How We Built Swiss Electricity Tariff Transparency Platform in 1 Month
We built Strompreise Schweiz, a comprehensive Swiss electricity tariff transparency platform that's transforming how consumers and businesses access energy pricing data. Unlike existing portals that only show average values, our solution delivers exact tariff breakdowns and machine-readable APIs for EVs, charging stations, heat pumps, solar inverters, and other energy flow controllers—enabling smarter energy decisions across Switzerland.
600+
Swiss energy providers covered
API
machine-readable tariff data
1-month
MVP delivery
“We have known MTechZilla for many years, and their technical expertise in modern web development, especially with cloud-based Node.js services. Sharvin and the MTechZilla team consistently deliver high-quality.”
Philipp Bruhin
Founder, Strompreise Schweiz
Feedback from the founder on our long-standing partnership and technical expertise.
Client Introduction
Our client identified a critical gap in Switzerland's energy market: the lack of transparent, detailed electricity tariff data. The Swiss tariff system is complex, with demand-based tariffs, peak and off-peak rates, capacity pricing, and meter fees varying across 600+ energy providers. While the ElCom (Electricity Commission) provides some data, it only publishes average values for standardized consumer profiles—insufficient for advancing Switzerland's Energy Strategy 2050 and enabling smart energy optimization.
- Industry: Energy & Utilities
- Region: Switzerland
- Product: Strompreise Schweiz
- Primary Users: Energy consumers, smart device manufacturers, energy controllers, EV owners, utility companies
What We Did
We built a comprehensive electricity tariff portal that provides detailed pricing information beyond what's available on government platforms. The solution delivers individual tariff details instead of average values—no flat H or C consumption profiles, but an exact breakdown of electricity prices. Users can see clear cost breakdowns with separate indication of energy tariff, capacity price, grid usage, and meter fee. The platform also provides insight into the energy mix, helping users understand where their electricity comes from.
- Tariff browsing interface for all Swiss energy providers
- Machine-readable API endpoints (as required by StromVV Article 7b)
- Cost breakdown calculator for energy, capacity, grid, and meter fees
- Energy mix visualization and source transparency
- Compatibility with smart energy controllers and automation systems
How We Did It
We began with deep research into Swiss energy regulations, tariff structures, and the requirements of Electricity Supply Ordinance (StromVV) Article 7b for machine-readable data. Working closely with energy industry experts, we mapped out data models for 600+ energy providers, each with unique tariff structures. We built the platform using Next.js for the frontend with a clean, accessible interface for browsing tariffs. The backend leverages cloud-based Node.js services for API delivery, ensuring low-latency responses for smart energy controllers that need real-time tariff data.
Tech Stack & Integrations
Overcoming Challenges
- Complex Swiss tariff structures: We designed flexible data models that handle demand-based tariffs, peak/off-peak rates, capacity pricing, and meter fees across 600+ energy providers.
- API for smart devices: Built RESTful APIs that deliver tariff data in machine-readable formats, enabling EVs, heat pumps, and solar inverters to optimize energy consumption automatically.
- Regulatory compliance: Implemented data delivery formats compliant with Electricity Supply Ordinance (StromVV) Article 7b requirements.
- Speed to market: Delivered a fully functional MVP in just 1 month, enabling rapid user feedback and iteration.
Result & Impact
Strompreise Schweiz launched successfully, providing Swiss consumers, utility companies, and smart device manufacturers with unprecedented tariff transparency. The platform serves as a catalyst for innovation in the energy sector, enabling sustainable and intelligent energy use through reliable, detailed, machine-readable data—helping reduce CO₂ consumption and drive Switzerland's energy transition forward.
Key Outcomes
- First portal providing detailed Swiss tariffs beyond average values
- Machine-readable APIs enabling smart energy optimization
- Support for EVs, charging stations, heat pumps, and solar inverters
- Contributes to Switzerland's Energy Strategy 2050 goals
- Live at strompreise-schweiz.ch
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Strompreise Schweiz different from ElCom's portal?
While ElCom's strompreis.elcom.admin.ch provides average values for standardized consumer profiles, Strompreise Schweiz offers exact tariff breakdowns including energy tariff, capacity price, grid usage, and meter fees. This detailed data is essential for smart energy controllers and optimization systems.
How do smart devices use the API?
Smart energy controllers—EVs, charging stations, heat pumps, and solar inverters—can query our API to get real-time tariff information. This enables them to automatically optimize energy consumption, charging during low-rate periods and reducing usage during peak pricing.
How did you deliver so quickly?
Our deep expertise in energy sector projects and modern web technologies (Node.js, Next.js) allowed us to move fast. Clear requirements and agile collaboration enabled us to deliver a production-ready MVP in just 1 month.
Is the platform compliant with Swiss regulations?
Yes. The platform provides machine-readable tariff data as required by Electricity Supply Ordinance (StromVV) Article 7b, ensuring energy providers can meet their transparency obligations.
What's next for Strompreise Schweiz?
The platform continues to evolve based on user feedback. More energy providers are being onboarded to contribute their tariff data, expanding coverage and enabling more savings opportunities for Swiss energy consumers and businesses.
Ready to Build Your Energy Platform?
Whether you're creating tariff transparency tools, smart grid solutions, or energy optimization systems, we have the expertise to deliver quickly and effectively.