ZEV/vZEV solar tariff in seconds
Find out which solar tariff you may charge your tenants, how much they save and what the PV system earns you – legally compliant and without spreadsheet chaos.
Flat-rate method per Art. 16b para. 2 EnV (max. 80% of the external standard product)
Your inputs
Full energy price per kWh a tenant would pay their local utility – incl. grid usage and levies.
Share of consumption covered by your own PV system (typically 25–45%).
Apartments or parties in the ZEV.
Avg. annual consumption of one apartment.
Freely selectable up to the legal cap. Metering and billing costs are already included here.
Maximum solar tariff (legal cap)
= 80% of the external tariff · Art. 16b para. 2 EnV
Per unit and year
Electricity cost without ZEV
CHF 900
Electricity cost with ZEV
CHF 837
Tenant saving
CHF 63
Whole property
Solar revenue for you
CHF 3’780
per year
Total tenant savings
CHF 378
per year
Guideline values for orientation, not legal advice. The flat-rate method (Art. 16b para. 2 EnV) caps the solar tariff at 80% of the external standard product; the residual grid electricity is billed separately at its actual external cost (Art. 16a EnV). Fixed basic fees and metering of the shared connection are not included here. Freely negotiated prices apply to the LEG (from 2026).
How the ZEV solar tariff works – explained correctly
Two methods allowed
You may bill flat-rate (max. 80% of the external tariff, Art. 16b para. 2) or by actual cost (production cost + half of the savings, Art. 16b para. 3). This calculator uses the simple flat-rate method.
Only solar power is capped
The 80% applies only to the self-produced solar power (Art. 16b). The residual grid power is billed separately at your actual cost (Art. 16a) – not capped.
Metering & billing included
Under the flat-rate method, metering, administration and billing costs are already included in the cap and may not be charged on top.
Never more than external
A tenant in a ZEV may never pay more than for the external standard product (Art. 16a para. 3 / 16b para. 3 EnV) and may decline to participate (Art. 17 EnG).
Frequently asked questions about the ZEV solar tariff
What is the maximum solar tariff in a ZEV?
Under the flat-rate method, at most 80% of the external standard electricity product per kWh that a tenant would otherwise pay their local utility (Art. 16b para. 2 EnV). Metering and billing costs are included.
Does the 80% apply to total consumption?
No. The 80% cap applies only to the self-produced solar power (Art. 16b). The residual power drawn from the grid is billed separately at the actual external cost (Art. 16a EnV).
What is the difference between ZEV and vZEV?
A classic ZEV connects buildings physically via a line. A virtual ZEV (since 1 Jan 2025) aggregates several connections computationally over the public grid. The tariff rules (Art. 16b EnV) are identical in both cases.
Do I need to account for feed-in revenue?
Under the actual-cost method, revenue from selling surplus solar power to the grid must be deducted from the internal costs (Art. 16b para. 3 EnV). With the flat-rate method used here this is not necessary, as the 80% cap already sits lower.
Does this also apply to the new LEG from 2026?
No. In a Local Electricity Community (LEG, from 1 Jan 2026) prices are negotiated freely between participants – the 80% rule from Art. 16b EnV does not apply there.
Related topics
Let SchäferStrom do the maths – automatically and compliantly
The calculator shows you the cap. SchäferStrom turns it into the finished, compliant ZEV bill with a QR invoice for every apartment – month after month, without Excel.