An industrial photovoltaic system is planned from the load profile, not the roof area: twelve months of 15-minute consumption data set system size, self-consumption and payback. A 500 kWp system costs CHF 600'000 to 900'000, the Pronovo GREIV covers up to 30 percent of the reference costs, and at 70 to 90 percent self-consumption it pays back in 4 to 6 years. Storage and e-truck charging raise self-consumption and cap load peaks; preliminary study to commissioning takes 6 to 12 months.
Key Takeaways
11 min read
Key Takeaways
11 min read- Load profile before roof areaTwelve months of consumption data at 15-minute resolution set the system size and the self-consumption ratio. From 200'000 kWh of annual consumption and 100 kWp of roof potential, an assessment pays off.
- 500 kWp: CHF 600'000 to 900'000After the GREIV subsidy of up to 30 percent, CHF 420'000 to 630'000 remain. At 70 to 90 percent self-consumption, the system pays back in 4 to 6 years.
- Storage and e-trucks smooth load peaksContracted grid capacity costs a median of CHF 108 per kW and year in 2026 (ElCom). A battery storage system caps the peak, and charging management loads e-trucks with solar electricity without expanding the grid connection.
- Six steps, 6 to 12 monthsFrom the preliminary study through the grid connection application and Pronovo registration to construction, commissioning and operation. MAN Truck & Bus Schweiz shows the process with 383 kWp and e-truck fast charging.
A photovoltaic system on an industrial building is a six- to seven-figure investment that runs for 25 years and longer. Its economics are decided in the planning, not in the installation: whoever sizes the system to the electricity consumption of the business, instead of covering the whole roof, shortens the payback by years. This guide walks through the six steps from the economic analysis to operation, with the figures for a 500 kWp system, the 2026 subsidies and a case study from Ottelfingen.
When does a photovoltaic system on an industrial building pay off?
A photovoltaic system pays off when the business needs the electricity at the time the system produces it. The load profile is decisive, not the roof area.
The load profile shows at 15-minute resolution when and how much electricity a site draws. Day-shift manufacturing businesses reach 60 to 70 percent self-consumption without additional measures, because machines, compressors and refrigeration run between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., when the system on the hall roof delivers its highest output (analysis of projects delivered by Ampere Dynamic). Office buildings without weekend operation reach 20 to 40 percent and feed the rest into the grid at 3 to 14 Rp./kWh.
Three figures decide whether an assessment is worthwhile: an annual consumption from 200’000 kWh, a contiguous roof area for at least 100 kWp (around 5 to 6 m² per kWp depending on the module, Ampere Dynamic project data) and a grid connection with reserve for feed-in or load management. Then there is the price gap: self-produced solar electricity costs 8 to 12 Rp./kWh, grid electricity for commercial customers 20 to 30 Rp./kWh. The total tariff of ElCom category C4 rose from 17.62 Rp./kWh in 2021 to 23.66 Rp./kWh in 2026, an increase of 34 percent (ElCom electricity price overview).
For new buildings the question no longer arises: since 2022, Art. 45a of the Energy Act has required a solar installation on new buildings with more than 300 m² of eligible roof or facade area. What the solar obligation means for businesses is explained in the article Solar obligation and the 70 percent feed-in rule 2026.
What does a 500 kWp system cost and when does it pay back?
For a 500 kWp system on a hall roof in the Swiss Mittelland, the calculation looks like this (Ampere Dynamic experience, projects 2024 to 2026).
Investment: CHF 600’000 to 900’000, that is CHF 1’200 to 1’800 per kWp. The range is explained by roof condition, structural capacity, grid connection and choice of inverter. For existing buildings, items are added that are often missing from quotes: a transformer upgrade at CHF 20’000 to 80’000, integration into the lightning protection at CHF 5’000 to 15’000, a partial roof refurbishment. The complete cost breakdown is in the article The true cost of an industrial solar system.
Subsidy: The GREIV (large one-off remuneration) from Pronovo covers up to 30 percent of the investment costs of a reference system. For 500 kWp that is CHF 180’000 to 270’000, depending on system type and bonuses. The net investment falls to CHF 420’000 to 630’000.
Production and savings: A 500 kWp system in the Mittelland produces around 500’000 kWh per year, at a standard yield of 1’000 kWh per kWp. At 70 to 90 percent self-consumption, 350’000 to 450’000 kWh of grid electricity at 20 to 30 Rp./kWh are replaced by solar electricity at 8 to 12 Rp./kWh. That gives CHF 40’000 to 110’000 in savings per year. The surplus of 50’000 to 150’000 kWh goes into the grid at the reference market price, 3 to 14 Rp./kWh per quarter in 2026, that is CHF 1’500 to 21’000 per year.
Operating costs: CHF 3’000 to 8’000 per year for monitoring, maintenance and cleaning. On the balance sheet they are an insurance: an undetected inverter failure costs more yield in one summer month than a year of operational management.
Payback: 4 to 6 years net after the GREIV. After that, the system delivers free electricity, or nearly so, for 20 years and more, because the module warranty of 25 years and more exceeds the payback period many times over.
Calculated conservatively means: with the local tariff, the measured load profile and the actual roof pitch, not with brochure values. That is exactly what the preliminary study delivers, which Ampere Dynamic presents 4 to 6 weeks after receipt of the consumption data.
How battery storage and e-truck charging raise self-consumption and smooth load peaks
A battery storage system and a charging infrastructure for e-trucks turn the rooftop system into an energy system. Both shift consumption into the production hours and lower the most expensive item on the electricity bill: the power peak.
The demand charge is based on the highest 15-minute average of the month. In 2026 it costs a median of CHF 108 per kW and year for a business with 400 kW of connection capacity, and the spread across 286 grid operators ranges from CHF 27 to 245 (ElCom tariff data, profile C6). Peak shaving with a battery storage system discharges when a peak threatens and lowers this average; 100 kW less peak corresponds to around CHF 10’800 per year at the median tariff. Ampere Dynamic models CHF 15’000 to 40’000 per year for businesses from 300 kW of peak load. Kuny AG in Küttigen has operated a 633 kWp system since 2022 and adds an outdoor storage system of 250 kW and 522 kWh in 2026, designed for peak shaving and self-consumption, and for ancillary services in unused time windows; the payback is around 5 years (Ampere Dynamic project data). The mechanics in detail: Peak shaving with battery storage.
E-trucks aggravate the load peak problem and solve it at the same time. 28 charging points at 400 kW would arithmetically add up to more than 11 MW of connection capacity; an energy management system coordinates charging power, PV production and the contracted connection capacity and keeps the draw within the existing capacity. The vehicle batteries become the consumer for the midday surplus. Hugelshofer Services charges 28 e-trucks this way with 40 percent solar electricity (Ampere Dynamic project data, realised with partners). Since the operating costs of an e-truck are 3 to 5 times lower than those of a diesel truck (TCS, ADAC), the fleet helps pay for the system. How to size the grid connection, depot charging and storage is shown in the article Planning e-truck charging infrastructure.
PV system alone or as a system with storage and charging infrastructure
| Feature | PV system alone | PV with storage and e-truck charging |
|---|---|---|
| Self-consumption | 60 to 70 percent with day shift | 70 to 90 percent |
| Load peaks | Unchanged, demand charge in full | Capped: CHF 15'000 to 40'000 per year less from 300 kW of peak load (Ampere Dynamic model calculation) |
| Grid connection | Expansion possible from around 300 kWp in a weak distribution grid | Load management keeps the draw within the contracted connection capacity |
| Midday surplus | Feed-in at 3 to 14 Rp./kWh | Storage and vehicle batteries absorb it |
| Additional revenue | None | Ancillary services in unused time windows (Kuny AG) |
| Payback | 4 to 6 years | PV 4 to 6 years, storage around 5 years (Kuny AG) |
Whether storage and charging infrastructure belong in the first stage or are prepared for later is decided by the preliminary study: spare outgoing feeders in the main distribution board and spare inverter inputs cost little at the initial installation and save a second construction phase later. The solution pages Battery storage and Logistics electrification describe the building blocks.
How MAN Truck & Bus Schweiz AG in Ottelfingen received PV and e-truck charging from a single source
MAN Truck & Bus Schweiz AG wanted to charge electric commercial vehicles at its main site in Ottelfingen and keep the investment low through maximum self-consumption. Ampere Dynamic took on the entire solution as turnkey contractor.
The contract covered both sides of the meter. On the AC side, the electrical design, new switchgear and the coordination with the grid operator, with every provision for a later expansion of the charging park. On the DC side, a photovoltaic system with 383 kWp and around 383 MWh of annual production, a fast-charging station for e-trucks and an energy management system that controls the energy flow between grid connection, own production, consumption and charging infrastructure and reduces load peaks.
Before the design came the site survey and the grid assessment: load data, additional demand from simultaneity and all metering points were analysed as a whole. The result of this groundwork: an immediate increase of the grid connection could be dispensed with. The main distribution board is rated for 1’000 A and offers spare feeders, and unused inputs on the inverters allow the system to be expanded without replacing the electrical installation. The system reduces load peaks during ongoing operation and charges the vehicles with its own electricity during their idle times (reference MAN Truck & Bus).
The project shows what «from a single source» means for a photovoltaic system: one contracting party for electrical design, PV, charging infrastructure and control, and one economic calculation across the whole system instead of three quotes competing for the same connection capacity. Since its founding in 2020, Ampere Dynamic has delivered 196 large-scale systems with 53.3 MWp (as of 2026-09), among them the 3’091 kWp of Balteschwiler AG as the largest rooftop system in the canton of Aargau.
Subsidies and financing in Switzerland 2026
Subsidies come from three levels: the federal government, the canton and industry programmes for charging infrastructure. All three require the application before construction starts.
Federal government (Pronovo): The GREIV applies to systems from 100 kWp to 50 MWp and covers at most 30 percent of the reference costs; Pronovo calculates the amount per project. Since 1 January 2025, bonuses have been added: CHF 200 per kW for attached and free-standing systems, CHF 400 per kW for integrated systems, CHF 250 per kW for car park canopies from 100 kWp. Systems from 100 kWp that deliver more than 500 kWh per kW in the winter half-year additionally receive the Winterstrombonus, relevant for facades and steeply tilted modules. For large systems, the review takes 12 to 24 months between completion documentation and payout (Pronovo, frequently asked questions on the one-off remuneration).
Cantons: Lucerne adds 20 percent on top of the federal one-off remuneration, Graubünden pays CHF 300 per kWp for facade systems, Basel-Stadt CHF 100 per m² of rooftop system, Thurgau a flat CHF 1’000 for storage from 10 kWh. The programmes can be combined with the GREIV; the current overview is in the Subsidy guide 2026.
Charging infrastructure: Since 1 January 2026, the industry programme «in charge» of ASTAG and the SFOE has supported road transport SMEs with fewer than 250 employees with up to 40 percent of the costs for the feasibility study, grid connection, supply line and charging equipment, with an innovation bonus of up to 50 percent. Budget CHF 20 million, submissions until the end of 2027, awarded in order of receipt (in charge, programme page).
Financing: Three models are common. Purchase from own funds (CHF 200’000 to over 2 million in Ampere Dynamic projects) brings the full savings and the subsidy to the business. With leasing, the instalments for well-sized systems are below the electricity savings, and the balance sheet stays unencumbered. With contracting, a third party invests and the business buys the solar electricity at a fixed price, without tying up capital and without owning the system. Which model suits which balance sheet is compared in the article Contracting, purchase or leasing; the options at a glance: Financing for solar systems.
Which six steps lead from the preliminary study to operation?
The path from the first assessment to the running system takes 6 to 12 months (Ampere Dynamic project experience). Each step delivers a result that releases the next.
Project roadmap for a photovoltaic system on an industrial building
Preliminary study and economic analysis
Load profile analysis over twelve months, roof statics and roof age, grid connection enquiry with the distribution grid operator, subsidy enquiry with Pronovo and economic calculation for PV, storage and charging infrastructure.
- Result 4 to 6 weeks after receipt of the consumption data
- Decision: system size, storage and charging infrastructure in the first or a later stage
Design and engineering
System layout, manufacturer-independent choice of modules and inverters, structural verification, storage and charging concept, control concept for the energy management system.
- Sized to the load profile, not to the roof area
- Lightweight modules where the structure cannot carry standard modules
Permits, grid connection, subsidies
Registration of the GREIV in the Pronovo portal, connection application and installation notice to the grid operator, plan submission to ESTI for systems above 30 kVA, building permit from the municipality.
- The grid operator usually reviews the application within 30 days (Swissolar)
- All subsidy applications before construction starts
Tendering and award
A specification that makes quotes comparable, review of change orders and schedule. Alternatively, the owner awards the whole system turnkey to a single contractor.
- Owner's representation when the owner wants to hold the contracts directly
Construction and commissioning
Installation during ongoing operation, acceptance with system documentation according to EN 62446-1, measurement and test report, completion notice to Pronovo, parameterisation of storage and charging management.
- No interruption of operations: production continues during the installation
Operation and maintenance
Monitoring with fault alerts, cleaning, self-consumption optimisation and adjustment of the control system when the fleet or production grows.
- Response time for critical faults: 2 working days
- Soiling costs 3 to 4 percent of yield per year in Central Europe, more than 10 percent without cleaning (BSW, Fraunhofer ISE)
The deadlines in step 3 come from the Swissolar publication on the planning, realisation and operation of PV systems (Swissolar, Abläufe bei Planung, Realisierung und Betrieb von PV-Anlagen, 2018). Whether a turnkey contractor or an owner’s representative is the right model is explained in the article Owner’s representation for photovoltaics; what operation demands in terms of hail, soiling and performance monitoring, in the article Maintaining a PV system. Ampere Dynamic covers all six steps, from the preliminary study through Engineering and construction to Service and operations.
Seven points should be settled before the request for quotes. Whoever brings them receives comparable quotes and a reliable economic calculation.
Checklist for decision makers
- Load profile of the last twelve months
15-minute values from the grid operator or from the smart meter. Without them, every self-consumption ratio is a guess.
- Roof age, roof build-up, structural reserve
A 15 to 20 year old flat roof is refurbished before the system, not after. The structural reserve decides between standard and lightweight modules.
- Connection capacity and demand charge
Contracted connection capacity, measured peak and the grid operator's demand charge in CHF per kW and year. From these follows whether storage belongs in the calculation.
- Fleet and site planning over five years
Number of e-trucks, idle times at the depot, planned production expansions. Reserves in the main distribution board and inverters are planned in now.
- Subsidy deadlines and application routes
GREIV with Pronovo, cantonal programme, «in charge» for charging infrastructure. All before construction starts, with a responsible person in the business.
- Financing model and balance sheet effect
Purchase, leasing or contracting. The decision determines who receives the subsidy and the savings and who carries the system on the balance sheet.
- Operating concept after acceptance
Who monitors, who responds, who cleans. A service contract with a response time secures the yield over 25 years.
The first step needs the consumption data of the last twelve months and the roof dimensions. From these, in 4 to 6 weeks, comes the answer to the one question that precedes all others: which photovoltaic system is economical for this building and this load profile, and with what payback.