Winegrower wins solar panel case

A winegrower in canton Vaud has won a court case about putting solar panels on the roof of his barn.

The canton invoked a law which states that building owners in protected areas have to maintain their properties in manner that keeps the traditional styles intact.

But the farmer argued federal rules gives leeway for solar panel installations – and the court agreed. It called the canton’s position ‘dogmatic’. 

There is a chance the canton could now appeal to the Federal Court – but the farmer’s lawyer says the court has a track record of supporting solar panel installations. 

More from Bitesize News

  • Citizenship remains one of the hardest on continent

    The Council of States has rejected a popular initiative that would have let foreigners apply for citizenship after just five years, closing the parliamentary door on the biggest attempt in years to loosen one of Europe's strictest naturalisation regimes

  • More gun crime in Annemasse

    Seven people are in French police custody after a shooting Monday evening at a drug-dealing spot in Ville-la-Grand, on the edge of Annemasse

  • Geneva land ownership change

    The canton of Geneva is set to become the sole owner of the land beneath Stade de Genève, buying out a parcel held by federal railways CFF for CHF 15.84 million

  • Agriculture warning after record breaking summer

    Farmers warn that another summer like this one would eat through their remaining reserves and force cuts to herds and crops

  • SNB interest rate stable

    The Swiss National Bank has kept its key interest rate at zero, sticking with a policy that has held since June 2025 even as oil-driven inflation ticks higher

  • Phone company going to court

    A Swisscom technician who spent 38 years at the company says he was fired for helping his 80-year-old neighbour cancel a subscription she never wanted

Download our app

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play