The GREIV (grosse Einmalvergütung, the large-scale one-off payment) is the federal subsidy for photovoltaic systems from 100 kWp up to 50 MWp, paid out via Pronovo. The application follows a fixed sequence: register the project in the Pronovo portal before construction starts, build and commission the system, submit the final documentation, await the review. Whoever builds first and registers afterwards forfeits the subsidy entitlement entirely.
Key Takeaways
6 min read
Key Takeaways
6 min read- Register before constructionRegistration in the Pronovo portal must take place before construction starts. Whoever builds first forfeits the subsidy entitlement.
- Individually calculated ratesGREIV rates depend on system type, capacity and commissioning date. Binding figures come from the Pronovo tariff calculator.
- Bonuses up to CHF 400/kWSince 2025: CHF 400/kW for integrated systems, CHF 200/kW for attached systems, CHF 250/kW for carport canopies.
- 12-24 months until payoutFor large systems, the review after submission of the final documentation takes up to two years. That belongs in your liquidity planning.
Registration in the Pronovo portal is the one step no business can afford to skip. Everything else in the GREIV process can be caught up or corrected; a missed registration before construction starts cannot. This guide walks through the process, names the deadlines and shows where money is left on the table in practice.
Who is entitled to the GREIV?
The GREIV applies to new photovoltaic systems from 100 kWp up to 50 MWp, making it the relevant subsidy category for industrial and commercial installations. Smaller systems fall under the KLEIV, full feed-in systems from 2 to 150 kWp under the HEIV; larger full feed-in systems use the GREIV or the sliding market premium. All categories belong to the federal Einmalvergütung.
Unlike the earlier feed-in tariff system, there is no waiting list. Budget utilisation can be tracked publicly in the Pronovo cockpit “EIV und GMP PV”. The subsidy is compatible with self-consumption as well as partial feed-in, which makes it attractive for businesses with high electricity demand.
For full feed-in systems from 150 kWp, the sliding market premium (GMP) offers an alternative: a premium per kilowatt-hour awarded by auction over 20 years, with a CHF 300 participation fee. For industrial businesses that want to use their solar electricity themselves, it is generally not relevant.
How does the GREIV application work in practice?
Four steps, one critical sequence.
From project to payout
Register the project, before construction starts
Registration in the Pronovo portal (mein.pronovo.ch) with the key data of the planned system. Construction may only begin after registration.
- A subsidy commitment is not needed to start construction; the registration is sufficient
- Subsidy rates depend on the commissioning date
Build and commission the system
Planning, installation and grid connection run independently of the subsidy procedure. The commissioning date fixes the applicable rates and bonuses.
Submit the final documentation
After commissioning, the certified system data goes to Pronovo. Completeness determines the review period here.
- System data must be consistent with the registration
Await the review, receive the payout
Pronovo reviews the documentation. For large systems this takes 12 to 24 months; only then is the one-off payment made.
The most common and most expensive mistake happens before step 1. A business commissions the installation, the scaffolding is up, and only then does someone think of the subsidy. Too late: registering after construction has started heals nothing, the entitlement is forfeited, and for a system of 100 kWp or more this involves substantial amounts that a single portal login before awarding the contract would have secured.
What amounts can you expect?
The GREIV base rates are calculated individually, depending on system type, capacity and commissioning date. Binding figures for a specific project come exclusively from the Pronovo tariff calculator; the rates are adjusted periodically.
The bonuses in force since 1 January 2025 are easier to plan with: CHF 400/kW for integrated system components, CHF 200/kW for attached and free-standing systems, and CHF 250/kW for carport canopies from 100 kWp. Since 2026, the Winterstrombonus additionally rewards systems that produce more than 500 kWh per kilowatt in the winter half-year.
In the overall calculation, the subsidy remains one building block among several: typical industrial systems by Ampere Dynamic pay for themselves in 4 to 6 years, driven above all by self-consumption. The GREIV belongs in that calculation but does not replace it. What the full costs look like is shown in the analysis The true costs of an industrial solar installation.
What does the review period mean for your financial planning?
The system has long been producing. The money comes later.
Between submission of the final documentation and the payout lie several months, for large systems 12 to 24 months. The electricity cost savings take effect from day one; the subsidy amount itself is tied-up capital during this time. For liquidity planning, that means: the GREIV belongs in the medium-term plan, not in the construction financing. Whoever budgets the payout in the year of commissioning is planning past reality. Financing models that bridge this gap are compared in the guide Contracting vs purchase vs leasing.
The scale at which such applications run is shown by reference projects such as Balteschwiler AG with 3’092 kWp. Ampere Dynamic handles the subsidy administration, from registration through deadline monitoring to the final documentation, as part of its subsidies and market service, so that no deadline passes unnoticed.