Switzerland: 40% price drop for turnkey PV module systems

The average price per kilowatt of installed photovoltaics in 2012 was 2.947 Swiss Francs (€ 2.422).Flickr/mooncross

Prices for turnkey PV module systems have dropped around 41 percent in 2012 compared to 2011, according to a report released today by German consultants Photovoltaikzentrum.

A total of 402 photovoltaic system operators and 94 installers were interviewed for the report. The average price per kilowatt of installed photovoltaics in 2012 was 2.947 Swiss Francs (€ 2.422), which represents a 41% decrease, in comparison to 2011’s price of 4.984 Swiss Francs per kilowatt.

In early 2013 feed-in tariffs were cut 8%. Last year, the FITs were reduced three times: first through an 8% cut at the beginning of the year, March saw another 10% cut and October an additional 15%. These measures have helped lower the installation prices of photovoltaic plants in Switzerland, but they still have not fallen to parity with German prices.

According to Photovoltaikzentrum, 50% of the photovoltaic modules installed in Switzerland come from Germany, while only 30% are imported from the Far East.

See the table below for a complete overview of the FITs in Switzerland in 2013, which are guaranteed for 25 years.