Make the most of Colorado’s energy rich sunshine. Residential solar panels are producing affordable clean electricity throughout established neighborhoods, new developments and rural communities. Colorado’s “work hard, play hard” lifestyle is fueled by the sun. Our unsurpassed “bluebird” days are made for playing outdoors and powering homes.
From Colorado’s eastern plains and urban Front Range to the high desert mesas and Rocky Mountains, sustainable solar is being installed with a fervor. Protecting our diverse environment and community health is as motivating to many residents as controlling energy costs. Colorado receives over 300 days of sun a year, enabling solar homeowners to maximize electricity production and savings. And, the average annual savings of going solar is $999.1 Capturing the sun’s power just makes sense.
Sunrun solar panels2 will help keep your home warm in winter, cool in summer and can charge a hybrid car. Today’s aging electric grid is stressed and incurring blackouts from weather extremes and population growth.4 Colorado’s rooftop solar generates power through nearly any weather, which you know can change at any minute. Solar panel installations actually work more efficiently in the cold5 and continue producing energy during the day despite wind, hail, rain and snow. Sunrun solar panels are a lot like tech-savvy, active Coloradans—they’re outside, going strong and making the most of every season.
Colorado solar is motivated by protecting the environment, reducing electricity costs, building a dependable grid and promoting a renewable energy economy. Today, the goal of 14 towns and counties across the state is to have 100% clean renewable energy.
Denver is already a solar star. Environment Colorado ranks Denver ninth for solar energy installed out of 69 cities nationwide.6 And Aspen and Glenwood Springs are both completely powered by renewable energy.7,8 Reducing electricity costs while minimizing our carbon footprint is energizing solar adoption. Plus, economic incentivizes to go green make it a smart decision.
Colorado is driving toward 100% renewable energy use by 2040. The state’s recent guidance “Roadmap to 100 percent Renewable Energy and Bold Climate Action”10 outlines efforts to fast track home solar including:
Colorado homeowners pay about 12 cents per kilowatt-hour, comparable to the national average. But, the average forecasted cost over the next 25 years will be 22 cents per kilowatt-hour.1 Reduce your costs and attain energy security today with solar.
The average cost of Colorado solar panels is $3.25/watt. A typical 6 kilowatt system is $19,500, and $13,656 after the federal tax credit.12 A typical solar installation in Colorado has an average lifetime savings of $53,171. And an average-sized system has a payback period of just nine years, so count on up to 16 years of free electricity while your panels are under a 25-year warranty.1
Colorado has the potential to produce hundreds of times as much solar energy as it consumes,13 and some of the country’s best incentives to keep it powered.9
Colorado solar incentives include the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to have 30% of all energy generation from local renewable resources by 2020. If utilities like Xcel don’t meet these mandates, they’re charged. So, it’s to their advantage to offer solar incentives like Xcel’s Solar*Rewards.1, 14
Net metering15 is another key to Colorado’s solar success. It ensures a credit, either in energy or cash, for the excess electricity your system produces. So, with smart energy usage, you can actually turn a profit on your monthly bills.1 Xcel Energy offers Colorado’s top net metering program.16
Colorado’s Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Renewable Energy Equipment17 removes any sales tax on your system purchase. Plus, the Property Tax Exemption for Residential Renewable Energy Equipment18 eliminates having to pay additional taxes on the increased value of your house.9
And, if you’ve recently purchased a new home, or are in the market, Colorado will help pay your mortgage if you install a solar system within the first 120 days of buying.16 This program offers loans from $750 to $3,000.
While there is not a specific Colorado solar tax credit,13 local governments and utilities offer significant residential solar rebates1 such as:
Utility Company | Rebate Amount |
---|---|
Colorado Springs Utilities | $0.20 per watt rebate. Depending on the installation, up to 40% of the total system cost can be covered by rebates (cash value returned to customers) and tax credits (for reduction in local taxes). |
La Plata Electric Association | For systems 10 kilowatt or smaller, customers can receive a one-time upfront cash payment valued at $16 per kilowatt. |
San Miguel Power Association |
Rebate of $0.25 per watt for a maximum amount up to 3kilowatts or $750 (cash value returned to customers). /p> |
**Customer’s ability to monetize rebates, incentives and tax credits depends on several factors, including, without limitation, continued state subsidization of these policies, the applicable Sunrun product type, and whether a customer purchases or leases a solar system from Sunrun.
One of the best solar incentives across the U.S. is the federal solar tax credit.20 Currently, the residential federal solar tax credit gives you a dollar-for-dollar reduction against your federal income tax equal to 26% of the final cost of solar energy systems you install on your home. This benefit exists through December 31, 2022. In 2023 the residential tax credit will step down step down to 22%. In 2024, the tax credit for residential solar ends.
Incentives are making Colorado a hotbed for residential solar. See the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE)20 for information on all available solar incentives.
Sunrun’s Colorado solar plans work with your budget and lifestyle to create the best energy solution for you. Own a system on your terms with BrightBuy.21 Just pay a one-time upfront cost to gain complete ownership and incentives. Or, purchase a system on your terms via BrightAdvantage’s22 hassle-free loan, low fixed interest rate and no upfront payments.
Alternatively, choose a solar lease. With BrightSave Monthly.23 You save on electric bills for $0 down and lock in low, predictable monthly payments for 25 years. Or, maximize savings with BrightSave Prepaid24 and enjoy worry-free electricity without monthly bills for the next 25 years at today’s lower rates with one simple, upfront payment.
Also, Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs)25 help Coloradans save if you purchase a system. Yet, Sunrun can also offer you this perk with a BrightSave lease by passing the savings on to you through lower electricity rates that pay for power, not the panels.26
The sun is our most powerful energy resource. Now is the absolute best time to go solar in Colorado27 and achieve energy security.28 Sunrun solar panels offer affordable, dependable electricity so you can get out and enjoy those sundrenched Colorado vistas and have cash in your pocket for more adventure.
When you’re ready to talk rooftop solar, contact us for a free quote.29 See why your neighbors have chosen Sunrun. We are committed to being you local solar power company in Colorado. Sunrun’s large Denver headquarters has solar advisors who understand your priorities, state incentives and the best solar system for your home.
Sources:
1. https://www.solarpowerrocks.com/colorado/
2. https://www.sunrun.com/solar-panels
3. https://www.sunrun.com/solar-battery-storage
4. https://www.cpr.org/2019/06/06/while-colorado-is-ready-for-more-renewabl...
5. https://www.sunrun.com/go-solar-center/solar-articles/do-solar-panels-wo...
6. https://www.denverpost.com/2019/04/09/denver-ninth-nationally-solar-capa...
7. https://www.sierraclub.org/ready-for-100/commitments
8. https://www.aspentimes.com/news/glenwood-to-become-7th-city-in-the-us-to...
9. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7w3bkFgg92dMkpxY3VsNk5nVGZGOHJGRUV5VnJ...
10. https://www.colorado.gov/governor/news/gov-polis-marks-first-six-months-...
11. https://www.solarreviews.com/solar-panels/solar-panel-cost/cost-of-solar...
12. https://www.colorado.gov/energyoffice
13. https://www.xcelenergy.com/programs_and_rebates/residential_programs_and...
14. https://www.sunrun.com/go-solar-center/solar-terms/definition/net-energy...
15. https://www.energysage.com/solar-panels/solar-rebates-incentives/co/
16. https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/Sales83.pdf
17. https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dola/renewable-energy
18. https://www.sunrun.com/solar-lease/cost-of-solar/federal-solar-tax-incen...
19. https://programs.dsireusa.org/system/program
20. https://www.sunrun.com/solar-plans-and-services/purchase-solar-system
21. https://www.sunrun.com/solar-plans-and-services/monthly-solar-loan
22. https://www.sunrun.com/solar-plans-and-services/monthly-solar-lease
23. https://www.sunrun.com/solar-plans-and-services/full-amount-solar-lease
24. https://www.sunrun.com/go-solar-center/solar-terms/definition/solar-rene...
25. https://www.sunrun.com/solar-by-state/co/colorado-solar-tax-incentives
26. https://www.sunrun.com/solar-by-state/co
27. https://www.solar-estimate.org/solar-panels/colorado
28. https://www.sunrun.com/free-solar-quote
29. https://www.denverpost.com/2019/04/16/sunrun-expanding-denver-office/