EWZ

What EWZ does

EWZ (Elektrizitätswerk der Stadt Zürich) is the municipal energy utility of the City of Zürich, Switzerland, founded over 120 years ago (1892) and operating as a service department of the municipal government with approximately 1,200 employees. The company is the statutory electricity supplier for the City of Zürich and parts of Graubünden (Mittelbünden and Bergell), and produces 100% renewable energy from its own generation assets, which include 12 hydroelectric power plants in Graubünden, 3 plants on the Limmat river (Höngg, Letten, Wettingen producing 172,938 MWh annually), storage reservoirs acting as natural batteries, and a 15% stake in the Gösgen nuclear plant scheduled for divestment by 2034. Its product portfolio is diversified across five energy and infrastructure verticals: tiered green electricity products (ewz.pronatur at 44 CHF/month, ewz.natur at 42 CHF/month, ewz.econatur at 41 CHF/month), solar solutions including rooftop PV, the ewz.solarzüri renter participation program, ewz.solarquartier local electricity communities, and zero-capex Solar Contracting for businesses, district heating and cooling networks (Fernwärme/Fernkälte) sourcing from lake water, groundwater, waste heat, geothermal and wood, the ewz.zürinet fiber optic network (described as the largest in Switzerland, with open-access ISP partnerships), and e-mobility charging infrastructure for residential, commercial, and fleet customers. Revenue is generated through subscription-based recurring billing for electricity, fiber, heating/cooling, and solar products, supplemented by project-based fees for PV installation, EV-charging hardware, and enterprise energy solutions (e.g., integrated solar-plus-district-heating-plus-EV deployments for real-estate and retail customers such as ALDI SUISSE, Vacheron Constantin, Swiss Life Arena, and Guggach complex). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the ewz.ch website, the Mein ewz customer portal, two physical customer centers (Zürich city center and Graubünden), and a dedicated enterprise field-sales team; the company also pursues brand engagement through sports and cultural sponsorships (ZSC Lions, Zoo Zürich, Zürcher Limmatschwimmen).

Name

EWZ

Legal name

Elektrizitätswerk der Stadt Zürich

Website

https://ewz.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

EWZ is the municipal utility of the City of Zürich, Switzerland, producing 100% renewable energy from 15 hydropower plants and supplying electricity, solar, fiber optic, district heating/cooling, and e-mobility services to residential and business customers in Zürich and parts of Graubünden.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Electric Utility Services

NAICS

Hydroelectric Power Generation (221111), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Renewable Energy Asset O&M (Wind, Solar, Hydro, Geothermal) (EUAEAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Electrical & Instrumentation (E&I) Maintenance for Energy Facilities (EUAEAGAJ)

Keywords

• Municipal electricity utility
• Hydropower generation
• District heating networks
• Fiber optic broadband
• Renewable energy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electricity Supply: Sale of electricity products (Naturstrom) to residential and business customers in Zürich and Graubünden.
2. Fiber Optic / Telecommunications: Provision of fiber optic internet connectivity through ewz.zürinet network.
3. District Heating and Cooling: Supply of renewable heating and cooling energy through district heating networks.
4. Solar Energy Solutions: Sale and installation of solar PV systems, solar contracting, and solarquartier local electricity community memberships.
5. E-Mobility Solutions: Charging infrastructure solutions and services for electric vehicles for residential and business customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EWZ is a Swiss municipal energy utility that generates 100% renewable electricity primarily from its own hydropower plants and supplies it to private and business customers in Zürich and Graubünden. Beyond electricity, the company operates district heating and cooling networks, the largest fiber optic network in Switzerland (ewz.züri.net), solar PV installation services, and EV charging infrastructure.

Product overview

EWZ (Elektrizitätswerk der Stadt Zürich) is a Swiss municipal energy utility offering a diversified portfolio of energy and telecommunications products and services. The core offering centers on 100% renewable electricity products (ewz.pronatur naturemade star-certified, ewz.natur as standard recommendation, and ewz.econatur budget option) generated primarily from its own hydropower plants in Graubünden and on the Limmat river. The product portfolio extends to solar energy solutions including ewz.solarquartier (local electricity communities), ewz.solarzüri (solar participation), and comprehensive PV system services (planning, installation, contracting). EWZ provides electric vehicle charging infrastructure for homes, businesses and fleets, district heating and cooling networks (Fernwärme/Fernkälte) utilizing lake water, groundwater, waste heat and renewable sources, and the ewz.zürinet fiber optic network with open ISP access. Additional services include customer portal 'Mein ewz', energy consulting, network connections, and the Kundenvorteile customer benefits program featuring exclusive event access. The company operates 15 hydropower plants and provides services to the city of Zürich and parts of Graubünden.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ewz.zürinet: Fiber optic network brand providing internet services in the city of Zürich
• ewz.solarquartier
• ewz.solarzüri
• ewz.pronatur
• ewz.natur
• ewz.econatur
• ewz.mobil

Products and services

• ewz.pronatur

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual production of 172,938 MWh from Limmat hydropower plants alone, enough to power 38,000 households
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• City of Zürich - Mein KontocoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with the City of Zürich's central service portal 'Mein Konto', which provides single sign-on access to all municipal services including ewz's 'Mein ewz' customer portal.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Elektrizitätswerke des Kantons Zürich (EKZ): Swiss cantonal energy utility serving the broader Canton of Zürich with electricity, heating, telecom, and e-mobility services. Highly comparable to EWZ as a vertically integrated renewable energy provider in the same Swiss geography, though operating at the cantonal rather than municipal level.
• Industrielle Werke Basel (IWB): Municipal utility of Basel, Switzerland, offering electricity, district heating, natural gas, and water services. Directly comparable to EWZ as another Swiss municipal utility (Stadtwerk) with diversified energy infrastructure serving a major Swiss city.
• Energie Wasser Bern (ewb): Municipal utility of Bern, Switzerland, providing electricity, district heating, water, and telecom services. Closely comparable to EWZ as a Swiss municipal utility with renewable energy generation and district heating networks serving a major Swiss city.

Broad incumbents

• Stadtwerke München (SWM): Large municipal utility of Munich, Germany, operating electricity, district heating, drinking water, and public transport (MVG). Comparable as a German-speaking municipal utility with renewable generation (hydropower, geothermal) and integrated energy/district heating portfolio, though at larger scale.
• Wiener Stadtwerke: Municipal utility of Vienna, Austria, providing electricity, district heating, gas, and public transport. Comparable to EWZ as a major DACH-region municipal utility with district heating and renewable generation assets serving a large urban population.
• Axpo Holding: Switzerland's largest producer of renewable energy and an international energy trader, with major hydropower and grid assets. Comparable to EWZ as a Swiss energy player but operates at national and international scale with broader generation portfolio including nuclear.
• BKW Energie AG: Swiss integrated energy company with generation, distribution, and services across electricity, heat, and engineering. Comparable to EWZ in Swiss energy market but operates across multiple cantons with broader service portfolio.
• Alpiq Holding AG: Swiss energy company active in generation, transmission, and sales across Europe. Comparable to EWZ as a Swiss electricity producer and trader with hydropower generation, though operating at national and European scale.

Regional players

• Repower AG: Swiss energy company headquartered in Graubünden with hydropower generation and distribution in Eastern Switzerland/Italian border region. Comparable to EWZ given shared geography (Graubünden operations) and hydropower focus, though without Zurich municipal anchor.

Others

• Swisscom AG: Switzerland's largest telecom provider, operating fixed and mobile networks. Comparable to EWZ only through its fiber optic network footprint in Zürich, where Swisscom competes for ISP delivery over ewz.zürinet infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ewz_energie
• Facebookfacebook.com/ewz.energie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/4785837

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EWZ