La Chaux-de-Fonds has the greatest solar-energy potential in canton Neuchâtel: its roofs could generate about 202 GWh of electricity a year. Next come Neuchâtel (186 GWh) and Val-de-Ruz (154 GWh). This is modelled roof potential — largest where there is the most roof area, not current generation. Source: BFE.
Ranking
BFE · 2025| Rank | Municipality | Roof potential | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Chaux-de-Fonds | 202 GWh | 37'858 |
| 2 | Neuchâtel | 186 GWh | 45'466 |
| 3 | Val-de-Ruz | 154 GWh | 17'543 |
| 4 | Val-de-Travers | 128 GWh | 10'710 |
| 5 | Laténa | 81 GWh | 11'752 |
| 6 | Le Locle | 75 GWh | 10'912 |
| 7 | La Grande Béroche | 71 GWh | 9'363 |
| 8 | Milvignes | 54 GWh | 9'367 |
| 9 | Boudry | 37 GWh | 6'341 |
| 10 | Cortaillod | 35 GWh | 4'769 |
| 11 | Le Landeron | 30 GWh | 4'685 |
| 12 | Cressier | 27 GWh | 2'072 |
| 13 | La Brévine | 21 GWh | 614 |
| 14 | Cornaux | 19 GWh | 1'684 |
| 15 | Les Ponts-de-Martel | 18 GWh | 1'234 |
| 16 | Les Verrières | 17 GWh | 660 |
| 17 | La Sagne | 16 GWh | 1'090 |
| 18 | Lignières | 13 GWh | 1'101 |
| 19 | Rochefort | 13 GWh | 1'383 |
| 20 | La Chaux-du-Milieu | 10 GWh | 494 |
| 21 | La Côte-aux-Fées | 10 GWh | 467 |
| 22 | Brot-Plamboz | 9 GWh | 300 |
| 23 | Le Cerneux-Péquignot | 8 GWh | 313 |
| 24 | Les Planchettes | 4 GWh | 187 |
How we measure this
BFEModelled annual electricity that rooftop photovoltaics could produce across the whole municipality, in gigawatt-hours per year, from the BFE «Solarenergiepotenziale der Schweizer Gemeinden» model (2025 snapshot). It is a potential, not installed capacity or actual generation, and it scales with roof area — so large towns lead simply because they have more roofs. It is a rolling model snapshot, not an annual survey. The companion roofs-plus-façades scenario adds vertical surfaces.
Frequently asked questions
- Which municipality in canton Neuchâtel has the greatest solar potential?
- La Chaux-de-Fonds, whose roofs could generate about 202 GWh of electricity a year (2025) — the greatest modelled roof potential of any municipality in canton Neuchâtel.
- Does this mean the municipality actually produces this much solar power?
- No. It is the modelled potential of the available roof surfaces — the electricity they could generate if fully used. Actual installed photovoltaics produce far less. The figure comes from the BFE solar model and scales with how much roof area a municipality has.