NIN
Switzerland’s Niederspannungs-Installations-Norm. What NIN (SN 411000) covers, how the NIV (SR 734.27) frames it, what the Sicherheitsnachweis (SiNa) is, and what WireSketch does — and doesn’t — model for Swiss installations.
What NIN is
NIN, the Niederspannungs-Installations-Norm, is the Swiss national standard for low-voltage electrical installations. It carries the SN designation SN 411000 and is published by Electrosuisse (formerly under the SEV 1000 identifier). The current edition is NIN 2025, which is now in force.
NIN is the technical reference. The legal frame around it is the NIV (Niederspannungs-Installations-Verordnung), filed in the Swiss federal collection as SR 734.27 and dated 7 November 2001. NIV is the binding ordinance; NIN is the standard NIV points at as the technical state-of-the-art. ESTI (Eidgenössisches Starkstrominspektorat) is the federal inspectorate responsible for the regime.
Who NIN applies to
All low-voltage electrical installations in Switzerland. NIN is what Swiss contractors design to, what Swiss network operators reference, and what the Sicherheitsnachweis attests.
The enforcement model: SiNa under NIV
The Swiss model centres on the Sicherheitsnachweis (SiNa) — the safety-verification certificate that attests compliance with NIV Article 3 (basic safety requirements) and Article 4 (avoidance of interference). The SiNa is mandatory:
- At handover of the installation to the owner.
- For new builds, conversions, extensions and adaptations.
- Periodically thereafter, under the Kontrolle regime of NIV Article 36.
Under NIV Article 36, the network operator must notify the owner in writing at least six months before the relevant control period ends. WireSketch’s research did not establish a verified list of the exact Kontrollperiode intervals for different installation categories — the commonly-quoted 1/3/5/10/20-year enumeration was specifically refuted in verification, so it is not reproduced here. The structure exists; the exact numbers should be checked against the current NIV text or with the network operator.
The standards stack a SiNa references is being updated over time: NIN 2025 is now the cited edition, and SN 414022:2024 / SN 414113:2024 have superseded the earlier SNR 464022:2015 / SNR 464113:2015 references that appeared on older SiNa forms.
The practical implication: the legal compliance artefact in Switzerland is the SiNa, signed by an authorised inspector. WireSketch’s planner output is a design and discussion artefact only.
Key requirements
NIN transposes the IEC 60364 family with Swiss-specific overlay. The baseline that is shared:
- Bathroom zones in the IEC 60364-7-701 model, as transposed by the Swiss text.
- RCD protection for socket and bathroom circuits per NIV / NIN.
- Selection and erection of wiring systems against the Swiss text and the current SN references.
- Special locations — bathrooms, swimming pools, EV charging, photovoltaic — with Swiss-specific overlay.
- Verification and Kontrolle — SiNa at handover, periodic Kontrolle under NIV Article 36.
WireSketch’s research did not surface a verified primary-source enumeration of every Swiss-specific socket-density, circuit-count or RCD-type rule for residential installations, and the exact Kontrollperiode interval set is an open question. A Swiss installer will know the current numbers; this page does not invent them.
What WireSketch models from NIN
Honest answer: WireSketch does not yet model NIN as a separate region. The closest selector is DIN 18015 / VDE 0100 (Germany) as a generic HD 60364 / IEC 60364-aligned baseline. With DIN selected in Switzerland you get:
- IEC 60364 wet-room Zone 0/1/2 in bathroom mode — the underlying model NIN transposes.
- Type A RCD as the default main protection — a reasonable residential baseline; NIN has its own scope rules.
- Kitchen-rule dedicated circuits for heavy appliances — sensible everywhere in this family.
- Generic installation-zone overlays drawn from DIN 18015 — useful as a planning aid in German-speaking Switzerland; not a substitute for the Swiss text.
Treat the planner output as a sketch, not the SiNa. A Swiss installation needs a Sicherheitsnachweis at handover, under NIV (SR 734.27). The WireSketch layout is a useful conversation starter for your Swiss contractor; the regulatory artefact is the SiNa, signed by an authorised inspector.
What WireSketch doesn’t model
- NIN 2025 Swiss-specific additions — socket density, mandatory circuit counts per room, Swiss cable conventions, RCD-type rules specific to NIN.
- SiNa format — the legal artefact is not produced by the app.
- Kontrolle periodic-inspection scheduling — the exact intervals under NIV Article 36 are an open question and are not encoded.
- Updated SN reference numbers — SN 414022:2024 and SN 414113:2024 references that a current SiNa would now use are not consulted by the planner.
- Network operator notification workflow — the six-month written notice before the control period ends is regulatory context, not a planner feature.
- Cantonal overlays — where cantons add procedural requirements on top of the federal NIV, those are not modelled.
Practical tip
If you are a homeowner in Switzerland planning a remodel or new build: use WireSketch with the DIN 18015 selector to capture the layout you want, generate the Renovation Brief PDF, and give it to your Swiss contractor. Be explicit that you understand the binding ordinance is NIV (SR 734.27), the cited standard is NIN 2025, and the legal artefact is the SiNa at handover.
If you are a Swiss contractor or authorised inspector, treat WireSketch as a layout and client-communication tool. Use it for the conversation and the wall photographs, translate the layout to NIN 2025 in your design package, and issue the SiNa under NIV after handover.
Important. WireSketch produces a planning and design artefact, not a compliance document. Standards are modelled at their baseline — local amendments apply, and final certification of any installation must come from a licensed electrician operating under your jurisdiction’s adopted edition and amendments.