The City of Zurich is one of the most generous incentive locations in Switzerland. Since 1 August 2026, even higher rates apply: a CHF 5,000 base contribution plus CHF 450 per kWp (tiered lower from 30 kWp), plus a CHF 3,000 flat rate for systems requiring a permit – and for the first time, battery storage is also subsidised. Important to understand: the rates are total incentives including the federal contribution – the federal government pays its one-off feed-in incentive, and the city tops up the rest to the city rate. On top comes one of the highest feed-in tariffs in the region. (As of August 2026)
Key points in brief
- Investment contribution since 1 August 2026: CHF 5,000 base contribution plus CHF 450 per kWp up to 30 kWp (CHF 350 from 30 kWp, CHF 310 from 100 kWp). The federal one-off feed-in incentive is part of this calculation: the federal government pays its contribution, and the city tops up the rest.
- A flat CHF 3,000 extra for systems requiring a permit on existing buildings.
- New since August 2026: incentives for battery storage – CHF 1,000 base contribution plus CHF 100 per kWh (second-life bonus: a further CHF 100 per kWh). Details: City of Zurich storage incentives.
- In 2026, ewz remunerates exported solar power at an average of 12.91 Rp./kWh; in the ewz.solarquartier model, it's 14 Rp./kWh.
- Mandatory: submit the incentive application before construction starts or before awarding the contract – otherwise the entitlement lapses.
What incentives does the City of Zurich currently pay for PV systems?
The city subsidises photovoltaics with an investment contribution consisting of two parts: a fixed base contribution of CHF 5,000 and an output-based share of CHF 450 per kWp up to 30 kWp – from 30 kWp it's CHF 350, from 100 kWp CHF 310 per kWp. For a typical 10 kWp system on a single-family home, that comes to CHF 9,500 in incentives. The top-up principle applies: the federal one-off feed-in incentive is counted first, and the city pays the difference up to the city rate – on balance, you receive the higher of the two amounts, not the sum.
Systems are eligible if they are larger than 2 kWp after deducting the legally required minimum. This subtlety is important: in the City of Zurich, a solar obligation of 10 W per m² applies to certain building projects – only what you build beyond this mandatory minimum is subsidised. For a classic retrofit on an existing single-family home, the deduction usually plays no role.
| Contribution | Rate (until 31 July 2026, old) | Rate (since 1 August 2026)* |
|---|---|---|
| Base contribution | CHF 4,400 | CHF 5,000 |
| Output-based contribution | CHF 420/kWp · CHF 330/additional kWp from 30 kWp · CHF 300/additional kWp from 100 kWp | CHF 450/kWp up to 30 kWp · CHF 350/kWp from 30 kWp · CHF 310/kWp from 100 kWp |
| Flat rate for systems requiring a permit (existing buildings) | – | CHF 3,000 |
Guideline values as of August 2026. The old column only serves to classify ongoing commitments. The top-up principle applies to both columns: the rates are total incentives including the federal contributions (Pronovo) – the federal government pays its part, and the city tops up the rest. How the amount is split in the individual case is shown by the incentive calculator at stadt-zuerich.ch/energiefoerdermittel. The current incentive provisions of the City of Zurich are binding.
The city itself gives an example in its information brochure: a 15 kWp system with investment costs of CHF 35,250 receives incentives of CHF 11,750 (including the federal contributions) – leaving CHF 23,500, around a third less. The order of magnitude matches our guideline prices for 15 kWp systems.
What changed on 1 August 2026?
In June 2026, the city council decided on a significant increase (STRB No. 1853/2026); it has been in force since 1 August. Three points stand out:
1. Higher base contribution: CHF 5,000 instead of CHF 4,400, plus clearly tiered rates per kWp (450 up to 30 kWp, 350 from 30 kWp, 310 from 100 kWp). 2. Flat rate for systems requiring a permit: anyone building a system on an existing building that requires a building application – for example in core zones or on facades – receives an extra CHF 3,000. This offsets part of the additional effort that has held back such projects until now. 3. Storage incentive for the first time (details in the next section).
The time of submission is decisive: applications submitted since 1 August fall under the new regime; applications submitted earlier are assessed under the previous rules. If in doubt, the incentive calculator or the city's energy advice service will clarify.
How high is the new battery storage incentive?
Since 1 August 2026, the City of Zurich has subsidised stationary battery storage for the first time – a rarity in the region. The key figures:
- Base contribution of CHF 1,000 for storage from 3 kWh capacity
- plus CHF 100 per kWh – a maximum of 1.5 kWh per installed kWp of the system and a maximum of 100 kWh per storage unit are eligible
- plus an additional CHF 100 per kWh if the storage consists of reused battery cells (second-life bonus)
The conditions: operation with a PV system behind the same service connection box, integration into a grid-friendly energy management system, at least six years of operation – and no lead batteries. Retrofitting existing systems is also explicitly subsidised. For a typical 10 kWh home battery, that's CHF 2,000 – with storage costs of several thousand francs, a noticeable contribution that changes the calculation but doesn't carry it alone. All details, worked examples and the application process: City of Zurich storage incentives.
Guideline values according to Art. 20a–20d of the city's incentive provisions, as of August 2026. The current provisions of the City of Zurich apply.
What additional contributions are there for difficult roofs?
This is where it shows that the programme was designed by people who know the practice. The city pays additional contributions exactly where projects on existing properties would otherwise fail:
| Additional contribution | Rate | Upper limit |
|---|---|---|
| Structural reinforcement of the roof | CHF 250/kWp | CHF 50,000 |
| Asbestos removal (Eternit roofs from the 1960s/70s) | CHF 250/kWp | CHF 50,000 |
| Reinforcement of the service connection | CHF 250/kWp | CHF 100,000 |
| Combination with a green roof (flat roof) | CHF 250/kWp | CHF 10,000 |
| Module orientation for winter electricity production | CHF 300/kWp | CHF 60,000 |
| Heritage preservation clarifications | – | CHF 3,000 |
Guideline values according to the City of Zurich fact sheet, as of June 2026.
If one of these issues applies to your building, it belongs in the incentive application – we show corresponding items separately in the quote so that the allocation works cleanly.
What does ewz pay for exported solar power?
In addition to the investment contribution, the ongoing remuneration counts. In 2026, ewz remunerates exports at an average of 12.91 Rp./kWh – made up of energy (8.5 Rp. peak, 4.45 Rp. off-peak), 3 Rp. for the guarantee of origin and, new, 2 Rp. solar incentive. This puts the city far ahead in the regional comparison.
ewz.solarquartier goes one step further: anyone who sells their surplus power directly to the neighbourhood in a local electricity community receives 14 Rp./kWh. Details on tariff structure and registration: ewz feed-in tariff.
The tariffs are adjusted periodically – the current ewz publication applies.
How do you submit the incentive application?
The process is less bureaucratic than many expect:
1. Use the City of Zurich's incentive calculator – it shows the expected contribution for your system. 2. Submit the application online – always before construction starts or before awarding the contract. Anyone who signs or builds first and then asks loses the entitlement. 3. Wait for approval, then award the contract and build. 4. After commissioning: settlement with the city, Pronovo application for the one-off feed-in incentive, deduction in your next tax return.
For ecoEn projects in the city, we handle the applications as standard – including deadline monitoring, so that step 2 never becomes a stumbling block.
What comes from the federal government and the canton?
Precision pays off here, because the interaction is often misunderstood. The City of Zurich works on the top-up principle: if the city incentive is higher than that of the federal government or canton, they pay their share – for example the federal one-off feed-in incentive (currently around CHF 360 per kWp) – and the city tops up the remaining amount to the city rate. So you submit both applications and receive both payments, but on balance the city's total rate, not the sum of both programmes. Since the Zurich rates are usually above the one-off incentive, the city rate practically always determines your total amount. The Canton of Zurich pays no PV incentive of its own, but the tax deduction for existing buildings is fully effective – and it comes on top regardless of the incentives; contributions received must be taken into account correctly. You'll find the overall picture for the canton in the cantonal guide.
In our projects in the City of Zurich, we see two recurring patterns. First: the city incentive is often simply forgotten when budgeting – yet together with the one-off incentive, it regularly accounts for a quarter to a third of the investment for a 10 kWp system. Second: especially with older properties, it's not the module price that decides feasibility, but structure, asbestos or a service connection that's too weak. The fact that exactly these items are subsidised in Zurich has already saved projects that would have ended up in a drawer elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
Does the incentive also apply outside the City of Zurich?
No. The investment contribution and the ewz feed-in remuneration apply in the ewz supply area, i.e. in the City of Zurich (and parts of Graubünden). For the surrounding municipalities in the canton: Canton of Zurich incentives.
Can I combine the city contribution and the federal one-off incentive?
You submit both applications and receive both payments – but not as a sum. The top-up principle applies: the federal government pays its one-off incentive, and the city tops up the remaining amount to the city rate. The tax deduction comes on top regardless; contributions received must be correctly declared in your tax return.
My application was submitted before 1 August 2026 – which rates apply?
The previous ones: applications submitted before the new rules came into force are assessed under the previous rules. The new rates apply to applications submitted since 1 August 2026. If in doubt, the city's energy advice service will provide binding information.
Are balcony power plants subsidised?
Yes, ewz supports plug-&-play systems for tenants with around CHF 200 per panel (systems with one or two panels from 250 W, a maximum of around CHF 400). More: Balcony power plants in Switzerland.
Can I get the storage incentive retrospectively for an existing system?
Yes – the incentive explicitly applies to both existing and new PV systems. The application must be submitted before installation; the storage must be combined with the PV system behind the same service connection box and a grid-friendly energy management system. Details and limits: City of Zurich storage incentives.
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Sources: City of Zurich (energy incentives, press releases June 2026 and December 2025; information brochure to owners, July 2026), ewz (incentives, press release June 2026), Pronovo AG.
Last updated: 9 July 2026 · Author: ecoEn editorial team
