Solar subsidies in Fribourg in 2026: Pronovo, notifying the municipality and taxes

The Fribourg energy office says it plainly: financial support for photovoltaic installations is managed centrally by Pronovo. So no cantonal subsidy on the panels, but a simple framework, a tax deduction, and since 2026 a lighter notification procedure that saves weeks. Here is the complete map.

The base: Pronovo’s one-off remuneration

The Confederation pays, after commissioning, 360 francs per kWp up to 30 kWp and 300 francs per kWp above that, for an installation added to an existing roof. The basic contribution of 200 francs only remains under 5 kW. For 10 kWp, around 3’600 francs. Integrated installations, steep tilts and altitude receive bonuses. The rates are reviewed every year, Pronovo’s rate calculator is authoritative on the day of the application, and payment arrives several months later.

What the canton supports, and what it does not

The Fribourg Buildings Programme finances insulation, full renovations and heating replacement. For an air-to-water heat pump, it pays 3’500 francs plus 150 francs per thermal kW, and 5’000 francs plus 300 francs per kW for a geothermal probe. These grants are requested from the canton before the works. Photovoltaics is not part of it, and a combined heat pump plus solar project therefore receives both forms of support, from two different counters.

The canton also supports municipalities that run energy initiatives, and some municipalities pass on a grant for solar. Check with yours, before signing.

New in 2026: notifying the municipality, thirty days ahead

Since 1 January 2026, a solar installation sufficiently adapted to a roof, and now also to a facade, no longer requires a building permit in the canton of Fribourg. It must be notified to the municipality thirty days before the works. A serious Fribourg installer builds this lead time into their schedule, and it is a question to ask before signing, because a forgotten notification delays commissioning, therefore Pronovo, therefore the tax deduction.

The tax deduction

On an existing building, the net cost of the installation, one-off remuneration deducted, is deducted from taxable income as maintenance expenses, in the year of payment. For a Fribourg household with an ordinary marginal rate, that often represents an amount of the same order as Pronovo. Check with your accountant for a project invoiced over two years.

Two free tools the canton recommends

Fribourg refers its homeowners to SwissEnergy’s Solar Quote Check, a free analysis of a quote, and to its page on self-consumption communities, useful as soon as an apartment building or a condominium wants to share its production. On that last point, our guide to RCPv and CEL explains both frameworks in plain language.

The order of the steps

1. Heating grant or municipal grant: application approved before the works.
2. Notification to the municipality thirty days before the start of the works.
3. Pronovo after commissioning, with the grid connection certificate.
4. Net invoice in the tax return for the year of payment.

SOLARSPLIT’s free online study calculates the one-off remuneration for your roof and then puts installers in competition, with offers scored on the same criteria, and an adviser to explain the differences.