Stans has the greatest solar-energy potential in canton Nidwalden: its roofs could generate about 57 GWh of electricity a year. Next come Buochs (30 GWh) and Ennetbürgen (29 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 | Stans | 57 GWh | 8'565 |
| 2 | Buochs | 30 GWh | 5'607 |
| 3 | Ennetbürgen | 29 GWh | 5'361 |
| 4 | Oberdorf | 24 GWh | 3'095 |
| 5 | Stansstad | 21 GWh | 4'916 |
| 6 | Hergiswil | 21 GWh | 6'316 |
| 7 | Ennetmoos | 17 GWh | 2'313 |
| 8 | Wolfenschiessen | 16 GWh | 2'174 |
| 9 | Beckenried | 16 GWh | 3'770 |
| 10 | Dallenwil | 15 GWh | 1'856 |
| 11 | Emmetten | 9 GWh | 1'691 |
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 Nidwalden has the greatest solar potential?
- Stans, whose roofs could generate about 57 GWh of electricity a year (2025) — the greatest modelled roof potential of any municipality in canton Nidwalden.
- 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.