73 places · sun position · panel angle
Solar data for Switzerland
Across the 73 places in Switzerland the best fixed tilt for solar panels runs from 38° in Zürich to 40° in Bellinzona, and flat ground gets 3.4 to 3.6 peak sun hours a day. Every number is computed for each place.
Solar power in Switzerland at a glance
Averages over 73 places with climate data, for a fixed array facing south.
- 3.37–3.42
- 3.42–3.48
- 3.48–3.53
- 3.53–3.59
- 3.59–3.64
Peak sun hours a day on flat ground. Each dot is one place.
The sunniest places in Switzerland, with 3.64 peak sun hours a day on flat ground, are Martigny-Ville and one other place; the least sunny is Schaffhausen with 3.37. A 1 kWp array at its best angle makes from 1,222 kWh a year in Schaffhausen to 1,361 kWh in Martigny-Ville — 1,282 kWh on average.
The best year-round tilt runs from 38° in Zürich to 40° in Bellinzona. Off-grid systems are sized for the darkest month and do better steeper, at 72° on average: at 70° that month brings 1.79 kWh per kWp a day in Allschwil and 2.57 kWh in Bellinzona.
Size an off-grid system or open any place below for its sun path, monthly table and tilt curve.
Sunniest places in Switzerland
Ranked by peak sun hours on flat ground: the yearly average of a day's sunshine energy (NASA POWER climatology). Output: 1 kWp at its best year-round angle.
| Rank | Place | Region | Sun hours/day | kWh per kWp a year | Best tilt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martigny-Ville | Valais | 3.64 | 1,361 | 39° |
| 1 | Lugano | Ticino | 3.64 | 1,350 | 39° |
| 3 | Carouge | Geneva | 3.63 | 1,332 | 38° |
| 3 | Geneva | Geneva | 3.63 | 1,330 | 38° |
| 3 | Onex | Geneva | 3.63 | 1,330 | 38° |
| 3 | Vernier | Geneva | 3.63 | 1,327 | 38° |
| 7 | Sitten | Valais | 3.62 | 1,356 | 39° |
| 7 | Monthey | Valais | 3.62 | 1,350 | 39° |
| 7 | Meyrin | Geneva | 3.63 | 1,326 | 38° |
| 10 | Sierre | Valais | 3.61 | 1,354 | 39° |
Least sunny places in Switzerland
| Rank | Place | Region | Sun hours/day | kWh per kWp a year | Best tilt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | Winterthur | Zurich | 3.40 | 1,234 | 38° |
| 65 | Bülach | Zurich | 3.40 | 1,232 | 38° |
| 71 | Frauenfeld | Thurgau | 3.39 | 1,231 | 38° |
| 72 | Kreuzlingen | Thurgau | 3.38 | 1,226 | 38° |
| 73 | Schaffhausen | Schaffhausen | 3.37 | 1,222 | 38° |
Solar by region in Switzerland
Averages of the places in each region, sunniest first. Darkest month: what 1 kWp of off-grid panels at 70° makes a day in the worst month of the year.
| Region | Places | Sun hours/day | kWh per kWp a year | Best tilt | Darkest month at 70° | Sunniest place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geneva | 5 | 3.63 | 1,329 | 38° | 2.21 kWh | Carouge |
| Valais | 4 | 3.62 | 1,355 | 39° | 2.49 kWh | Martigny-Ville |
| Ticino | 3 | 3.61 | 1,348 | 40° | 2.55 kWh | Lugano |
| Vaud | 8 | 3.58 | 1,323 | 38° | 2.23 kWh | Montreux |
| Fribourg | 2 | 3.56 | 1,315 | 39° | 2.18 kWh | Bulle |
| Bern | 6 | 3.52 | 1,300 | 39° | 2.12 kWh | Thun |
| Neuchâtel | 2 | 3.50 | 1,282 | 38° | 1.99 kWh | Neuchâtel |
| Grisons | 1 | 3.47 | 1,304 | 40° | 2.46 kWh | Chur |
| Solothurn | 3 | 3.47 | 1,268 | 38° | 1.93 kWh | Grenchen |
| Lucerne | 4 | 3.46 | 1,281 | 39° | 2.19 kWh | Kriens |
| Schwyz | 2 | 3.45 | 1,277 | 39° | 2.23 kWh | Schwyz |
| Zug | 3 | 3.43 | 1,266 | 39° | 2.14 kWh | Zug |
| Basel-Landschaft | 3 | 3.43 | 1,246 | 38° | 1.80 kWh | Reinach |
| Basel-City | 2 | 3.42 | 1,243 | 38° | 1.79 kWh | Basel |
| Aargau | 3 | 3.42 | 1,243 | 38° | 1.89 kWh | Aarau |
| Saint Gallen | 5 | 3.42 | 1,249 | 38° | 2.00 kWh | Rapperswil |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden | 1 | 3.41 | 1,245 | 38° | 1.98 kWh | Herisau |
| Zurich | 13 | 3.41 | 1,243 | 38° | 1.96 kWh | Horgen |
| Thurgau | 2 | 3.38 | 1,229 | 38° | 1.85 kWh | Frauenfeld |
| Schaffhausen | 1 | 3.37 | 1,222 | 38° | 1.83 kWh | Schaffhausen |
Largest places in Switzerland at a glance
| Place | Latitude | Best tilt | Off-grid tilt | Sun hours/day (flat) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zürich | 47.4° N | 38° | 72° | 3.41 |
| Geneva | 46.2° N | 38° | 71° | 3.63 |
| Basel | 47.6° N | 38° | 72° | 3.42 |
| Lausanne | 46.5° N | 38° | 71° | 3.59 |
| Bern | 46.9° N | 39° | 75° | 3.52 |
| Winterthur | 47.5° N | 38° | 72° | 3.40 |
| Luzern | 47.1° N | 39° | 72° | 3.46 |
| Sankt Gallen | 47.4° N | 38° | 72° | 3.41 |
| Lugano | 46.0° N | 39° | 64° | 3.64 |
| Biel/Bienne | 47.1° N | 38° | 72° | 3.49 |
| Thun | 46.8° N | 39° | 75° | 3.54 |
| Bellinzona | 46.2° N | 40° | 64° | 3.59 |
| Köniz | 46.9° N | 39° | 75° | 3.52 |
| Fribourg | 46.8° N | 39° | 72° | 3.54 |
| La Chaux-de-Fonds | 47.1° N | 38° | 72° | 3.50 |
| Schaffhausen | 47.7° N | 38° | 72° | 3.37 |
| Chur | 46.8° N | 40° | 65° | 3.47 |
| Rapperswil | 47.2° N | 39° | 72° | 3.43 |
| Uster | 47.3° N | 38° | 72° | 3.42 |
| Sitten | 46.2° N | 39° | 75° | 3.62 |
Daylight and clock time in Switzerland
In Schaffhausen (47.7° N), the northernmost place, the longest day of the year lasts 16 h 00 min and the shortest 8 h 25 min; in Lugano (46.0° N), the southernmost, 15 h 45 min and 8 h 38 min. The clocks change twice a year: forward on Sun 29 Mar, back on Sun 25 Oct (Europe/Zurich).
| Time zone | Places | UTC offset | Clocks change in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe/Zurich | 73 | UTC+1, in summer UTC+2 | Forward on Sun 29 Mar, back on Sun 25 Oct |