From pv magazine Germany

Swissolar says PV deployment in Switzerland will likely average 1.5 GW a year through 2027 as the industry adjusts to policy uncertainty and lower feed-in tariffs. It presented three scenarios in its “Solar Monitor 2025” report outlining possible market developments and urging policymakers to sustain steady photovoltaic expansion.

The industry association expects around 1.5 GW of new photovoltaic capacity to be installed in Switzerland this year, down from roughly 2 GW in 2023 and 2024, which marked record growth. Swissolar President Jürg Grossen said maintaining installations at 1.5 GW annually would be sufficient to meet the nation’s 2050 climate targets.

The “Solar Monitor 2025” report indicates that new systems are already influencing the electricity market. For 2025, Swissolar projected solar power generation above 8 TWh, covering about 14% of annual consumption. “The total amount of solar power generated will be equivalent to that of a nuclear power plant,” Grossen said at a media briefing this week.

Swissolar Chief Executive Matthias Egli described the report’s three scenarios. The “medium scenario” foresees photovoltaic additions of 1.5 GW in both 2026 and 2027, rising to 1.8 GW by 2030. The “braking scenario” projects 1.2 GW by 2030, while the “express scenario” anticipates 2.7 GW, depending on policy and market conditions.

“Electricity is a penny-pinching business,” Grossen said, citing uncertainty in the PV market. “Currently, there’s a lot of uncertainty. The new photovoltaic models haven’t yet taken hold.” He attributed this partly to low feed-in tariffs and an unclear demand outlook, including the pending blackout initiative that could lift the ban on new nuclear power plants and further unsettle investment prospects.

Prices are declining across all segments and system sizes. Most new installations remain rooftop systems, while agrivoltaics, alpine power plants, and infrastructure projects contribute marginally to annual output.

Despite these challenges, Swissolar highlighted a number of positive trends. Photovoltaics and hydropower remain a “dream team” for stable electricity supply, and battery storage deployment is increasing, the association said. It plans to publish its first comprehensive storage report in spring 2026, forecasting battery capacity of 1.25 GWh by the end of 2025 – up about 50% from 2024.

Switzerland’s 8 GW of installed PV capacity is already influencing wholesale electricity prices, particularly during summer. Swissolar said flexibility measures such as battery storage and shared solar models – including Zero Energy Communities (ZEV) and Local Energy Communities (LEG) – could mitigate price drops and grid strain. It urged the Federal Council to adjust network-charge regulations to promote shared use and reduce grid-expansion needs.

Swissolar said it is also optimistic about the rollout of dynamic electricity tariffs by six distribution network operators next year and continues to advocate broader adoption of energy management systems.

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