Battery: reimbursement of network costs in Switzerland

Does a battery recover network costs?

Yes, for certain flows and under conditions; having a battery is not enough. The situation to examine is electricity purchased from the grid, stored, then sent back to that grid. A battery charged by your panels and discharged in your kitchen has another use. Confusing these two circuits leads to overestimating the revenues of a piece of equipment.

The conditions published by CKW for returns from batteries describe the system applicable since January 1, 2026. They require in particular adapted counting and validation. Use this procedure as a real-world example, then get it from your own manager. The forms, processing of the file and settlement methods should not be assumed to be identical throughout Switzerland.

Three flows to distinguish in your installation

The first flow is directly consumed solar power. The panels power devices during the day. The benefit comes mainly from avoided purchases, depending on the actually variable components of your bill. For this energy, there is no prior purchase from the network to be reimbursed.

The second flow is solar stored for the evening. Part of the production goes through the battery before powering the house. You must then compare the value of the avoided purchased electricity to that of the abandoned injection, taking into account the losses. This is the classic reasoning for self-consumption with storage.

The third flow is the withdrawal from the network followed by storage and reinjection. This is the one that warrants considering reimbursement. The charge invoice, the injection credit and the reimbursement are three separate operations. Energy simply charged and then consumed in the home does not become eligible for reinjection because the battery has an intelligent mode.

Actual gain is calculated after losses and fees

A gross reimbursement is not a net profit. To test a management offer, add the electricity sales revenue and the reimbursement actually recognized. Then deduct the purchase cost to charge the battery, service charges, additional metering costs and a consistent allowance for wear and tear. Compare this result with operation without this service.

Let's take an invented scenario, without an official tariff value. You buy 1’000 kWh at CHF 0.20, or CHF 200. After storage, you reinject 900 kWh, sold at CHF 0.12, or CHF 108. If the manager confirms a reimbursement of CHF 0.08 on these 900 kWh, you receive CHF 72. The balance then reaches CHF 108 + CHF 72 − CHF 200 = less CHF 20, before subscription and wear. A reimbursement exists, but this operation remains loss-making.

The same calculation may produce a different result with other times, prices or yields. This does not allow the best one-day fare difference to be used for all days of the year. Request a simulation with several seasons, periods without interesting occasions and the real power limits of your connection.

What counter and what data should be provided?

The manager must be able to identify the relevant volumes. An app displaying the total battery charge alone doesn't prove where each flow is coming from and going. The coexistence of solar power, electric cars and domestic appliances makes this distinction particularly important.

Ask for a measurement drawing before signing. It must show the connection meter, any additional measurements, the battery, the inverter and the consumers. Confirm who provides the data, who controls it, and what happens when a measurement is missing. A smart meter already installed does not automatically mean that the file is accepted.

Also specify recurring costs: subscription to control, data transmission, metering, installer intervention and modification of metering. A small annual income can be absorbed by a package. Distinguish between necessary expenses for your solar project and those added just to get that reimbursement.

How to prepare the request to the manager

Start with your measuring point number, battery model, inverter power and electrical diagram. At CKW, the procedure distinguishes between stationary storage declared by the installer and bidirectional mobile storage. Its page also specifies that processing begins after validation of the conditions: so do not automatically include a retroactive reimbursement since January in your budget.

Keep confirmations with the commissioning file. When changing the battery, software or control contract, check if the accepted diagram remains valid. The amount reimbursed must be reconciled to the same period as the purchases and sales; mixing a quarterly revenue and an annual charge distorts the result.

Home battery or two-way car?

A car can participate in storage only if the vehicle, terminal, connection and contract authorize the intended use. V2H powers the house; V2G allows an exchange to the network. A terminal advertised as “bidirectional” does not in itself guarantee a V2G service available at your address.

Add your mobility needs to the calculation. The car may be absent during interesting hours, and a reserve must remain available for journeys. Check the warranty limits linked to stationary use, responsibility for piloting and the ability to take control. Our guide on V2H and V2G in Switzerland helps to compare these uses before choosing the equipment.

And in an electrical group or community?

A shared building adds a question: who pays the charge and who receives the revenue? Specify the owner of the battery, the participants involved and the allocation rules. Internal exchanges within a group and returns to the public network are not automatically treated in the same way.

A local electric community's rules also include limits on electricity from the grid and resold within the community. The ElCom FAQ details this framework. Do not build an economic model on the idea of ​​systematically buying outside the community, then reselling as a local production. Have the entire setup checked, including reimbursement, invoicing and internal flows.

What a good offer should allow you to decide

Request two assessments: your installation with simple management of self-consumption, then the same installation with the reinjection service. The additional cost and benefit then become visible. Demand a conservative scenario where price differentials narrow and some periods produce no revenue.

The case is clear enough when you can explain the four essential figures: how much you buy to charge, how much you resell, how much the manager reimburses and how much the service costs you. If these numbers are not separate, have the offer completed before deciding. A battery can have other benefits, including solar offset or properly equipped backup; each deserves its own calculation.