Solar vignette
Promoting solar energy – even without your own roof
The solar vignette makes electricity consumption visible in everyday life. Thousands of people in Switzerland offset the electricity consumption of their appliances with the solar vignette and set an example for the energy transition.
Each solar vignette increases the size of the solar system bit by bit
Every electronic device, from cell phones to refrigerators, requires a certain amount of energy from the power grid every year. The purchase of a suitable solar vignette finances a piece of a new solar installation in Switzerland. This piece produces as much solar power as the device consumes in a year.
The solar vignette is available for cell phones, computers, refrigerators, e-bikes and electric cars.
Context and challenges
If we are to achieve the net-zero targets in Switzerland by 2050, the expansion of renewable energies must be significantly accelerated in the coming years. Solar energy is a key piece of the energy transition. However, many people do not have their own roof to install a solar system on.
At the same time, our own electricity consumption often remains invisible in everyday life. Although awareness of climate protection and renewable energies is growing, there is a lack of simple and accessible ways to influence the electricity mix and take responsibility.
Our approach
The solar vignette is a solidarity-based financing model for the expansion of solar energy. Many small contributions are pooled to regularly build new solar installations.
In this way, additional climate-friendly solar power is fed into the grid and the proceeds from the electricity sold flow back into Solafrica’s project work. In this way, the solar vignette not only contributes to the energy transition in Switzerland, but also strengthens the financing of solar projects worldwide.
Targets
- Making solar energy accessible: People should be able to participate in the energy transition – regardless of whether they have their own roof or their own solar system.
- Building a committed community: The solar vignette connects people who jointly take responsibility for their electricity consumption and see the energy transition as a project of solidarity.
- Making the energy transition visible: The solar vignette makes energy consumption in everyday life visible and makes it possible to combine this with renewable energy.
- Help finance the expansion of solar energy: The revenue from the solar vignette contributes to the long-term financing of solar projects in Switzerland and African countries.
Effect
Thanks to all the people with solar vignettes on their devices, we can regularly build new large solar installations in Switzerland. The solar power produced is used directly on site and the surplus is fed into the grid.
The electricity proceeds flow back into our projects and support the energy transition worldwide. The solar vignette therefore has a double effect: it promotes sustainable solar power in Switzerland and at the same time strengthens the long-term financing of our projects in African countries.
Thanks to the support of the community, we have already been able to build the following solar systems:
- Wylergut kindergarten in Bern (2025)
- Daycare center in Tscharnergut in Bern (2023)
- Fantasia daycare center in Bern (2022)
- Hotel Rothorn in Sigriswil (2021)
We build the solar systems in cooperation with our partner Solarify.
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363 solar panels
