 kWp. It applies automatically when the quarterly reference market price falls below it.
Why do I receive less than the tariff sheet says?
Most common cause: the guarantee of origin isn't remunerated because the GO registration is missing. Second most common: a market-price quarter turned out lower than expected. Check your statement, GO status and the product on file.
Do tariffs change every year?
Yes, expect it. Fixed-price models are republished annually, market-price models change quarterly. For system planning, the long-term, conservatively estimated average counts – not the tariff of a single year.
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Sources: tariff sheets and publications of ewz, EKZ, Stadtwerk Winterthur, AEW Energie AG and WWZ Energie AG (2026), Swiss Federal Office of Energy (reference market price, EnFV Art. 15), Energy Ordinance (minimum remuneration), Pronovo AG.
Last updated: 9 July 2026 · Author: ecoEn editorial team
