From May 28 to June 6, 2021, the "Days of the Sun" numerous opportunities to find out about all topics relating to solar energy. A good idea, because the path to your own solar system is easier than ever today, as the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) writes.

Sufficient funding available

According to the SFOE, a total of 470 million Swiss francs is available this year for one-off payments for photovoltaic (PV) systems: 270 million francs of this for small PV systems with an output of less than 100 kW and 200 million francs for large systems with an output of 100 kW or more. The one-time payment covers about 20% of the investment costs, depending on the plant capacity.

In 7 steps to the PV plant

SwissEnergy, the federal government's program for renewable energies and energy efficiency, provides numerous guides for planning PV systems at energieschweiz.ch. They guide even PV laymen safely to their goal.

The guide "In seven steps to your solar system" takes you through all the important stages of planning and implementation:

1. First, the solar potentials on roof and facade should be analyzed with sonnendach.ch and sonnenfassade.ch.
2. Step 2 provides information on how to achieve the highest possible self-consumption and whether battery storage is worthwhile.
3. The solar calculator can then be used to calculate the investment costs and electricity production of different types of systems.
4. After that, it is worth getting support and quotes from qualified installers. You can find them easily at solarprofis.ch. Beware of dubious offers that arrive by phone or by mail. If you have three offers for the system, you can have them checked and compared free of charge by SwissEnergy.
5. In step 5, SwissEnergy also provides tips and sample letters for registering the system with the municipality or canton (register before construction begins).
6. Of course, the plant should definitely be registered for the promotion with a one-time payment at pronovo.ch.
7. As soon as the authority confirms, the construction can start. Ideally, this will only take a few days and then the production of your own electricity can begin. For the functional control of the plant after a few years of operation, the Swiss Solar Energy Association SSES offers quality tests by independent experts.

Administrative facilitation

To make registration for a one-time subsidy more user-friendly, Pronovo AG has developed a customer portal. This allows the registration for the subsidy to be paperless, according to the SFOE. It also makes it easier to deal with the authorities. In order to make the registration and approval procedures even faster and simpler, Pronovo AG is making SwissEnergy the "Guide to the notification and approval procedure for solar installations". With the support of SwissEnergy, Swissolar will launch the EasyAdmin tool on the market this year. EasyAdmin will make it much easier for planners and installers to deal with Pronovo, grid operators and municipalities.

Track PV expansion in communities online

For the website www.bfe.admin.ch/stromproduktion of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, a new map was developed with geodata on electricity production plants in Switzerland. According to the SFOE, this data can be used to track the addition of PV plants for each Swiss municipality and also to analyze how much of the existing PV potential it is already using.

Removal of further hurdles

Hurdles are also being removed in the legal framework at the federal level:

• Per July 1, 2021 the planning approval requirement for power generation plants connected to a low-voltage distribution network is abolished. PV plants can thus be realized more easily, more cheaply and more quickly (Ordinance on the Planning Approval Procedure for Electrical Plants VPeA). The Federal Council is expected to decide on the entry into force of the revised VPeA at the end of May.
• Per July 1, 2021 the obtaining of a limited installation permit is simplified. This will make it easier for professionals to obtain an installation permit for such systems. (Low Voltage Installation Ordinance NIV). The Federal Council is expected to decide on the entry into force of the revised NIV at the end of May.
• The certification process required for the guarantee of origin for photovoltaic systems with an output of less than 100 kW is to be completed by 1.1.2022 simplified (revision of the DETEC ordinance on the guarantee of origin and electricity labeling HKSV. In consultation since 27 April 2021).
• Per 1.1.2022 there should be simplifications in the charging of costs for "plant contracting" in the connection to own consumption (revision of the Energy Ordinance EnV. In consultation since April 27, 2021).
• In the next revision of the Spatial Planning Ordinance, simplifications of building permits for PV on infrastructure facilities outside the building zone and on facades are to be proposed (lead management at the Federal Office for Spatial Development ARE).
• In June, the Federal Council is expected to submit to parliament the dispatch on the "Federal Act on a Secure Electricity Supply with Renewable Energies" (revision of the Energy and Electricity Supply Act). It is planned that the current fixed one-off payments for large PV systems will be determined by means of tenders (auctions). The Federal Council can provide for higher one-off payments for large systems without self-consumption. Furthermore, in the course of the complete opening of the electricity market, virtual associations for self-consumption (ZEV) and the use of connection lines by the ZEV should become possible. Finally, old PV systems are to be protected from the return tariffs by the federal government purchasing their guarantees of origin for a certain period of time (to be implemented by Pronovo).

Source: SFOE

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