Axpo solar initiative

We use the power of the sun and plan the largest solar initiative in our history. By 2030, we want to implement around 4,200 solar projects in Switzerland in the mountains and the midlands. Switzerland is facing a major challenge: by 2050 we will be short of around 50 terawatt hours of electricity. Therefore, we urgently need to build more renewables in order to achieve the energy transition and ensure a high level of supply security.

Our solar initiative
Mountain projects
Midlands projects
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Axpo aims to develop solar plants with a capacity of more than 1.2 gigawatts. This would be enough to meet the annual needs of more than 300,000 Swiss households.

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Gigawatts

solar power to be developed

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Solar projects

are to be realised

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Million households

can be supplied with it per year

Test installation in Tujetsch at the NalpSolar solar project - Such installations are also to be used in the Glarus Süd Solar project

We want to build ground-mounted systems in the mountains, such as the "Ovra Solara Magriel" system in the Disentis ski area.

In the municipality of Tujetsch, we are planning the NalpSolar ground-mounted system directly next to the reservoir.

Axpo has a great know-how in the construction of large-scale solar plants: one of our ground-mounted plants in France

We also have the know-how for floating solar plants

We are also experts in Agri-PV: as here with a PV roof for a greenhouse.

Axpo has already built dozens of solar canopies for car parks

Axpo builds solar plants everywhere there are sensible locations, like hers in Leuk in a satellite dish

And we already have experience in building solar plants in the mountains with our AlpinSolar project at the Muttsee dam in the Glarus Alps

Our projects in the mountains

The energy transition requires the expansion of renewable energies on all fronts. Large-scale solar plants play an important role. They are to be built both in the mountains and, in future, on the Swiss midlands.

In the mountains, solar plants supply a particularly large amount of winter electricity because

they often lie above the fog
the snow reflects the sun's rays
lower temperatures make the panels more efficient

The projects at a glance

Political framework conditions

In the autumn session of 2022, the Federal Parliament created the conditions for the rapid expansion of ground-mounted PV systems with high winter production with the "urgent federal law", the so-called "solar express". The entitlement to a simplified approval procedure and additional subsidies applies until the end of 2025 or up to a total annual production of two terawatt hours. With the urgent federal law, parliament is providing a positive short-term impulse for alpine plants.

However, sustainable framework conditions for the expansion of renewable electricity production beyond 2025 remain important. For ground-mounted PV plants, for example, a follow-up solution to the urgent federal law is needed.

The licensing procedures remain a major challenge. To ensure that sufficient renewable energies can be produced, the procedures must be further simplified and accelerated. Axpo is engaged in a constructive exchange with policymakers to establish the appropriate framework conditions.

Our projects in the midlands

Axpo is already building more than two roof systems per day in Switzerland through its subsidiary CKW. It plans to build 600 roof systems per year. These include solar installations on family houses as well as large rooftop installations on industrial buildings.

In addition to rooftop systems, Axpo also plans to install large-scale ground-mounted systems in the midlands through its subsidiary CKW. CKW has already built ground-mounted plants at substations and plans to build more of these in the coming months and years.