The greatest solar potential per capita in canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden
National ranking →Hundwil has the greatest solar potential per capita in canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden: its roofs could generate about 14'654 kWh of electricity a year per inhabitant. Next come Schwellbrunn (11'841 kWh) and Urnäsch (11'692 kWh). Per capita, small municipalities with lots of roof area — barns and sheds — lead, not the big cities. Source: BFE/FSO.
Ranking
BFE + BFS · 2025| Rank | Municipality | Solar potential per capita | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hundwil | 14'654 kWh | 967 |
| 2 | Schwellbrunn | 11'841 kWh | 1'543 |
| 3 | Urnäsch | 11'692 kWh | 2'382 |
| 4 | Stein | 10'550 kWh | 1'492 |
| 5 | Wald | 9'967 kWh | 916 |
| 6 | Schönengrund | 9'554 kWh | 561 |
| 7 | Wolfhalden | 9'326 kWh | 1'913 |
| 8 | Gais | 9'029 kWh | 3'150 |
| 9 | Reute | 9'024 kWh | 717 |
| 10 | Waldstatt | 8'778 kWh | 1'906 |
| 11 | Rehetobel | 8'480 kWh | 1'710 |
| 12 | Grub | 8'083 kWh | 986 |
| 13 | Walzenhausen | 8'063 kWh | 2'111 |
| 14 | Bühler | 7'942 kWh | 1'958 |
| 15 | Trogen | 7'627 kWh | 1'905 |
| 16 | Heiden | 6'986 kWh | 4'413 |
| 17 | Teufen | 6'204 kWh | 6'646 |
| 18 | Lutzenberg | 6'015 kWh | 1'340 |
| 19 | Speicher | 5'953 kWh | 4'505 |
| 20 | Herisau | 5'682 kWh | 16'100 |
How we measure this
BFE + BFSModelled annual rooftop electricity yield (BFE solar model, 2025 snapshot) divided by the permanent resident population (FSO STATPOP), in kilowatt-hours per year per inhabitant. For scale: an ElCom reference household (profile H4) uses 4,500 kWh a year. It is a potential, not installed capacity or actual generation. Per capita the absolute ranking inverts: small municipalities with large barn and shed roofs lead, not the cities with the most total roof area.
Frequently asked questions
- Which municipality in canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden has the greatest solar potential per capita?
- Hundwil: its roofs could generate about 14'654 kWh of electricity a year per inhabitant (2025) — the greatest modelled per-capita potential of any municipality in canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden.
- Why do small municipalities lead rather than the cities?
- Because the roof potential is divided by the number of inhabitants: few residents with large barn, shed and stable roofs produce high per-capita values. Big cities have the greatest absolute potential but little roof area per person. The figure remains modelled potential, not today's generation.