Swiss energy communities explained: ZEV, vZEV and LEG

ZEV: self-consumption community

A "Zusammenschluss zum Eigenverbrauch" (ZEV) lets several end consumers at the place of production use electricity from a shared plant, usually a PV system on a multi-family house or on neighbouring buildings. ZEVs have been possible since 2018.

• Grid use: the shared power does not flow over the public grid. Buildings must be linked by private lines.
• Towards the DSO: the ZEV counts as one single end consumer for electricity drawn from the grid (Art. 18 para. 1 EnG).
• Metering: a classic ZEV often uses private meters for internal billing. A ZEV can also request smart meters from the DSO.

vZEV: virtual self-consumption community

Since 1 January 2025, a ZEV no longer needs one single physical metering point towards the DSO. This makes the "virtual ZEV" (vZEV) possible.

• Metering: existing smart meters of the DSO can be used. The DSO treats them as one virtual metering point and gives the ZEV the individual metering data for internal billing. Private meters are not needed.
• Grid use: on voltage levels below 1 kV, the connection line and the local electrical infrastructure at the grid connection point may be used for self-consumption (Art. 14 para. 3 EnV). This allows a larger radius than a classic ZEV, but the vZEV still does not use the distribution grid itself.
• Towards the DSO: like a ZEV, a vZEV counts as one single end consumer. According to ElCom, a ZEV cannot be nested inside a vZEV.

LEG: local electricity community

A "lokale Elektrizitätsgemeinschaft" (LEG) lets end consumers, producers of renewable electricity and storage operators sell self-produced electricity to each other over the public distribution grid. The legal basis is Art. 17d and 17e StromVG and Art. 19e–19h StromVV. Both entered into force on 1 January 2026.

Who can join

• All participants must be connected in the same grid area and on the same grid level.
• All participants must be within the same municipality.
• Participants may not be connected at voltage levels above 36 kV, and the internal exchange may not use those levels.
• The capacity of the community's production plants must be at least 5% of the connection capacity of all participating end consumers. Plants that run at most 500 hours per year do not count.
• Each consumption site can take part in only one LEG. Each plant and each storage unit can belong to only one LEG.

Metering

All participants must have a smart metering system. The DSO equips each participant with one (Art. 17d paras. 2 and 4 StromVG). The DSO calculates the internally shared electricity from 15-minute load-profile values.

Grid-tariff reduction

• For self-produced electricity drawn within the LEG, the reduction is 40% of the participant's grid-usage tariff (Art. 19h para. 1 StromVV).
• If the electricity cannot reach every participant without a voltage transformation, the reduction falls to 20% for all end consumers of the community (Art. 19h para. 3 StromVV).
• No reduction applies to system services, the electricity reserve, the federal grid surcharge, and levies and payments to public bodies (Art. 19h para. 5 StromVV). According to ElCom, there is also no reduction on the metering tariff.

Organization

• Participants agree in writing on representation, internal prices, cost sharing, and rules for entry and exit (Art. 19f StromVV).
• The representative notifies the DSO of formation or dissolution three months in advance, and of entries and exits one month in advance, each to the end of a month (Art. 19g StromVV).
• On request, the DSO must disclose the relevant grid topology within 15 working days.
• Each participant stays a customer of the DSO for grid use and for remaining supply, in basic supply or, if eligible, on the free market.

Comparison

What changes for building owners

• Owners of PV systems have more ways to sell their power locally: inside the building (ZEV), across the connection point (vZEV), or to neighbours in the same municipality (LEG).
• Existing buildings with DSO smart meters can often form a vZEV without new private meters.
• An LEG needs a written agreement, a representative and timely notice to the DSO.
• Batteries can take part in a ZEV and in an LEG. In an LEG, storage may not deliver more electricity into the community than it draws from it per billing period, if it is to keep the tariff reduction.

Where kuafu fits

kuafu can support energy communities with its grid-edge orchestration platform. Contact us to discuss your project.