Owner's representation for photovoltaics means an independent engineering firm represents the owner towards planners, installers, the grid operator and the authorities without supplying or building anything itself. The owner's representative defines the project goal, runs the feasibility study and the tendering, checks offers and change orders, supervises construction and acceptance according to the SIA 112 service model and secures the subsidy and grid connection deadlines. The owner remains the contracting party of every contractor and keeps cost control and the decision.
Key Takeaways
9 min read
Key Takeaways
9 min read- Represent, not supplyThe owner's representative has no supply or construction contract. They check, negotiate and supervise on behalf of the owner, who holds all contracts directly.
- Six SIA phases, twelve sub-phasesFrom formulating requirements (phase 1) to operation (phase 6) according to the SIA 112 service model, with PV-specific deadlines for Pronovo and the grid operator.
- Fees by time spent or per phaseThe reference for hourly rates is the KBOB recommendations on the remuneration of planners; a cost ceiling per phase makes the effort predictable.
- Not for every projectFirst projects without construction experience, systems below 100 kWp and owners who want a single contracting party are better served by a general contractor.
A large photovoltaic system with storage and charging infrastructure brings six to ten contracting parties onto an industrial site: electrical planner, PV installer, storage supplier, scaffolding, structural engineer, grid operator, building authority, Pronovo. An owner who coordinates all of them alone needs time and expertise that operations usually lack; an owner who hands everything to a general contractor loses insight into costs and decisions. Owner’s representation is the path in between. This article describes what it delivers in PV projects, how it follows the SIA phases, what it costs and when it is the wrong model.
What does an owner’s representative do for a large photovoltaic system?
The owner’s representative acts on behalf of the owner towards all other parties without supplying components or building anything themselves. The owner remains the contracting party of every planner and contractor; the owner’s representative checks, negotiates, controls and advises.
For a PV system the task differs from classic building construction owner’s representation in four respects. First, the system is an energy project: the design follows the load profile of the business, not the roof area, and the economics depend on self-consumption. Second, there are deadlines that no construction schedule knows: the application for the one-off remuneration (Einmalvergütung) must be filed with Pronovo before construction starts, otherwise the entitlement lapses (Pronovo, frequently asked questions on the one-off remuneration). Third, the distribution grid operator has a say: the connection application and the installation notice go to the grid operator before the order is placed, and the operator usually reviews them within 30 days; for systems above 30 kVA the plan submission to ESTI, the Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations, is added (Swissolar, Abläufe bei Planung, Realisierung und Betrieb von PV-Anlagen, procedures for planning, realising and operating PV systems, 2018). Fourth, acceptance is technical: the system documentation according to EN 62446-1, the measurement and test report and the completion notice to Pronovo are prerequisites for the subsidy payout.
Anyone who does not know these four points can have a roof built, but cannot accept a system. This is why owner’s representation for PV projects needs an engineering firm with energy and electrical expertise, and not just site management experience.
Which SIA phases does owner’s representation cover?
The SIA 112 service model of the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects divides every construction project into six phases with twelve sub-phases. For PV projects too, it is the common language between owner, planners and contractors, and the basis of every fee offer.
The six SIA phases for a large PV system
Strategic planning: formulating requirements (sub-phase 11)
What should the system achieve: lower electricity costs, charge the fleet, relieve the grid connection, meet an ESG target? The owner's representative translates the requirement into measurable project goals: self-consumption rate, connection capacity, payback period.
- Target figures and boundary conditions
- Responsibilities within the owner's organisation
- Rough budget and time frame
Preliminary studies: feasibility study and selection procedure (21, 22)
Load profile analysis, roof statics and available areas, grid connection enquiry with the distribution grid operator, subsidy enquiry, economic calculation. Then the selection procedure for planners and contractors. Ampere Dynamic delivers the preliminary study within 4 to 6 weeks.
- Load profile at 15-minute resolution
- Connection capacity and grid cost contribution
- Variants with and without storage
Design: preliminary design, construction design, permit procedure (31 to 33)
System design, manufacturer-independent choice of modules and inverters, connection application and installation notice to the grid operator, building permit or notification procedure under Art. 18a of the Spatial Planning Act, application for the one-off remuneration with Pronovo before construction starts.
- Pronovo registration before the first ground is broken
- Grid connection contract
- ESTI plan submission above 30 kVA
Tendering: offer comparison and award proposal (41)
Specification, tender to several installers, technical and economic comparison of offers, works contract based on the SIA templates with clear warranty provisions. The owner's representative recommends, the owner awards.
- Comparable offers thanks to a uniform specification
- Review of warranties and performance guarantees
- Award proposal with reasoning
Realisation: execution design, execution, commissioning (51 to 53)
Construction supervision, schedule control, review of change orders, coordination with ongoing operations. For commissioning: completion notice and safety certificate to the grid operator, measurement and test report, documentation according to EN 62446-1, completion notice to Pronovo.
- Site reports and defect lists
- Acceptance with the grid operator and ESTI
- Securing the payout of the one-off remuneration
Operation: operation and maintenance (61, 62)
Handover to operations with monitoring, maintenance concept and warranty tracking. Owner's representation ends with the final account; operation and yield assurance are covered by a service contract.
- Final account and warranty periods
- Handover of monitoring
- Maintenance and cleaning concept
Not every project needs all six phases from a single source. Often the owner’s representative covers phases 1 to 4 completely and, in phase 5, the owner’s side of the acceptance, while a specialist planner is responsible for the execution design. The division belongs in the offer, sub-phase by sub-phase.
What does owner’s representation cost and how is it remunerated?
Remuneration is based on time spent at hourly rates or on a lump sum per SIA phase; a percentage of the construction sum is unusual in PV projects because the effort does not scale with the system output.
The reference for hourly rates is the KBOB recommendations on the remuneration of planners, published by the Coordination Conference of the Building and Property Bodies of Public Owners (2026 edition). They are aimed at public owners but are also used by private owners as a benchmark. The effort itself depends on three factors: the number of contractors involved, the complexity of the grid connection and the permit procedure. A 500 kWp roof on an existing hall with sufficient connection capacity is supported in a few meetings; a charging park with transformer station, storage and three specialist planners needs owner’s representation in every phase.
For the owner, the model pays off in two places: at the award, because comparable offers on a uniform specification regularly come in below the first offer from an in-house supplier, and with change orders, which are checked instead of paid. What Ampere Dynamic delivers in detail as owner’s representative is described on the Owner Representation page.
When is owner’s representation the wrong model?
Owner’s representation presupposes that the owner wants to hold contracts directly and take decisions directly. If that is not the case, it is the detour. In four situations Ampere Dynamic advises against owner’s representation of one’s own.
Owner's representation or general contractor: which suits which project?
| Feature | Owner's representation | General contractor |
|---|---|---|
| First project without own construction experience | High effort of your own | One contract, one point of contact |
| System below 100 kWp without storage | Effort out of proportion | Installer's standard offer is sufficient |
| Fixed price and deadline wanted in the contract | Risk stays with the owner | Execution risk with the general contractor |
| Several specialist planners, transformer station, storage, charging park | Cost transparency and control | Lump sum, subcontractor costs internal |
| Owner's existing specialist planners | Adds PV expertise to the team | Replaces the team |
In the first three situations Ampere Dynamic is the wrong partner as owner’s representative; the fitting model is then turnkey delivery by a general contractor, for systems from 100 kWp for instance the Overall Strategy service of Ampere Dynamic or an installer with its own design team. Only a firm that offers both can give this recommendation without self-interest.
Practical case: Schwab-Guillod AG charging park, Müntschemier
Schwab-Guillod AG, a food business in Müntschemier BE, is electrifying its transport operation and building a charging park for it. Ampere Dynamic first prepared the target grid planning for the site, is supporting the project development on that basis and represents the owner during implementation.
The project development covered layout planning, the communication and earthing concept and the choice of components for charging infrastructure and energy management. In the role of owner’s representative, Ampere Dynamic represents the owner towards all planners, suppliers and executing companies: coordination between owner, subcontractors and specialist planners, permit procedures with authorities and offices, support with tendering and award, control of schedules, quality and costs, and organisation and supervision of acceptances and handovers (Ampere Dynamic project description). The case shows the task in its typical form: not building, but making sure that building is done right.
How a charging park is planned technically, from the grid connection to depot charging, is described in the article Planning charging infrastructure for businesses; the preliminary study as a standalone service is described on the Preliminary Study page.