The complete package – predefined system sizes at a fixed price – works well if your house corresponds to the standard case: simple pitched roof, no shading, normal meter space, no special requests. As soon as one of these conditions changes – or heat pump, e-car and battery are to be considered –, individual planning usually saves more than it costs. The honest answer is therefore not a question of principle, but a roof question. (As of: July 2026)
Key points in brief
- Complete packages standardise components and processes – this makes them cheap and fast, but only within their grid.
- The price advantage of the package is real, as long as there are no «exceptions»; every deviation becomes an addendum or a compromise.
- Individual planning is worthwhile for: shading, complex roof shapes, combination with heat pump/e-car/battery, ZEV, visual requirements, older electrics.
- The package test in one question: «What is NOT in the package – and what does it cost if my house needs it?»
- Both paths can be reputable – the technical minimum details apply to packages just as much as to tailored suits.
What is behind the two models?
The complete package is the IKEA principle of the solar industry: predefined sizes («10 kWp incl. installation for CHF X»), fixed components, standardised processes. The provider calculates with the standard case and thus becomes fast and attractively priced – the standardisation is a legitimate savings lever.
The individual planning starts at the roof instead of the catalogue: site visit, consumption analysis, design according to area, shading and future consumers, free choice of components. It costs more engineering time – which is included in the price – and in return delivers a system that is calculated for the house instead of the average.
Important: The boundary does not run between «cheap» and «expensive», but between grid and custom fit. There are high-quality packages and sloppy individual plans – the choice of model determines how well your specific house is mapped.
When the complete package is the right choice
To be honest: more often than individual planners like to admit. The package fits if your project meets all of these criteria:
- simple pitched or flat roof, one contiguous area, good orientation;
- no significant shading (trees, neighbouring houses, chimneys, dormers);
- roof skin and substructure in good condition, no renovation foreseeable;
- meter space and electrics up to date, short cable route;
- Standard requirement: produce electricity, take self-consumption with you – without battery, ZEV or special requests.
If this is the case, you get a lot of solar system for your money with a reputable package – and standardisation is not a disadvantage, but the reason for the price.
When individual planning saves money instead of costing it
The package grid becomes expensive wherever your house deviates from it – then you either pay additional charges or get the wrong system for the right price:
| Situation | Why the package hits a snag here |
|---|---|
| Shading | Standard string planning loses a disproportionate amount of yield; here the inverter concept is decisive (design) |
| Multiple roof areas / dormers / east-west | Packages calculate with one area; the layout optimisation is exactly the engineering work that is missing in the package |
| Heat pump, electric car, battery – today or planned | Sizing and control must be based on future consumption, not today's; retrofitting is more expensive than planning ahead |
| Self-consumption community (ZEV) / apartment building | Metering concept and billing break every standard grid |
| Older electrics / meter box | the classic among the additional charges – recognised during planning, it costs less than when discovered on the construction site |
| Appearance: full black, in-roof, visible location | Design is by definition not off-the-peg goods (price classes) |
The calculation behind it is simple: individual planning costs a few hours of specialist time. A single avoided planning mistake – incorrectly sized inverter, overlooked statics, system too small for the upcoming heat pump – costs more.
The practice test: Five questions for every package
If you are considering a package, ask these questions – the answers separate reputable packages from bait offers:
1. Does a site visit take place before the contract is signed – and can the package still be adjusted afterwards? 2. What exactly is not included (scaffolding, meter box, registrations) – and at what rates are deviations added? 3. Which components are included – with type designation (minimum information)? 4. What happens if my roof deviates from the grid – additional charge based on time and materials or a new fixed price? 5. Who looks after the system after installation?
A good package answers all five in writing. A bait offer usually fails at question 2.
We plan every system individually – and yet we regularly say things like: «A good package would also work for this roof.» Because the difference is not evident in the normal case, but in the deviations, and we only see those on the roof. The pattern from years of site visits: about every second single-family home has at least one peculiarity that would become a compromise or an additional charge in the package grid – a shaded chimney, a full meter box, the desire for an electric car «in two or three years». The other half is actually standard. That is why our calm advice is: have your roof looked at before you decide on a model – the site visit is free of charge with us as with any reputable provider, and it answers the model question along the way.
For those who do not want to choose between a package and individual planning, but want photovoltaics, a battery and a wallbox from a single provider right from the start: the overview can be found at PV, battery & wallbox from a single source.
Frequently asked questions
Are complete packages fundamentally worse planned?
No – they are planned for the standard case, and often efficiently. It only gets worse when a non-standard house is forced into the standard grid.
How big is the price difference between a package and individual planning?
In the identical standard case, usually manageable – the planning time makes up a few percent of the project. In the non-standard case, the sign reverses: there, individual planning, calculated via additional charges and yield quality, is often the cheaper variant.
Can I buy a package and expand it later (battery, wallbox)?
Technically often yes – if it is considered today: hybrid-compatible inverter, reserve space in the meter box, empty conduits. Exactly this preparation is the point where packages save money. Ask explicitly about it.
I have a package quote – do you check it?
Yes, we do that free of charge – with the same 12-point checklist that we apply to our own quotes. Sometimes our conclusion is: good package, go for it.
What about online configurators with an instant price?
Useful for an initial rough estimate, unsuitable as a basis for a contract – the configurator does not see your roof. No serious price without a site visit (red flags).
Free initial consultation
First the roof, then the model.
Free site visit, honest assessment – and if a package is enough for your house, we will tell you that too.
Want to calculate yourself first? Solar calculator with official roof data →
Prefer to talk? +41 78 830 83 35
Photovoltaics Switzerland – installation by a specialist company →
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: Empirical values from installation practice, Zurich region.
Last updated: 9 July 2026 · Author: ecoEn editorial team
