- Location: Zurich-Affoltern
- Use: Rental and owner-occupied apartments
- Buildings: 2
- Apartments: 220
- Residents: approx. 600
- PV modules: 550
- Output: 247 kWp
- Annual production: up to 263,840 kWh
- EV parking spaces: 110 fully fitted (development stage D); 140 partially fitted (development stage C1)
- PV installation in operation since: December 2025
When the owners of Manhattanpark were planning to renovate the roofs of the housing development, they asked themselves: As we’re replacing the roofs anyway, why not take advantage of the opportunity and produce solar power in the future?
They had a clear goal in mind – residents should benefit from more stable electricity costs while at the same time supplying the existing electric vehicle charging infrastructure with locally produced electricity.
Since the owners didn’t want to invest their own funds, they looked for a model that would cover the financing, construction and subsequent operation of the system. With ewz, they were able to build on an existing collaboration: a few years earlier, ewz had planned and implemented the development’s e-mobility charging infrastructure.
The real challenge was not the photovoltaic system itself. Since the roof renovation was already underway when ewz joined the project, different plans, trades and schedules all had to be coordinated. Scaffolding, material logistics and construction processes were already defined. In addition, the new PV system had to be connected to the existing charging infrastructure in the basement. This meant routing cables from the roof to the basement through the lift shaft.
Close coordination between all the parties enabled them to install the PV system in parallel with the roof renovation, making optimal use of existing synergies.
ewz took charge of the planning, financing, construction and operation of the photovoltaic system under its ewz solar contracting package. ewz is also supporting the management committee with other services:
- Planning and operation of e-mobility charging infrastructure
- Electricity billing with ewz.solarsplit
- Operation and maintenance of the PV system for 25 years until 2050
For the owners, this means no investment costs, no operating risks and no expense for maintenance or repairs.
Today, the system produces up to 263,840 kilowatt-hours of solar power annually. Some of this electricity is used directly in the apartments – in numerical terms, this represents a saving of around 100 tonnes of CO₂ compared to a property that draws grid electricity from conventional sources.
The system powers the development’s charging infrastructure at the same time – making a valuable contribution to sustainable electromobility. Excess electricity is fed into the grid.
For large residential developments, the biggest hurdle is often not the technology, but rather financing and coordinating the numerous stakeholder groups.
With ewz PV contracting, all the owners have to do is provide the roof space. ewz takes care of:
- the financing, planning, construction and operation of the PV system as well as
- ongoing maintenance and any repairs.
ewz retains responsibility for the system for 25 years, at which point it becomes the property of the owners.
Producing and consuming electricity directly on site cuts out a large proportion of the grid costs and charges. That means solar power can be more economical overall, despite the higher energy price.
