Energy transition, Switzerland is fifth in Europe but wind remains weak (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell

• Switzerland fifth in the EU for renewables per capita: 4872 kWh
• Solar: new record at 878 kWh per capita, tenth place
• Wind: only 18 kWh per capita, 25th place out of 28 countries
• 70.8% of the electricity consumed in Switzerland is renewable

Key facts

• What: annual ranking of renewable energy production per capita
• When: 2025 data, published today (study dated yesterday)
• Where: comparison between Switzerland and 27 EU Member States
• Who: Schweizerische Energie-Stiftung (SES), Swiss Energy Foundation
• Study title: Dekarbonisierung der schweizer Energieversorgung im Europäischen Vergleich
• Per capita solar amount CH: 878 kWh (historical record)
• Wind energy per capita CH: 18 kWh
• Renewable share of electricity consumption CH: 70.8%

The Swiss energy transition runs, but at two speeds. The Schweizerische Energie-Stiftung (SES) puts it in black and white in the annual study "Dekarbonisierung der schweizer Energieversorgung im Europäischen Vergleich", which for 2025 compares the Confederation with the 27 countries of the European Union. The verdict is positive overall, with the fifth place for electricity production from renewable sources per capita: 4,872 kilowatt-hours (kWh), behind Sweden (11,478 kWh), Finland (8,245), Austria (6,655) and Denmark (5,066).

The Swiss figure, SES explains, is mainly based on hydroelectric power, which alone generates more than half of the current produced in Switzerland. If you report the

Operational details

Analysis: what it means for bills and the Swiss energy mix

The picture that emerges from the SES study is a half-full glass, with an obvious crack on the wind side. The Confederation can boast a continental record in the share of renewables in electricity consumption: 70.8%, of which almost 55 percentage points come from hydropower and around 13 from solar power. A figure that earns it fifth place in Europe, behind Sweden (92%), Austria (88%), Denmark (82%) and Portugal (71%). In practical terms, seven kWh out of every ten consumed in Switzerland come from sun, water or wind.

Electrification still low

There is, however, another indicator that tempers the enthusiasm: the overall degree of electrification of the energy system. Electricity accounts for 26.7% of total energy consumption in Switzerland, seventh in the SES ranking. The record goes to Sweden, which still stops at 35.3%: a sign that most of the energy consumed in Europe still depends on other sources, not necessarily green. For the Confederation, therefore, the challenge is twofold: producing more clean electricity and, at the same time, shifting to electricity those segments currently dominated by fossil fuels, such as heating and transport.

Where Switzerland can still grow

The study stresses that the Confederation has a not insignificant expansion potential. Per capita figures in several more northerly countries, where solar irradiation is objectively lower, remain higher. In other words: with fewer hours of sunlight, more solar kWh are produced, showing that the technical growth margin — between permits, available roofs and ground-mounted systems — is there.

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Key points

What to do: the role of households, Cantons and investors

The 2025 SES study does not provide individual recipes, but it draws a clear perimeter within which households, Cantons and operators move. Here are the operational points that emerge from the data.

For households

Taking advantage of the record photovoltaic figures is worthwhile, especially in a country where over 96% of new installations are rooftop-based. The balance between self-consumption and grid feed-in remains the key factor in reducing energy expenditure, an issue that directly affects the household cost of living. In recent years the Confederation has introduced mechanisms for reimbursing the repurchase tariff, and several Cantons offer stackable cantonal incentives. Before installing a system, it is worth checking both the municipal regulations and the cantonal rates, because the difference in tax treatment between the energy component and excise duties varies from Canton to Canton.

For Cantons and municipalities

The wind power figure (18 kWh per capita) and the recent acceleration of authorisation procedures indicate where the next few years will be decided. Alpine and pre-Alpine municipalities, in particular, remain the decisive hubs: without their technical and political green light, projects stay stuck. For local authorities, the challenge is intertwined with spatial planning, ecological compensation, and the share of taxes and water royalties linked to renewable production.

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