This has become the central question whenever solar energy comes up in 2026: self-consume or sell? Many property owners still arrive with the idea that selling all production to the grid is the model. That has not been true since 2018. Today, in 95% of cases in French-speaking Switzerland, self-consumption wins without debate.
The question is no longer whether you self-consume, but how much. And that changes everything for profitability.
Why full grid sale no longer makes sense in 2026
The calculation comes down to two figures: the price of electricity purchased from your distributor, and the price paid for what you inject. In 2026, in French-speaking Switzerland:
- Purchase from the distributor: 25 to 32 ct/kWh depending on the tariff (peak/off-peak, winter/summer).
- Surplus feed-in: 8 to 14 ct/kWh.
The differential (between 15 and 24 ct/kWh) is exactly the value of one self-consumed kWh compared to one injected kWh. Every kWh you produce and consume on-site is therefore worth 2 to 3 times more than the same kWh sold to the grid.
This differential has two structural causes. First, the distributor pays for surplus at a price close to the wholesale market rate, not the consumer tariff. Second, your purchase tariff also covers distribution, taxes, and transport — roughly half of the price at the meter. When you self-consume, you save all of that at once.
At equivalent tariffs, over 25 years, the gap between an installation with 60% self-consumption and the same installation with 100% injection can easily reach CHF 25,000 to CHF 35,000 over the system's lifetime. That is more than the gross cost of an average installation.
Feed-in tariffs by distributor in French-speaking Switzerland
Each distributor sets its tariffs and revises them each year. Some 2026 reference points, subject to published updates:
| Distributor | Indicative feed-in tariff 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Romande Energie | 9 to 12 ct/kWh | Differentiated winter/summer tariff in some areas |
| SIG (Geneva) | 10 to 13 ct/kWh | "Vitale Soleil" programme on certain contracts |
| Groupe E | 8 to 11 ct/kWh | Bonus depending on supply contract |
| Services industriels Lausanne | 10 to 14 ct/kWh | Local tariff, sometimes more generous |
| Sinergy (Valais) | 8 to 12 ct/kWh | Variations depending on connected municipality |
These ranges are indicative. The prudent rule: ask for the current rate table at the time of connection, and anticipate that tariffs may fall in coming years if the wholesale market eases.
How your self-consumption rate is built up
Self-consumption is not a figure that falls from the sky. It is the result of alignment between the solar production curve (bell-shaped, centred on noon–1pm) and the consumption curve (typically morning and evening for a household with no significant daytime usage).
For a standard home without a heat pump, electric vehicle, or automated control, you typically observe:
- Household absent during the day, no automated usage: 20 to 30% self-consumption
- Household partially present, with some daytime usage: 30 to 40%
- Household with solar-controlled hot water tank: 40 to 50%
- Household with heat pump for heating and hot water: 50 to 65%
- Household with heat pump and electric vehicle charged during the day: 60 to 75%
- Household with heat pump + EV + 10 kWh battery: 75 to 90%
The takeaway: without changing any equipment, you often plateau at 30–40%. With a few technical adjustments (heat pump, controlled tank, daytime EV charging), you can almost double the rate. And at that point, profitability shifts substantially.
Shifting usage: the lever that costs nothing
A large share of self-consumption gains comes from simple habits, with no investment required. Three concrete examples we see regularly with our clients.
Hot water tank. Instead of heating overnight during off-peak hours, programme a midday heat cycle. On a 200–300 litre tank, that is 6 to 10 kWh per day shifting to direct self-consumption. The annual gain runs into hundreds of francs.
Washing machine and tumble dryer. Programmable on most modern appliances. Running a cycle at noon rather than 7pm gains 3 to 5 kWh of self-consumption per cycle.
Electric vehicle. The most powerful lever. A 7 kW charge over 4 hours at midday is 28 kWh self-consumed in a single session. For a car charged three times a week during the day, you can easily gain 15 percentage points of self-consumption at an annual scale.
None of these steps require additional equipment. A simple timer programme, or a basic smart thermostat costing CHF 200, and the rate rises.
When a battery becomes worthwhile
With self-consumption already high thanks to natural usage patterns, adding a battery remains an investment worth examining seriously. This topic merits its own full article, but in brief:
- Below 40% self-consumption: the battery has a strong effect, but the ROI remains long (12–15 years).
- Between 50 and 60%: the battery takes you from 60% to 80%, a net gain, but ROI of 12–14 years.
- Above 65% self-consumption already achieved: the marginal gain from a battery becomes modest.
The decisive criterion is not purely financial: it is resilience during grid outages (with a compatible hybrid inverter) and autonomy on winter evenings. For many property owners, the comfort factor justifies the investment more than the payback calculation alone.
The RCP in co-ownership properties: a special case
The collective self-consumption group (RCP) profoundly changes the calculation in multi-unit buildings. Multiple units, or an entire co-ownership (PPE), share a single installation and production is distributed according to individual consumption.
The effect of combining profiles is powerful: not all residents are absent during the day, communal areas (heating, ventilation, lift) consume continuously, some units house remote workers. Overall, the collective self-consumption rate often reaches 65 to 85%, whereas each unit taken individually would plateau at 30–40%.
The RCP requires a vote at the general meeting, an amendment to the co-ownership regulations, and a distribution method approved by co-owners. But economically, it is in 2026 the most profitable solar arrangement available in collective residential buildings.
The feed-in contract: what you are signing
As soon as an installation injects surplus into the grid — which happens in 99% of residential cases — a feed-in contract must be signed with the distributor. A few points to check.
Duration and revision. The tariff is revised each year. No distributor in Switzerland guarantees a tariff for 20 years. Contracts are annual or multi-year with a review clause.
Bidirectional meter. Installed by the distributor, generally at their cost, sometimes invoiced for a few hundred francs.
Seasonality. Some distributors apply a summer/winter tariff for feed-in. Check the contract.
Disconnection and circuit breaker. The installation must be able to be remotely disconnected from the grid by the distributor if needed. This is a Swiss standard and is non-negotiable.
For a serious installer, all of this is part of the installation package. A simple question to ask at the quote stage: do you also handle the feed-in contract with the distributor?
Our recommendation for 2026
In 95% of residential projects in French-speaking Switzerland, the right approach is to aim for maximum self-consumption — first through usage patterns, then through a battery if relevant. Grid injection remains the natural outlet for surplus, but it should never be the primary goal when sizing the installation.
In practical terms: size the installation to future consumption (heat pump, EV), control deferrable usage, add a battery when comfort justifies it, and accept injecting 30 to 40% of production to the grid as a marginal benefit. This is the model that works best in 2026 between Geneva and Fribourg, and it will be reinforced by the evolution of distributor tariffs in the years ahead.