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Solstis has done excellent solar work since 1996
This page is not here to disparage Solstis. It is an established company, with 30 years of experience in solar and more than 6,500 installations completed in French-speaking Switzerland. Their references are impressive: the IOC headquarters in Lausanne (179 kW), Glacier 3000 (115 kW façade), projects for Nestlé, EPFL, Migros, UN assignments and Geneva airport.
If your project is solar only and matches this profile, Solstis is an excellent choice. This page exists for the cases where Abelarti is objectively a better fit — particularly for multi-technology energy renovations.
Profiles compared
The facts, side by side
| Criterion | Abelarti | Solstis |
|---|---|---|
| Founded in | 2015 | 1996 |
| Installations completed | 1,000+ | 6,500+ |
| Offices in French-speaking Switzerland | 1 (Bussigny) | 4 (Lausanne, Geneva-Perly, Bulle, La Chaux-de-Fonds) |
| Services offered | Solar + heat pump + insulation + air conditioning + electrical | Solar + battery + EV chargers |
| Heat pump | ✓ | — |
| Thermal insulation | ✓ | — |
| Air conditioning | ✓ | — |
| Combined asbestos removal + solar | ✓ | — |
| Subsidy quantified before signing | Yes, in the quote | Handled at step 2 |
| Subcontracting | In-house teams | No subcontracting |
| Online ROI calculator | Yes | Yes |
| Major institutional references | B2B + residential | UN, EPFL, Nestlé, Migros, Geneva airport |
| Client focus | Multi-tech individual residential | B2B + large installations |
- You have an institutional or commercial project > 200 kWp. Their track record on projects like the IOC proves they master large technical installations.
- You want 30 years of solar-specific experience. No player in French-speaking Switzerland has more seniority in this field.
- You are in Neuchâtel or La Chaux-de-Fonds. Their local office is a proximity advantage that we do not yet have.
- Your project is strictly photovoltaic. With no need for a heat pump, insulation, or broader thermal renovation, Solstis's solar specialisation is an asset.
- The "no subcontracting" policy is an absolute criterion. Solstis has consistently emphasised it for years.
- Your project includes a heat pump, insulation, or several technologies. Solstis does neither heat pumps nor insulation — you would need 2-3 coordinated providers.
- You own a single-family home. Our focus is residential; their references are mainly institutional.
- Your roof contains asbestos. The asbestos removal + solar combo is a specialty we master, they do not.
- You want cantonal subsidies quantified before signing, not "to be confirmed". That is the concrete difference in our process.
- You want a single project manager to coordinate solar + heat pump + insulation within the same year. Fragmenting creates scheduling conflicts.
Concrete cases
Which situation are you in?
Solar only on a large industrial roof
→ Solstis is probably a better fit
Their track record on installations > 100 kWp (IOC 179 kW, Yverdon 393 kW) is a strong indicator of their expertise in this segment.
Family home + heat pump + insulation
→ Abelarti wins
A single quote, one project manager, combined cantonal subsidies quantified. With Solstis, you would also need a heating engineer and an insulation specialist.
Multi-tech farm operation
→ Abelarti wins
Agri-PV + heat pump for the building + barn insulation = a single point of contact at Abelarti. Solstis does agri-PV but not the rest.
Condominium / 50+ unit building, solar only
→ Solstis is an excellent option
Their experience on projects like Nestlé or EPFL makes them credible for complex condominiums. We would position ourselves differently.
Asbestos roof to renovate + switch to solar
→ Abelarti is specifically equipped
Asbestos removal combined with replacement by solar is our specialty. Solstis does not handle asbestos.
Museum / heritage-protected building project
→ Solstis has more references
Their prestigious institutional projects (Glacier 3000, IOC) demonstrate expertise on heritage-sensitive buildings.
If you have a Solstis quote
Free audit — we tell you honestly where you stand
Send us your Solstis quote. We analyse it within 48 hours and tell you: (1) whether the cantonal subsidies are correctly quantified, (2) whether the sizing suits your roof, (3) whether a heat pump or insulation would add an attractive ROI to the project.
No commitment. We will not solicit you afterwards. If Solstis is the right choice for you, we will tell you so.
Send my quote for a free auditFrequently asked questions
What clients ask us about Solstis
Is Solstis better because they have 30 years of experience?
For pure large-scale solar, their experience is a real asset. For individual residential and multi-technology projects (solar + heat pump + insulation), this solar-only experience is not enough. We do not claim to compete on the 30 years — we offer a scope they do not cover.
Can I have the solar done by Solstis and the heat pump by you?
Technically yes, but it is rarely optimal. Having two providers on the same house means two schedules to coordinate, two quotes with separate subsidies (and therefore often less optimised), and unclear areas of responsibility if a problem arises. We prefer to manage the whole project or none of it — and we will honestly tell you if Solstis is better for your case.
Do the rates differ much between Solstis and Abelarti?
For residential solar, prices are broadly close — both companies use tier-1 equipment and apply Swiss market prices. The difference in total cost over 25 years depends mainly on the accuracy of the subsidy estimate and the ability to integrate other technologies (a heat pump that replaces 60% of your electricity consumption with heat, for example).
Who installs faster?
Similar — between 1 and 3 days for a typical residential solar installation with both. The longer lead time usually comes from the administrative side (cantonal subsidies + permits), which takes 6-10 weeks with all installers.
What warranty does each one offer?
Both rely on manufacturer warranties (typically 25-30 years product warranty on the panels), plus their own installation warranty (typically 5-10 years). We use LONGi Hi-MO 9 and SOLYCO R-TG — both with a 30-year product and power warranty. Solstis does not publicly disclose its specific models.
Does Solstis cover all the French-speaking cantons?
Yes, with 4 offices (Lausanne HQ, Geneva-Perly, Bulle, La Chaux-de-Fonds) they have good geographic coverage. Abelarti also operates in all 7 French-speaking cantons (VD, GE, VS, FR, NE, JU, BE-Bernese Jura) from Bussigny.
Can we see comparable references at Abelarti?
Our references are different: 1,000+ residential and mid-sized B2B projects. We do not (yet) have a project on the scale of the CIO. This is a positioning choice — we mainly serve single-family homes and SMEs, not large institutional accounts.