For Colorado homeowners interested in investing in a solar panel system for their home, many questions tend to come up: What does it cost on average? What kinds of panels are there? And who should I get to install the panels?

Read on to find some answers and get help making your decision about solar installation for your home!

What’s the Cost?

Colorado is one of the more solar energy friendly states in the United States, having undertaken several forms of solar legislation and action that help Colorado residents access solar power with fewer restrictions and less overall cost. But with that said, let’s take a look at what that cost could actually be for your home.

 

What costs are associated with Colorado Solar Panels?

The price of a solar system will vary greatly depending on your home’s size, energy needs, exact location, and capacity for solar panel installation. Solar panel costs in the United States can range from around $5,000 to $40,000. 

Fortunately, Colorado’s average cost for a normal-sized home system is on the lower end of that range, at about $17,100 for a 6kW system. 

However, you will need to get more specific estimates for your particular home. This system size may not be adequate for your home’s energy needs if you intend to replace your current energy usage with solar as much as possible, like many of those looking into a solar energy system. Different decisions that you make with different installers can also make a difference towards the final price. For example, some companies only work with rooftop solar panels. In contrast, others offer an option to add on energy storage batteries, energy efficiency monitoring systems, and other things that could push the price slightly higher than the base cost.

Finally, one thing to remember: with most companies that offer to sell or install solar panels, you will have options for financing to help you make payments over time.

 

What rebates & incentives are available for solar panels in Colorado?

Fortunately, there are other possibilities for financial assistance when you’re buying a rooftop solar system, including federal solar tax credit and incentives. Put together, these things can help homeowners significantly reduce the out-of-pocket cost they’re paying for their solar panels.

Colorado’s state rebates range from about $400 to $3000, depending on the utilities covering your residence. In many places, you can also get tax benefits to installing solar power. In Colorado, all solar installations are exempt from sales tax, which can save you quite a bit of money. Federal tax credit of about $3000 may also apply in Colorado, depending on your circumstances and the year you purchase your system. Although these are not technically discounts on the original price, this financing option of federal solar tax credit will still save you money on your taxes if you purchase solar, which amounts to the same thing in the end: less money that you have to spend overall!

Colorado also offers community solar systems, allowing homeowners to buy into a solar system that can power their home and many others. This is a suitable method of upgrading to solar if you’re not quite ready to take on the entire system price on your own, and it lets you get renewable energy credit on your bills in the same way that a personal system would allow. 

SunShare, LLC, a Denver-based solar company, received a recent massive solar investment, enabling them to work towards more community solar options so that more Colorado residents will have access to this option.

In Colorado Springs, another option has been put into motion. The Colorado Springs solar incentive allowed interested homeowners to buy solar panels from their installer together, receiving a bulk discount that allowed them each to save about 10% of the original price of solar panel installation.

 

Which Kind of System is the Best?

Of course, energy costs differ, and the cost of solar panels can vary considerably, depending on where you buy them and who’s doing the installation. The quality can be significantly affected by these things as well! So, the next thing we’ll look at is how to decide which type of home solar system you should get, and which installers are considered the best for Colorado-based on their online customer reviews.

 

What types of solar panels are there?

Companies will generally offer panels for a home solar system in monocrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon Solar Panels, or thin film. Monocrystalline solar panels are the most efficient and therefore take up less roof space, but are also more expensive. Polycrystalline panels are slightly less efficient and cheaper, and thin-film panels require the most roof space but are lighter and less obtrusive than some other options. Panels can usually be installed as mounted panels, attached to your existing roof; low profile panels, which are also installed atop the roof but are closer to flush with its surface; or as solar roofing.

 

What are some of the solar companies that sell to Colorado?

SolarTribune.com offers several ways to rank Colorado’s solar companies, including by customer ranking. Although they are not the only website to do this, and this method does not consider your home’s particular needs, it’s certainly an excellent place to start if you don’t know what your options are in the area. According to their list, the top five Colorado residential solar companies are the following:

  • Photon Brother
  • Grid Alternatives
  • Sunergy Construction Inc.
  • Namasté Solar
  • Sunlight Solar

However, if these companies do not service your area, or if none of them fit the needs you’re looking for, there are plenty of other Colorado-based and Colorado-serving solar companies that you may wish to consider. These are simply some of the best ranked when it comes to customer responses.

 

Best Solar Panel installers in Colorado

Colorado’s solar industry “employs 6,789 workers, ranking it 9th among states for solar employment,” so there are a lot of options when it comes to finding a good solar installer in the state. Some companies selling solar panels will contract the installation out to companies they trust, or you may be limited in your choices based on the area where you live and your budget for installation cost. Still, you may also find the choice left entirely up to you, or be given several installer options. 

EnergySage.com ranks the top solar installer in Colorado based on customer reviews that they have received. From this website, the top five clean energy installers are listed as the following, along with their headquartering city:

  • Solar Side Up in Denver
  • Photon Brothers in Westminster
  • Southard Solar & Construction in Denver
  • Sandbox Solar in Fort CollinsEcology Solar in Denver

 

Other Information

If you are interested in learning more about other locations, either to find the right solar contractor for your Colorado residence or to help out friends or family from those places, you can check out our articles on Texas solar panel work, solar panel incentives in Florida, California’s solar panels, and much more on GoingSolar.com.