There can be solar tax credits and incentives available at the federal, state and local levels. The calculator above will show you the value of all incentives your home is eligible for.
The state of home solar in Colorado is strong! 100% of electricity now needs to come from carbon free renewable sources by 2050. Residents of the most populous areas continue to benefit from Xcel’s solar rewards program which pays extra for solar credits over 20 years. Way to go, lawmakers!
Xcel has released a nice program called Solar*Rewards, which earns you a little extra money for every kilowatt-hour of electricity your panels generate.
Rebates continue to be available for residents of Boulder and Colorado Springs, too. All in all, Colorado is a great place to go solar, and we know expert local installers. If you're ready to see how much you can save with solar on your roof, use our calculator above to get started.
Learn what solar incentives are available to Colorado homeowners
See what Colorado solar incentives you qualify for based on your utility company and city
Find out how much these incentives and/or Colorado solar tax credits will reduce your cost to go solar and add batteries
The federal solar investment tax credit will have the biggest impact on the cost you will face to go solar in Colorado
If you install your photovoltaic system before the end of 2032, the federal tax credit is 30% of the cost of your solar panel system. This is 30% off the entire cost of the system including equipment, labor, and permitting.
Example: If your solar energy system costs $20,000, your federal solar tax credit would be $20,000 x 30% = $6,000.
The federal tax credit falls to 26% starting in 2033.
With net metering in some states, you get full retail rate credit for the amount of electricity you send back into the grid with your solar panels.
In short, net metering makes sure that you get credit, either in energy or in cash, for every bit of solar energy your panels produce. Your utility will track how much solar energy you produce and how much you use, and the utility will "store" any extra your solar system produces. At night or on cloudy days, the utility credits your surplus power back to you.
Net metering is one of the keys to successful solar policy, and Colorado may just have the best net metering laws in the country. The state requires utilities to pay you for the net excess energy that your system produces over the course of a year. So if you’re smart about your energy usage, your solar panels can actually turn a profit! The utility company will literally cut you a check at the end of the year for any extra solar juice you’ve contributed to the grid.
Colorado makes taking advantage of those savings even easier, allowing you to opt either for the check or to simply roll your extra credit to any subsequent monthly bills.
The real vein of Rockies gold for solar comes from Colorado’s utility companies. They have to meet the state’s renewable portfolio standard guidelines, so they’re willing to help you put solar on your roof, just for joining the world of electricity generation.
Truth be told, though, the big, fat rebates of years past are all but gone in the Rocky Mountain State. The good news is prices for solar have dropped by about the same amount of the erstwhile rebate money! The rebates worked!
If you’re lucky enough to be an Xcel customer in Colorado, you should definitely sign up for their Solar Rewards program. It pays you on an ongoing basis for the amount of kwh you produce with your solar panels.
You sign a contract to give your renewable energy certificates to Xcel for 20 years. They will pay you for the first 10 years at a rate of $.07/kwh, which is huge!
On an average sized 6kW system, you can expect to reap about $700 annually or $6,500 over those ten years.
A solar installation adds tens of thousands of dollars in value to your home. The good news in Colorado is that homeowners who go solar will not pay a single, solitary, Denver-minted penny in taxes on that value. Thanks, Colorado!
Also, when you install a residential solar system in Colorado you are exempt from 100% of related sales and use taxes. Now that’s how we like our renewable energy laws: simple, smart, and saving you money.
In 2020, the city of Boulder created a hefty home solar grant program. Income-qualified homeowners making less than $82,000 a year for a family of 4 can receive up to 50% of total project costs after rebates, incentives and tax credits are subtracted.
While that’s a good chunk of change, we’re curious to know how many residents will qualify, given Boulder’s relatively high living expenses. We’d love to see similar types of programs offered across more diverse areas of the state.
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Prices based on a 10.1kW system, after 30% federal tax credit
100 solar companies in Colorado provide pricing on SolarReviews. Here are the best rated companies near you.
4.76 67 Reviews
Bob Mason, 2 weeks ago
I want to have power when the grid goes down, not just save energy. Most of the solar companies were trying to sell the "packages" they wanted and were less wanting to listen to my needs. Complete energy solutions came with the system I was looking for with the ideal sized battery array. The controller allows for every option conceivable; from programing use of battery to minimize time of day billing, switching designated circuits to conserve as needed, adding an electric vehicle charging, even incorporate a generator if so desired. Permits can be time consuming but mine were done in under two weeks. Installation took two full days, the State inspection two days later, and the Core Electric inspection the following day. All went smoothly. My hat is off to Matt Fenney for the great engineering, and coordination of his team.
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Bob Mason, 2 weeks ago
I want to have power when the grid goes down, not just save energy. Most of the solar companies were trying to sell the "packages" they wanted and were less wanting to listen to my needs. Complete energy solutions came with the system I was looking for with the ideal sized battery array. The controller allows for every option conceivable; from programing use of battery to minimize time of day billing, switching designated circuits to conserve as needed, adding an electric vehicle charging, even incorporate a generator if so desired. Permits can be time consuming but mine were done in under two weeks. Installation took two full days, the State inspection two days later, and the Core Electric inspection the following day. All went smoothly. My hat is off to Matt Fenney for the great engineering, and coordination of his team.
4.71 46 Reviews
S Donalds , over 1 month
Apollo provided us with a wonderful solar system and also great customer service…even when our roofing company blamed them for a leak in our roof. They patiently came to our home multiple times and helped with diagnosing the problem until, finally, the roofers found the leak - that the roofers had created. Never once did Apollo make us feel like we were causing them an imposition (even though I know we were).
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S Donalds , over 1 month
Apollo provided us with a wonderful solar system and also great customer service…even when our roofing company blamed them for a leak in our roof. They patiently came to our home multiple times and helped with diagnosing the problem until, finally, the roofers found the leak - that the roofers had created. Never once did Apollo make us feel like we were causing them an imposition (even though I know we were).
4.71 69 Reviews
JeromeD, over 1 month
A thoroughly professional experience from initial bid to installation to follow up. Mostly kept me in the loop and if they didn’t, a quick phone call got me back in. This is probably my biggest complaint of other businesses is a failure to keep me posted on progress, particularly with un-returned phone calls. This was not the case with Sunsense.
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JeromeD, over 1 month
A thoroughly professional experience from initial bid to installation to follow up. Mostly kept me in the loop and if they didn’t, a quick phone call got me back in. This is probably my biggest complaint of other businesses is a failure to keep me posted on progress, particularly with un-returned phone calls. This was not the case with Sunsense.
Anonymous, over 1 month
Good installation
4.64 78 Reviews
Dick R, over 1 month
My Enphase system was installed in 2012 by a previous owner and needed removal for roof replacement in 2023. I hired the original installer for the job. When he removed the equipment, he discovered squirrel damage to the wiring. The installer said he would repair the damage, re-install the equipment and a "critter guard" to prevent further damage. When the roof was replaced, he taped the squirrel damage and reinstalled the system. It worked well until June 11, 2024 when it failed completely and couldn't produce power. I attempted to contact the installer, got no response and called Solar Power Pros. I told Jimmy Jessup about my problem and he said he'd have a technician come over August 8. Karl, the tech, arrived 8/8 at 8 and gave the system a thorough inspection. He found one inverter with taped squirrel damage on the output connector which was shorted and showing fire damage, inverters and wiring harnesses laying on the roof, no bonding wires on the frames and supports, the original earth grounding wire was gone and the junction box wiring was a mess. Karl worked all day on that mess and took photos of it before and after his repair work showing the system was properly wired and was working as before when he finished. Thank Jimmy, Karl and Solar Power Pros for the great customer service and competent work. I highly recommend this team!
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Dick R, over 1 month
My Enphase system was installed in 2012 by a previous owner and needed removal for roof replacement in 2023. I hired the original installer for the job. When he removed the equipment, he discovered squirrel damage to the wiring. The installer said he would repair the damage, re-install the equipment and a "critter guard" to prevent further damage. When the roof was replaced, he taped the squirrel damage and reinstalled the system. It worked well until June 11, 2024 when it failed completely and couldn't produce power. I attempted to contact the installer, got no response and called Solar Power Pros. I told Jimmy Jessup about my problem and he said he'd have a technician come over August 8. Karl, the tech, arrived 8/8 at 8 and gave the system a thorough inspection. He found one inverter with taped squirrel damage on the output connector which was shorted and showing fire damage, inverters and wiring harnesses laying on the roof, no bonding wires on the frames and supports, the original earth grounding wire was gone and the junction box wiring was a mess. Karl worked all day on that mess and took photos of it before and after his repair work showing the system was properly wired and was working as before when he finished. Thank Jimmy, Karl and Solar Power Pros for the great customer service and competent work. I highly recommend this team!
4.61 178 Reviews
Alyssa Audd, 4 days ago
We had the privilege of working with Smart Wave Solar this year. We are very pleased with the performance of our system. The benefits of solar and the process of installation was explained in great detail in a way that was easy to understand. The installation went smoothly and quickly. I feel Smart Wave went above and beyond in everything they did for us. We had three other companies give us quotes and we had given up on the idea of going solar because it was either too expensive or we didn’t feel comfortable with the other companies. We called Smart Wave in one final attempt to get a quote for solar. We were blown away at the affordable price so we decided to go solar powered with Smart Wave and are very glad we made that decision. I highly recommend Smart Wave Solar.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$10,650 ($2.13 per watt)
Alyssa Audd, 4 days ago
We had the privilege of working with Smart Wave Solar this year. We are very pleased with the performance of our system. The benefits of solar and the process of installation was explained in great detail in a way that was easy to understand. The installation went smoothly and quickly. I feel Smart Wave went above and beyond in everything they did for us. We had three other companies give us quotes and we had given up on the idea of going solar because it was either too expensive or we didn’t feel comfortable with the other companies. We called Smart Wave in one final attempt to get a quote for solar. We were blown away at the affordable price so we decided to go solar powered with Smart Wave and are very glad we made that decision. I highly recommend Smart Wave Solar.
4.52 1,953 Reviews
Landon, 2 weeks ago
I had applied to a door to door sales position and scheduled a 1-1 zoom call from 1:50pm-2:10pm wed 10/30/2024. Interviewer never showed up. Didn't even bother to communicate if something came up. How can you trust a company that doesn't care about its employees... waisted 20min of my time.
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Landon, 2 weeks ago
I had applied to a door to door sales position and scheduled a 1-1 zoom call from 1:50pm-2:10pm wed 10/30/2024. Interviewer never showed up. Didn't even bother to communicate if something came up. How can you trust a company that doesn't care about its employees... waisted 20min of my time.
4.50 36 Reviews
Paul, over 1 month
Well Done! Curtis is a pleasure to work with, knowledgeable, experienced, quality from start to finish. No need to call anyone else.
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Paul, over 1 month
Well Done! Curtis is a pleasure to work with, knowledgeable, experienced, quality from start to finish. No need to call anyone else.
4.48 26 Reviews
Geo Ed, over 1 month
We have lived off grid for thirty years. Our original installer retired and Renewable Energy Outfitters stepped in when we needed service. This past spring we decided to upgrade the entire system. Aaron and his two employees did a superb job. We do not have a single complaint. Aaron Mandelkorn is a superb example of how a business marketing and installing and servicing solar and also wind power should operate. We would recommend Renewable Energy Outfitters above any other company in this part of Colorado.
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Geo Ed, over 1 month
We have lived off grid for thirty years. Our original installer retired and Renewable Energy Outfitters stepped in when we needed service. This past spring we decided to upgrade the entire system. Aaron and his two employees did a superb job. We do not have a single complaint. Aaron Mandelkorn is a superb example of how a business marketing and installing and servicing solar and also wind power should operate. We would recommend Renewable Energy Outfitters above any other company in this part of Colorado.
4.44 26 Reviews
John Brask, 1 week ago
We had a not great first solar experience with a different company, but knew we wanted solar on our new home. We received quotes from 4 companies and ARE solar provided the best value for power production vs cost and they had a solid warranty to back it up. We were still skeptical - almost seemed too good to be true. But we dove in and trusted the many other positive reviews. Design and Contracting was straightforward - unlike other companies, ARE listened to what was important to us and adjusted the design to match. Installation was smooth - the workers that were onsite were considerate and install was quick. Connection with Xcel also went smoothly, backed up by proactive and detailed communication from ARE Solar. Throughout the entire process we appreciated the clear and detailed communications, the responsiveness to our questions and the transparency of the answers. Now 6+ months post install the panels are operating flawlessly, production is tracking a bit above what was expected, and we look forward to many years of enjoying the energy production from the Colorado sun.
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John Brask, 1 week ago
We had a not great first solar experience with a different company, but knew we wanted solar on our new home. We received quotes from 4 companies and ARE solar provided the best value for power production vs cost and they had a solid warranty to back it up. We were still skeptical - almost seemed too good to be true. But we dove in and trusted the many other positive reviews. Design and Contracting was straightforward - unlike other companies, ARE listened to what was important to us and adjusted the design to match. Installation was smooth - the workers that were onsite were considerate and install was quick. Connection with Xcel also went smoothly, backed up by proactive and detailed communication from ARE Solar. Throughout the entire process we appreciated the clear and detailed communications, the responsiveness to our questions and the transparency of the answers. Now 6+ months post install the panels are operating flawlessly, production is tracking a bit above what was expected, and we look forward to many years of enjoying the energy production from the Colorado sun.
For more information about going solar near where you live, check out the following resources:
Fort Collins Solar Loan Program - Offers on-bill repayment