Switzerland to trim solar power FiTs by 12% to 23%

Nov 6, 2014 - Feed-in tariffs (FiTs) for solar electricity in Switzerland will fall by between 12% and 23% as of the start of October 2015, depending on the size of the installation.

The Swiss Federal Council yesterday announced that there will be two reductions to the FiTs next year -- one on April 1 and one on October 1. Also, companies that secure contracts under the FiT programme in 2015 will be given only 15 months to complete their projects. Via these moves, the council aims to ensure that developers install solar capacity faster and at a lower cost.

The most significant reduction is planned for the FiT for solar power systems of no more than 30 kW. After the two planned cuts in 2015 it will fall by some 23% as compared to current rates. For installations of between 30 kW and 1 MW the tariff will be 18% lower in October 2015. Large solar plants of more than 1 MW will see their FiT fall by 12%.

Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) will continue to receive 15% on top of the FiT, as is the case currently. That measure aims to compensate BIPV project owners for their higher costs.

The council noted that the reduced FiTs will not be changed again before April 2016.

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