In response to the growth of photovoltaic installations in Switzerland, numerous platforms and matchmaking solutions connecting property owners and installers have emerged. They offer personalized support to guide owners through their solar projects.
Since 2020, the Swiss solar market has experienced strong growth, which accelerated further after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. Market instability, caused by the shutting off of Russian gas supplies to Europe, led to a surge in prices in 2022 and prompted property owners to seek greater energy independence and cost control.
The newly installed photovoltaic capacity in Switzerland thus rose from about 0.4 GW in 2020 to nearly 1.8 GW in 2024. Although this increase eased between 2023 and 2024, a sign of an initial phase of market consolidation, the sector remains dynamic. Solar could cover more than 14% of national electricity consumption in 2025, according to the umbrella association Swissolar. Growth prospects for 2025 and 2026 are around 1.5 GW per year, and the market should remain buoyant, with about 2.4 GW installed each year until 2035.
In this context of strong demand, and therefore a shortage of qualified labor, the market was swamped with players at all levels of the value chain. As a result, end customers struggle to identify reliable providers and to quickly launch projects adapted to their needs.
In addition, the increasing administrative and regulatory burden, for both customers and installers, adds an additional level of complexity and makes comparing projects more difficult. According to a survey conducted by Swissolar in 2024, the main challenge for 52% of professionals in the sector lies in bureaucratic procedures and authorization requests.
To meet the sector's needs, the Confederation, through the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SEFRI), created two new training pathways: monteur solaire AFP and installateur solaire CFC. These training programs allowed the first apprentices to begin their courses last summer. Previously, no specific pathway existed, and professionals in the sector came from other trades, being trained directly on the job.
Many solutions have thus been developed to facilitate matching customers with qualified installers, while strengthening the efficiency and reliability of project supervision and support.
At the state level, the Federal Office of Energy (OFEN) launched the SuisseEnergie incentive program, which aims to support voluntary measures to improve energy efficiency and to promote renewable energies. Regarding solar, a seven-step guide for the installation of photovoltaic and thermal panels is available online. It is intended to be accessible and simple, to guide owners throughout the process: from calculating a building's solar potential to commissioning, including requesting quotes and decision support.
Distribution network operators have also recognized the value of comprehensive support for owners, in order to guide them effectively in their procedures. The Services Industriels Genevois (SIG), for example, offer personalized support to private individuals, providing a list of approved installers as part of the eco21 program. For companies, several schemes are also available, ranging from solar contracting to self-consumption programs (AC), and groupings within the framework of self-consumption (RCP), with tailored support.
"The application is designed to allow our users to see more clearly regarding subsidies, installation costs, panel payback, available insurances, taxes," explains Wilfried Josset, co-founder of Solarsplit.
Besides public authorities and distribution network operators, private players have also entered the race, trying to establish themselves in project support and in connecting owners with qualified professionals. The startup Solarsplit, founded in February 2023 in Neuchâtel, has developed an application intended to support private owners in the planning and tendering process for solar installations.
"The application is designed to allow our users to see more clearly regarding subsidies, installation costs, panel payback, available insurances, taxes. By standardizing and automating part of the procedures, we can offer a solution that reduces the often time-consuming administrative tasks for our clients," explains Wilfried Josset, co-founder of Solarsplit alongside Luca Zucchetto and Bryan Umana.
More recently, a new solution targeting the commercial and multi-residential real estate sector has emerged, with a similar objective. The company Sunshift, founded in early 2025, was born from the observation that choosing the solar installer is a decisive step in a project, and that the abundance of players complicates the procedures for real estate professionals.
"Until now, the market has mainly focused on residential and large commercial installations, neglecting the multi-residential segment, corresponding to projects of 30 to 100 kW, which remains largely underexploited — barely 10% of its potential. Thanks to the falling costs of solar and the emergence of new self-consumption models, this segment is becoming profitable. It is precisely there that we are deploying our solution," says Hugo Ferreira, co-founder of Sunshift.
"Thanks to the falling costs of solar and the emergence of new self-consumption models, the multi-residential segment is becoming profitable," says Hugo Ferreira, co-founder of Sunshift.
These platforms rely on personalized support and independent advice, while positioning themselves as a single point of contact for all procedures and considerations related to implementing a solar project. To stand out, Solarsplit focuses on a tripartite approach including installation, monitoring, but also the financial aspect, via Solarsplit Invest.
In the years to come, given the still favorable prospects for the photovoltaic sector, the number of solutions and applications should continue to multiply. But who will really be able to come out on top in the long run, by developing a solid and sustainable business model? It is difficult today to predict with certainty.
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