Since 1 January 2026, solar producers may sell their surplus power in a local electricity community (LEG) directly to consumers in the neighbourhood – via the public grid, which was not permitted until the end of 2025. For producers, a better remuneration beckons than with classic feed-in, for tenants access to local solar power. In the City of Zurich, ewz.solarquartier pays 14 Rp./kWh. (As of: July 2026)
Key points in brief
- New since 2026: The Electricity Act allows the sale of solar power within a neighbourhood via the public distribution grid – previously, local power trading was only possible within a building amalgamation (ZEV).
- The deal: Producers receive more than when feeding into the utility, buyers draw local solar power – the difference is made possible via a reduced grid usage fee.
- Practically, participation mostly runs via platforms of the utilities – in the City of Zurich via ewz.solarquartier (14 Rp./kWh for producers, several thousand households connected), in Aargau the AEW offers its own local power products.
- Particularly interesting for: Owners of larger systems with lots of surplus – and for tenants without their own roof.
- The legal situation is young; conditions and products of the utilities are constantly evolving.
What is a local electricity community?
A LEG is an amalgamation of power producers and consumers in the same neighbourhood who trade power among themselves – via the completely normal public distribution grid. That sounds unspectacular, but is a system break: Until the end of 2025, the principle applied that locally produced power had to be either consumed behind the own connection (self-consumption, ZEV) or sold to the grid operator. Direct sale to the neighbouring house was simply not intended.
The new Electricity Act lifted this barrier as of 1 January 2026. The idea behind it: Solar power should be consumed where it arises – this relieves the higher-level grids, and the value creation remains in the neighbourhood.
How does the LEG differ from ZEV and vZEV?
The three abbreviations are often confused – yet the demarcation is simple:
| Model | Range | Grid |
|---|---|---|
| ZEV (self-consumption community) | one building/site behind a common grid connection | private lines, no public grid |
| vZEV (virtual ZEV) | multiple parties at the same connection point, virtually billed | no public grid necessary |
| LEG (local electricity community) | Neighbourhood/quarter – across property boundaries | public distribution grid, at reduced grid usage fee |
Simplified overview, as of: July 2026. The detailed conditions (perimeter, circle of participants, measurement requirements) are regulated by law, ordinance and the local grid operator.
In short: The ZEV ends at the property boundary, the LEG crosses it. For an apartment building with its own system, the ZEV mostly remains the first choice; the LEG comes into play when power is to leave the property – or when you as a tenant want to draw solar power from the neighbourhood.
How does participation work in practice?
Theoretically, neighbours can organise themselves into a LEG – practically, the first offers run via platforms of the utilities, which take over measurement, billing and contract work:
- City of Zurich – ewz.solarquartier: Producers sell their surplus for 14 Rp./kWh into the neighbourhood; since January 2026, several thousand city of Zurich households are connected. The surcharge of the municipal solar incentives (2 Rp./kWh) also flows with LEG marketing. Details: Feed-in tariff ewz.
- Aargau – AEW: The AEW runs its own local power products in the environment of ZEV, vZEV and LEG ("virtual local power") – the design is constantly evolving; the current product sheets are decisive.
- Other utilities: Many grid operators in the region are working on offers or point to the legal basic variant. Ask your utility directly – the answer is currently changing from quarter to quarter.
The technical basic requirement is in any case an intelligent measurement system (smart meter) for all participants – in most grid areas of the region, the rollout is far advanced.
What does a LEG bring financially?
For producers the calculation is simple: more per kilowatt-hour than with standard feed-in. In the City of Zurich it is 14 instead of an average of 12.91 Rp. – a good Rappen difference, which adds up with large surpluses. In grid areas with market price models, the gap can turn out significantly larger.
For buyers the advantage depends on the offer: Local solar power at an attractive price, made possible by the reduced grid usage fee – after all, the power only uses the lowest grid level. Added to this is a value that cannot be captured in Rappen: The power demonstrably comes from the roof next door.
One has to remain honest about the order of magnitude: For the typical 10 kWp system on the single-family home, we are talking about a steady, but manageable additional revenue. The LEG does not turn a good system into a gold mine – it turns surplus power into a better price. The ranking remains: first optimise self-consumption, then market the rest as well as possible.
For whom is the look at the LEG particularly worthwhile?
- Owners of large roofs (apartment buildings, businesses, SMEs, barns), whose system produces far more than the own demand – here every Rappen of marketing difference counts.
- Builders who consider "the whole roof": Attractive LEG marketing can justify full feed-in beyond the mandatory measure – relevant for the dimensioning question.
- Tenants without a roof who want to draw local solar power – as a buyer in the LEG this is possible for the first time without an own system.
- Condominium owner communities and neighbourhoods with unequally distributed roofs: One produces, multiple draw.
Since January, the LEG has popped up in almost every consultation – mostly with exaggerated expectations in one direction or the other. Our classification: For the average single-family home, the LEG changes little about the investment decision; that is carried by self-consumption. It becomes really interesting with large roof areas that previously remained half empty, "because full feed-in is not worthwhile" – this calculation is shifting noticeably right now. We meanwhile check as standard for such projects what the local grid operator offers in terms of LEG products before we fix the system size.
Frequently asked questions
Can I simply pull a cable to the neighbour?
No – exactly that is the point of the LEG: The trade runs via the existing public distribution grid, at a reduced grid usage fee. Private direct lines across property boundaries are still not the intended model.
Who is allowed to participate in a LEG?
Producers and consumers who are connected in the same grid area and on the same grid level – and that maximally within the same municipality (the house connection point is decisive). All participants need an intelligent measurement system, and the generation capacity of the community must be at least 5 percent of the connected load of all participating consumers (Art. 17d StromVG, Art. 19e StromVV).
Do I need a smart meter for this?
Yes, an intelligent measurement system for all participants is the technical basic requirement for the quarter-hourly accurate assignment of the traded power.
What happens to the power that the LEG does not purchase?
It goes as before as normal feed-in to the grid operator – at the regular feed-in tariff. The LEG complements the feed-in, it does not replace it.
I am a tenant without a roof – how do I get neighbourhood power?
In the City of Zurich via ewz.solarquartier; elsewhere, ask your utility for LEG or local power offers. The switch is administratively simple – you remain a customer of your utility, but in balance draw power from the neighbourhood.
Free initial consultation
Large roof, open questions?
We check for your project what your grid operator offers in terms of LEG and marketing models – and dimension the system accordingly.
Want to calculate yourself first? Solar calculator with official roof data →
Prefer to talk? +41 78 830 83 35
Solar solutions for businesses & apartment buildings →
Swissolar-certified specialist company · ESTI installation authorisation (Art. 14 NIV) · in Zurich since 2017 · over 150 systems completed · a personal answer from the specialist company, no call centre
Sources: Electricity Act (entry into force 1 January 2026), City of Zurich / ewz (media releases June and December 2025, ewz.solarquartier), AEW Energie AG, SFOE.
Last updated: 9 July 2026 · Author: ecoEn editorial team
