Swiss agrivoltaics stalled at 0.0% of PV
A ZHAW report finds legal barriers and a rooftop focus have left Swiss agrivoltaics with fewer than 100 installations, despite a theoretical generation
Ground-mounted solar accounts for just 0.1% of Switzerland's installed PV capacity. Agrivoltaic systems, which combine solar power generation with agricultural use, account for 0.0%, according to a technical report from the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences. The country's Energy Act mandates a rise in non-hydropower renewable electricity generation to 35 TWh per year by 2035 and 45 TWh by 2050, making the continued exclusion of open-field sites difficult. Switzerland had 8.2 GW of installed PV capacity in 2025, generating about 8.2 TWh. Meeting national targets with PV as a key technology would require annual capacity additions of 2 GW to 2.5 GW.
The report questions whether such volumes can be achieved with a strong focus on rooftop installations alone. It states the potential of rooftop areas is "not being exploited consistently enough under current legal frameworks and subsidy schemes."
Enormous generation potential
The theoretical annual generation potential for agrivoltaics in Switzerland is estimated at 323 TWh. Even when limited to sites within 300 meters of a grid connection, the potential remains 113 TWh per year. The report's authors state this "corresponds to nearly double Switzerland’s electricity demand in recent years and significantly exceeds the projected electricity demand in various net-zero scenarios." Other drivers for the technology include high profitability at suitable sites, use of land with limited agricultural value, farm income diversification, and crop protection benefits. Studies cited suggest agrivoltaics enjoy greater public acceptance than conventional ground-mounted solar, despite generally strong opposition to ground-mounted PV in Switzerland.
Legal and administrative barriers
Key obstacles include uncertain profitability, potential restrictions on farm machinery use, and land ownership structures-around half of Swiss agricultural land is leased. However, legal and administrative barriers are identified as even more significant. Article 24 of the Spatial Planning Act (RPG) is central. It requires that PV on agricultural land must not impair agricultural production and must provide benefits for it or serve agricultural testing and research. This requirement largely explains the extremely low number of installations. A 2024 survey identified 22 agrivoltaic installations, with the report estimating the current total is "fewer than 100" and assumes these are "primarily research and pilot installations."
Recommendations for expansion
The ZHAW report sets out several recommendations to change the situation. It calls for greater investment certainty by adapting support mechanisms to agrivoltaics' specific needs. One proposal is a premium on top of the sliding market premium available through auctions since 2025, which remains underused. Similar premiums already exist for PV on parking areas and for systems with steep tilt angles.
The report also proposes safeguarding agricultural subsidy payments for land used for agri-PV, primarily through an amendment to Article 24 of the Spatial Planning Act. Other recommendations include enabling local participation models like energy cooperatives, establishing dedicated advisory services, and translating national renewable energy targets into local-level goals. Cantons currently determine much of the relevant legislation but face no specific capacity expansion targets.
Finally, the authors advise learning from neighboring countries. Germany, France, Italy, and Austria are described as being "significantly ahead of Switzerland in the development of agrivoltaics, both for regulation and actual project implementation." The report concludes there is "an opportunity to bypass mistakes and focus directly on measures that work."
