Electricity Grid Review 2025: Switzerland
January 1 - December 31, 2024 vs 2025
Data coverage: 366 days (2024), 365 days (2025)
1. Electricity Price (Day-Ahead, EUR/MWh)
Correlation coefficient: -0.63 (2024), -0.72 (2025). Strong negative correlation - higher renewable generation = lower prices, reflecting the merit order effect.
1.1 Daily Price Extremes
Based on daily average prices
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Highest Daily Avg | €194.7 (Dec 11, 2024) | €166.1 (Jan 20, 2025) |
| Lowest Daily Avg | €-20.0 (Jul 14, 2024) | €-24.9 (May 11, 2025) |
| Negative Price Days | 5 | 1 |
| Negative Price Hours | 292 | 302 |
1.2 Hourly Price Extremes
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Highest Price | €310.6 (Dec 13, 2024 07:00) | €318.0 (Nov 26, 2025 15:00) |
| Lowest Price | €-427.5 (Jul 14, 2024 10:00) | €-262.2 (May 11, 2025 11:00) |
1.3 Days by Price Range
Based on daily average prices
| Range (€/MWh) | 2024 | 2025 | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| €0-50 | 91 | 42 | -49 |
| €51-100 | 205 | 151 | -54 |
| €101-150 | 65 | 155 | +90 |
| €151-200 | 5 | 17 | +12 |
| €201+ | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1.4 Hours by Price Range
Based on hourly prices
| Range (€/MWh) | 2024 | 2025 | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negative | 292 | 302 | +10 |
| €0-50 | 1,469 | 479 | -990 |
| €51-100 | 4,959 | 2,867 | -2,092 |
| €101-150 | 1,846 | 4,346 | +2,500 |
| €151-200 | 173 | 595 | +422 |
| €201+ | 40 | 52 | +12 |
1.5 Average Price by Hour of Day
1.6 Price Distribution (Hourly)
302 hours with negative prices across 70 days. Most negative: €-262.2/MWh.
Average daily price swing: €80/MWh. Maximum single-day swing was €366/MWh on 2025-05-11 (low: €-262, high: €104).
Notable monthly evolutions
Change: +148% vs 2024
1.7 Multi-Level Price Heatmap
Price Heatmap
€/MWh
hourly range: -262-318
Yearly
Monthly
Daily
Hourly
2. Load
2.1 Monthly Load
2.2 Average Load by Hour of Day
Peak demand at 10:00 (11.0 GW). Minimum at 18:00 (5.7 GW).
2.3 Weekday vs Weekend
2.4 Net Load Pattern (Duck Curve)
Evening ramp of 1.0 GW from belly (18:00) to evening peak (20:00). This requires flexible dispatchable generation or storage to meet rapidly increasing demand as solar output decreases.
2.5 Seasonal Net Load Patterns
The duck curve shape varies significantly by season due to changes in solar intensity and heating/cooling demand patterns.
Winter (Dec-Feb)
Belly: 7.6 GW @ 17:00 | Peak: 8.8 GW @ 20:00 | Ramp: 1.2 GW
Spring (Mar-May)
Belly: 5.3 GW @ 18:00 | Peak: 6.7 GW @ 20:00 | Ramp: 1.4 GW
Summer (Jun-Aug)
Belly: 3.6 GW @ 19:00 | Peak: 4.6 GW @ 17:00 | Ramp: 1.0 GW
Fall (Sep-Nov)
Belly: 5.1 GW @ 17:00 | Peak: 6.8 GW @ 20:00 | Ramp: 1.7 GW
Evening ramps are similar across seasons: winter 1.2 GW, summer 1.0 GW. The grid faces consistent ramping challenges year-round.
2.6 Peak & Minimum Demand Records (2025)
| Rank | Highest Load | Date | Lowest Load | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15.9 GW | 2025-06-30 11:00 | 0.6 GW | 2025-08-06 19:00 |
| 2 | 15.8 GW | 2025-06-30 12:00 | 1.0 GW | 2025-07-01 21:00 |
| 3 | 15.7 GW | 2025-06-30 10:00 | 1.1 GW | 2025-07-30 19:00 |
3. Production-Based vs Flow-Traced Carbon Intensity (gCO₂eq/kWh)
Production-based carbon intensity is 14.5g lower than flow-traced carbon intensity in 2024 (21.1g in 2025). This means Switzerland's domestic production is slightly cleaner than consumed electricity.
3.1 Monthly Production Mix
3.2 Production Mix (Domestic Generation)
3.3 Flow-Traced Power Mix
3.4 Import/Export Impact on Mix
Nuclear makes up ~34% of consumed electricity but only ~29% of local production (difference from imports). Hydro makes up ~58% of local production but only ~44% of consumed electricity (some exported). Switzerland produces no wind power locally, but ~5% of consumed electricity comes from wind imports.
3.5 Power Mix Comparison
Production vs Flow-Traced consumption by source
| Source | Prod 2024 | Flow-traced 2024 | Prod 2025 | Flow-traced 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 62.4% | 51.4% | 58.3% (-4.1pp) | 43.8% (-7.6pp) |
| Nuclear | 29.7% | 33.2% | 28.7% (-1.0pp) | 34.4% (+1.2pp) |
| Solar | 7.7% | 8.1% | 12.7% (+5.0pp) | 12.6% (+4.5pp) |
| Wind | 0.2% | 4.1% | 0.2% (+0.0pp) | 4.7% (+0.6pp) |
| Gas | 0.0% | 1.4% | 0.0% (+0.0pp) | 1.8% (+0.4pp) |
| Coal | 0.0% | 0.9% | 0.0% (+0.0pp) | 1.4% (+0.5pp) |
| Biomass | 0.0% | 0.7% | 0.0% (+0.0pp) | 0.9% (+0.2pp) |
| Hydro Storage | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.0% (+0.0pp) | 0.2% (+0.0pp) |
| Oil | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% (+0.0pp) | 0.1% (+0.0pp) |
3.6 Key Trend
Switzerland's electricity consumption is dominated by ~43.8% hydro. Solar saw the biggest growth from 8.1% to 12.6%.
4. Cross-Border Electricity Flows
Switzerland imported a net 4.77 TWh in 2025.
4.1 2025 Gross Exports (Switzerland → Neighbor)
Total electricity exported to each country — with average carbon intensity
4.2 2025 Gross Imports (Neighbor → Switzerland)
Total electricity imported from each country — with average carbon intensity
4.3 Net Position by Neighbor (2025)
| Neighbor | Net (TWh) | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| IT | +22.36 | Net Exporter |
| AT | +0.13 | Net Exporter |
| DE | -0.77 | Net Importer |
| FR | -15.35 | Net Importer |
Positive = Switzerland is net exporter to that neighbor. Negative = Switzerland is net importer from that neighbor.
4.4 Flow Pattern by Hour of Day
Peak exports at 18:00 (2.1 GW avg). Peak imports at 01:00 (1.7 GW avg).
5. Carbon Intensity (gCO₂eq/kWh)
5.1 Daily Records
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest Carbon Intensity | 25.7 g (Sep 09, 2024) | 27.3 g (May 05, 2025) |
| Lowest Fossil % | 0.5% (Jul 26, 2024) | 0.6% (Jun 11, 2025) |
| Highest Carbon Intensity | 122.8 g (Dec 30, 2024) | 133.5 g (Feb 09, 2025) |
| Highest Fossil % | 12.4% (Dec 30, 2024) | 13.3% (Feb 09, 2025) |
5.2 Hourly Records
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest Carbon Intensity | 23.6 g (Oct 24, 2024 23:00) | 23.8 g (Sep 19, 2025 01:00) |
| Highest Carbon Intensity | 160.6 g (Dec 13, 2024 23:00) | 195.3 g (Jan 19, 2025 00:00) |
5.3 Days Below Thresholds
| Threshold | 2024 | 2025 | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 100 gCO₂eq/kWh | 361 | 356 | -5 |
| < 200 gCO₂eq/kWh | 366 | 365 | -1 |
| < 300 gCO₂eq/kWh | 366 | 365 | -1 |
5.4 Hours Below Thresholds
| Threshold | 2024 | 2025 | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 100 gCO₂eq/kWh | 8,492 | 8,349 | -143 |
| < 200 gCO₂eq/kWh | 8,784 | 8,760 | -24 |
| < 300 gCO₂eq/kWh | 8,784 | 8,760 | -24 |
5.5 Average Carbon Intensity by Hour of Day
5.6 Seasonal Carbon Intensity Patterns
Carbon intensity daily patterns shift with seasonal changes in renewable generation and electricity demand.
Winter (Dec-Feb)
Peak: 91 g @ 22:00 | Trough: 39 g @ 16:00 | Spread: 52 g
Spring (Mar-May)
Peak: 53 g @ 01:00 | Trough: 32 g @ 17:00 | Spread: 21 g
Summer (Jun-Aug)
Peak: 38 g @ 12:00 | Trough: 29 g @ 19:00 | Spread: 10 g
Fall (Sep-Nov)
Peak: 56 g @ 23:00 | Trough: 32 g @ 16:00 | Spread: 25 g
Summer offers the lowest carbon intensity, with midday troughs reaching 29 gCO₂/kWh—27% lower than winter. Winter evening peaks are the most carbon-intensive at 91 gCO₂/kWh. Scheduling flexible loads during seasonal low-carbon windows maximizes emission reductions.
5.7 Carbon Intensity Distribution (Hourly)
Notable monthly evolutions
Change: +41% vs Feb 2024
Change: +60% vs Mar 2024
Change: +47% vs Jul 2024
Change: +21% vs Aug 2024
Change: +63% vs Oct 2024
Change: -20% vs Dec 2024
623 hours with both low price (<€88/MWh) and low carbon intensity (<29 gCO₂eq/kWh).
5.8 Multi-Level Carbon Intensity Heatmap
Carbon Intensity Heatmap
gCO₂eq/kWh
hourly range: 24-195
Yearly
Monthly
Daily
Hourly
6. Renewable & Carbon-Free Energy (Flow-Traced)
Includes electricity exchanged with neighboring grids
6.1 Days Above Thresholds
Days with carbon-free share above threshold
| Threshold | 2024 | 2025 | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≥50% carbon-free | 366 | 349 | -17 |
| ≥60% carbon-free | 249 | 207 | -42 |
| ≥70% carbon-free | 127 | 132 | +5 |
6.2 Hours Above Thresholds
Hours with carbon-free share above threshold
| Threshold | 2024 | 2025 | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≥50% carbon-free | 8,322 | 7,516 | -806 |
| ≥60% carbon-free | 6,001 | 5,201 | -800 |
| ≥70% carbon-free | 2,946 | 2,751 | -195 |
6.3 Multi-Level Carbon-Free % Heatmap
Carbon-Free % Heatmap
%
hourly range: 77-100
Yearly
Monthly
Daily
Hourly
