The virtual ZEV (vZEV) distributes solar power within the building without a single meter being converted: the grid operator keeps metering with its smart meters exactly as before and calculates the solar power distribution virtually. Since the Mantelerlass, grid operators have been obliged to permit virtual associations. The condition remains that all participants are connected at the same connection point – and that smart metering systems are installed everywhere. (As of: July 2026)
Key points in brief
- The vZEV achieves the same goal as the classic ZEV – distributing solar power to multiple parties – but without any structural work.
- The grid operator's smart meters handle the metering; it settles the internal distribution virtually.
- Grid operators must permit the vZEV – it's a legal right, not a goodwill gesture.
- The requirement is a shared connection point («place of production») and smart meters for all participants.
- One cost detail with impact: only one grid-usage base fee may be charged per vZEV – not one per apartment.
What is a vZEV – and what does «virtual» mean?
The virtual association for self-consumption removes the classic ZEV's biggest hurdle: converting the metering. In the classic model, the grid operator's individual apartment meters disappear, and the association itself measures internally who draws how much solar power. With the vZEV, everything physically stays as it is – the grid operator's smart meters keep metering each apartment individually.
«Virtual» is the distribution: the grid operator computationally allocates the metered solar production to the participants, as if the power had flowed internally. The quarter-hourly readings from the smart metering systems show when the system produced and who was consuming at the same time – and exactly that share is billed to participants as solar power instead of grid consumption. The economic result is the same as with the physical ZEV; the route there runs through software instead of a screwdriver.
That's why the vZEV is particularly interesting for existing properties: apartment buildings and condominiums where no conversion is planned and nobody wants to deal with their own metering concept. Where it stands in the ZEV/vZEV/LEG model triangle is shown in the big comparison.
Do I have a right to a vZEV?
Yes – and that's the most important change. Since the Mantelerlass, grid operators have been obliged to permit virtual associations for self-consumption. The vZEV is therefore not a voluntary product that a utility can offer or not, but a model enshrined in law with a legal right to it.
This fundamentally changes the owners' negotiating position. Before this regulation, virtual billing depended on the local utility's goodwill; today the question is no longer «does my utility offer this?» but «does my property meet the requirements?». However, the implementation details – forms, processes, terms – still differ noticeably between utilities, because the practice is still young.
Two conditions must be met:
The shared connection point. As with the classic ZEV, the «place of production» applies: participants must be connected via the same grid connection point or the same connection line; for connections below 1 kV, the local infrastructure at the grid connection point also counts. So the vZEV overcomes the metering boundary, not the property boundary – anyone wanting to bring power to neighbours over the public grid needs the LEG.
Smart meters for all participants. Virtual billing relies on the quarter-hourly readings from smart metering systems. No smart meters, no virtual distribution – where the rollout hasn't yet arrived, replacing the meter is part of the setup. Your utility knows the status in your grid area; the fundamentals on this topic are in the article Smart meters Switzerland.
What does the vZEV cost – and what do I save?
The setup is inexpensive because the most expensive item of the classic ZEV is eliminated: the metering conversion. No submetering, no meter installation, no electrician for the metering infrastructure – the hardware is already in place, it belongs to the grid operator.
On the ongoing side, the grid operator charges a service fee for the virtual billing; each utility sets its own amount and therefore necessarily belongs in the comparison of variants. In contrast to this is a legally secured detail that is easily overlooked: Only one basic grid usage price may be charged for the entire vZEV – not one per apartment. In a building with many parties, this item alone adds up noticeably.
The actual savings work as in the classic ZEV: The virtually distributed solar power replaces the grid consumption including levies for the participants, and the residents pay an internal price for this, which must not exceed the external standard product. Who gets what – ownership, residents, surplus remuneration – is described in the article on ZEV surplus remuneration; the logic applies to both variants.
| Classic ZEV | vZEV | |
|---|---|---|
| Metering | own submetering | grid operator's smart meter |
| Structural effort | Metering concept, meter conversion | none |
| Billing | self/management/service provider | Grid operator (for a fee) |
| Legal entitlement | established since 2018 | Authorisation requirement since the Mantelerlass |
| Basic grid usage price | one (one connection) | one per vZEV |
| Suits | New build, renovation | Existing property without conversion |
Simplified overview, As of: July 2026. The law, ordinance and the conditions of the local grid operator are decisive.
How do I set up a vZEV?
The path is shorter than with the classic ZEV, but it follows the same logic – organise first, then start:
1. Request to the grid operator. Does the property meet the «place of production» requirement, and are smart meters installed everywhere? This request costs nothing and clarifies the feasibility in a binding manner. 2. Obtain conditions. Service fee, billing modalities, start date – the details differ depending on the utility. 3. Draft internal agreement. Even without meter conversion, rules are needed: internal price, distribution, entry and exit. The points are the same as for ZEV formation, Step 4. 4. Registration and start. The grid operator sets up the virtual billing; from the cut-off date, the solar share and grid consumption appear separately on the participants' bills.
The biggest planning mistake is the same as with the classic model: postponing the internal agreement until later. The technology for the vZEV is done in weeks – the rules between ownership and residents need the same care as always.
Since the authorisation requirement has been in effect, the consultation question has turned: We used to have to check whether the local utility bills virtually at all – today we check how well it can already do so. The differences are real: Some utilities in the region have well-established vZEV processes with online registration, others still treat every request as an individual case. Our consequence: For every apartment building project, we make the vZEV request right at the beginning, parallel to the system planning. The answer decides whether an own metering concept is still worthwhile at all – and it comes all the faster the more concretely the request is formulated.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ZEV and vZEV?
The goal is identical: Distribute solar power in the building to several parties. The classic ZEV meters with its own private metering infrastructure, the vZEV lets the grid operator bill virtually via its smart meters. Less effort with the vZEV – but dependence on processes and fees of the local utility.
Can my grid operator reject the vZEV?
Not in principle – since the Mantelerlass there is an authorisation requirement. It can only reject it if the prerequisites are missing, for example because the participants are not connected to the same connection point. Exactly this question is clarified by the request to the utility in the first step.
Does the vZEV work across multiple buildings?
Only if they share the same grid connection point or the same connection line – for instance in a development with a shared connection. Across the property line and the public grid, the LEG is the right model, not the vZEV.
Do all apartments really need a smart meter?
Yes, virtual billing requires smart metering systems for all participants – it provides the quarter-hour values from which the distribution is calculated. Missing smart meters are retrofitted in the course of the setup; your grid operator knows the rollout status.
Can I switch from the vZEV to the classic ZEV later?
Yes, the models are not mutually exclusive – a switch is possible, for instance if a renovation brings its own metering concept anyway. It makes sense to draft the agreement from the beginning in such a way that a model change does not require it to be renegotiated.
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vZEV for your property? We make the request.
For every apartment building and STWEG project, we clarify the vZEV feasibility directly with your grid operator – and calculate the variants next to each other with real conditions.
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Sources: Energiegesetz (Art. 17 EnG) and Energieverordnung (Art. 14 EnV) in the version of the Mantelerlass, ElCom-FAQ on the energy strategy from the Mantelerlass (as of 2026), publications of the regional grid operators.
Last updated: 9 July 2026 · Author: ecoEn editorial team
