Since 1 January 2026, the Electricity Act guarantees small solar producers a floor: if the quarterly reference market price plummets, PV systems up to 30 kWp still receive at least 6.0 Rp./kWh for the energy fed in. The minimum remuneration applies automatically – but it only covers the energy, not the guarantee of origin. (As of: July 2026)
Key points in brief
- The minimum remuneration is part of the new Electricity Act: it protects producers of small systems from extreme low-price phases on the electricity market.
- For PV systems up to 30 kWp a floor of 6.0 Rp./kWh applies; for systems from 30 to 150 kW without self-consumption 6.2 Rp./kWh.
- For systems from 30 to 150 kW with self-consumption, the floor applies proportionally – only for the capacity share up to 30 kW.
- The minimum remuneration applies automatically, without an application – your grid operator's statement is decisive.
- It is a floor, not a ceiling: many utilities in the region voluntarily pay noticeably more.
Why is there a minimum remuneration?
In 2026 the new Electricity Act tied feed-in remuneration to the market: the standard is the Federal Office of Energy's quarterly averaged reference market price. The model has a built-in weakness – precisely when solar systems produce the most, market prices are at their lowest: in the sunny summer quarter everyone feeds in at once, and the glut pushes the price down.
Without a corrective, remuneration in such phases could fall towards zero – poison for investment security. That's exactly why the legislator built in the minimum remuneration: a floor guaranteeing small producers a base regardless of what the market does. The logic behind it: a homeowner who invests in a system should be able to rely on a calculable basic remuneration without having to study the electricity market.
How high is the floor – and who does it apply to?
| System category | Minimum remuneration (energy) |
|---|---|
| PV up to 30 kWp | 6.0 Rp./kWh |
| PV 30–150 kW with self-consumption | proportional: 6.0 Rp. for the capacity share up to 30 kW, no guarantee for the part above |
| PV 30–150 kW without self-consumption | 6.2 Rp./kWh |
| PV over 150 kW | no minimum remuneration – pure market remuneration |
Guideline values per the Energy Ordinance, as of: July 2026. The current ordinance values and your grid operator's statement are decisive.
For the typical single-family home with 5 to 15 kWp it's simple: the full floor of 6.0 Rp./kWh, always. The tiering gets interesting for larger roofs – such as an apartment building with a 60-kW system and self-consumption: there only the share up to 30 kW is secured; for the rest the bare market price applies. The slightly higher guarantee for full-feed-in systems (6.2 Rp.) compensates for these operators not benefiting from self-consumption.
What the minimum remuneration does NOT cover
Three misunderstandings we regularly clear up in consultations:
1. The guarantee of origin is not included. The floor applies to the energy; the GO is remunerated separately – depending on the utility at 1.0 to 3.5 Rp./kWh, and almost everywhere only on active registration (why that's worthwhile). 2. It is not an average guarantee. The 6.0 Rp. apply per quarter as a floor – in good quarters you receive the (higher) market price. The minimum remuneration thus lifts the bad quarters, it doesn't cap the good ones. 3. It doesn't replace a cost-effectiveness calculation. 6 Rappen is a safety net, not a business model. Your system's return arises from self-consumption and the one-off feed-in incentive – feed-in is the second pillar.
Floor, not ceiling: what utilities actually pay
The minimum remuneration only defines what the grid operator has to pay at least – upwards it is free. And the differences in the region are considerable: ewz bases its tariff on an average of 12.91 Rp., Stadtwerk Winterthur pays seasonal fixed prices up to 13 Rp. in its contract model, while EKZ, WWZ and Glattwerk pass the market price through, making the floor an actually relevant scenario. The full comparison is in our big tariff overview.
In practice that means: whether the minimum remuneration ever matters for you depends on your address. In the ewz area it's theory; in a market-price area it can certainly kick in during a sunny summer quarter.
Do I have to do anything?
No – that's the good news. The minimum remuneration applies automatically: if a quarter's reference market price is below the floor, the grid operator settles at the floor. Neither an application nor registration is needed.
What's still worthwhile: reading the statement. Check whether the energy line is actually at the minimum in low-price quarters and whether the GO item appears. Errors are rare – forgotten GO registrations, however, are common.
What changes in the minimum remuneration in 2027?
The level stays the same: 6.0 Rp./kWh for systems under 30 kW, 6.2 Rp./kWh for systems of 30 kW or more without self-consumption, and for larger systems with self-consumption 180 divided by the output in kW. What is new is the mechanism. From 1 January 2027, every kilowatt hour fed in is first remunerated at the spot price of the respective quarter hour. If the quarter's reference market price is then below the minimum remuneration, the grid operator pays the difference as a premium.
The catch: the premium is calculated using the average of all solar systems, not your own feed-in profile. Anyone who feeds in mainly around midday, when prices are lowest, ends up below the minimum remuneration despite the premium; anyone who shifts part of it into the evening ends up above it. Systems without a smart meter will continue to be billed as before until one is installed. More on this: Feed-in tariff 2027: solar power now paid at the spot price.
The minimum remuneration has an unexpected side effect in consultations: it reassures. Many prospects have headlines about "negative prices on the electricity market" in mind and fear their solar power could one day become worthless. The honest answer since 2026: for the typical roof system that scenario has been cleared away by the law – it won't get worse than 6 Rappen for the energy, and with the GO and realistic market quarters the average sits above it. We still deliberately calculate quotes conservatively close to the floor: whatever comes in more in operation is a pleasant surprise – nobody wants to experience the reverse.
Frequently asked questions
Does the minimum remuneration also apply to existing systems?
Yes – it attaches to feed-in, not to the system's year of construction. Even anyone who has been feeding in for years has benefited from the floor since 1 January 2026.
Who pays the minimum remuneration – the state or the utility?
Your grid operator. The floor is a statutory obligation of utilities towards producers – it's not a subsidy applied for or paid out separately.
Can the floor drop again?
The values are in the Energy Ordinance and can be adjusted by the Federal Council – upwards as well as downwards. For long-term calculations don't rely on a fixed value, but on a conservative range.
Does the minimum also apply in a ZEV or a LEG?
The minimum remuneration concerns feed-in to the grid operator. Electricity that you distribute internally in a ZEV or market in a LEG follows its own rules – only the remaining surplus to the grid is secured by the minimum.
Why is my remuneration below 6 Rappen anyway?
Check two things: is it a system over 30 kW with self-consumption (proportional guarantee)? And compare the pure energy line – deductions or separate metering costs can visually depress the payout amount. When in doubt: show the statement to the installer or the utility.
Free initial consultation
Only the minimum remuneration left? Check the battery.
Instead of feeding solar power in for a few Rappen: in the free battery check we calculate with your consumption data whether more self-consumption pays off at your location – conservatively, without rosy calculation.
Prefer to talk? +41 78 830 83 35
Photovoltaic installer for your region →
Swissolar member and Solarprofi · ESTI installation authorisation (Art. 14 NIV) · in Zurich since 2017 · over 150 systems completed · a personal answer from the specialist company, no call centre
Further guides
Feed-in tariffs: the big comparison
Der Referenz-Marktpreis erklärt
Eigenverbrauch oder Einspeisen?
Rückliefertarif EKZ
One-off feed-in incentiveSources: Electricity Act / Energy Ordinance (minimum remuneration), Swiss Federal Office of Energy (reference market price), ElCom (FAQ Electricity Act), tariff sheets of regional grid operators.
Last updated: 9 July 2026 · Author: ecoEn editorial team
