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AIColorado Solarby Discovery Clean Energy

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Colorado solar guides

Dated, sourced and specific to Colorado utilities — updated as the rules change.

What it costs

Updated Sep 2026What Solar Costs in Colorado in 2026Real per-watt pricing from a Colorado installer, worked examples by system size, what adds cost, and how cash, loans, leases and PPAs compare now that the 30% homeowner credit is gone.Read more
Updated Sep 2026Home Battery Costs in Colorado: Powerwall, Enphase and SigEnergyInstalled prices for the three battery systems we install, how many you actually need, which incentives still apply in 2026, and when a battery isn’t worth it.Read more
Updated Sep 2026EV Charger Installation Costs in ColoradoLevel 2 install pricing, what a panel upgrade adds, bidirectional charging for whole-home backup, and the federal charger credit that ended in mid-2026.Read more
Updated Sep 2026Solar Lease vs. Loan vs. Cash in Colorado (After the 30% Credit)Our actual loan rates and lease/PPA terms, why third-party ownership got more competitive after 2025, what a 3% escalator does over 25 years, and how each option plays out when you sell the house.Read more

Incentives, honestly

Updated Sep 2026Colorado Solar and Battery Incentives in 2026Every Colorado state incentive, dated and sourced, plus the utility and city rebates worth checking — and the ones that have closed.Read more
Updated Sep 2026The Federal Solar Tax Credit in 2026: What Ended and What Didn’tA plain-English, dated rundown of the 2025 federal law changes for homeowners, businesses and farms — and why leases and PPAs matter again.Read more

How it works

Updated Sep 2026Net Metering in Colorado, Utility by UtilityWhat state law requires, how Xcel, co-ops and municipal utilities differ, and why the same system saves different amounts in Denver, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs.Read more
Updated Sep 2026Xcel Time-of-Use Rates in Colorado, ExplainedThe on-peak window, seasons, the opt-out, and what actually shifts your bill — with honest math on what a battery can and can’t save.Read more
Updated Sep 2026How to Read Your Xcel Energy Bill Before Going SolarA section-by-section tour of the Xcel bill with an eye to solar: which numbers size your system, which charges solar can’t touch, and what changes after you go solar.Read more
Updated Sep 2026Solar Panels in Colorado Snow and ColdWhy cold, bright Colorado days are good for panels, how fast snow slides off, what snow load means for mountain roofs and ground mounts, and why batteries care more about cold than panels do.Read more
Updated Sep 2026How Home Solar Works, From Roof to MeterThe path power takes from panel to outlet, the three inverter designs we install, what your meter and utility do with the extra, and why grid-tied solar goes dark in a blackout without a battery.Read more
Updated Sep 2026Bidirectional EV Charging Explained: V2L, V2H and V2GPlain-English definitions of V2L, V2H and V2G, what equipment a home setup needs, how vehicle compatibility really works, and what whole-home EV backup costs with the Sigenergy system we install.Read more

Equipment

Updated Sep 2026Solar Panels and Colorado HailWhat the panel hail test actually covers, what happens when the stones are bigger than that, how to insure your array, and why roof timing matters more than panel brand on the Front Range.Read more
Updated Sep 2026Tesla Powerwall 3 vs. Enphase IQ Battery vs. Sigenergy SigenStorDatasheet-verified capacity and power for the three batteries we install, our prices, cold-weather and elevation limits that matter in Colorado, and which home each one fits.Read more

Buying & permits

Updated Sep 2026Solar Permits in Colorado: Who Approves WhatWhich office permits your system, where SolarAPP+ instant approval is used, how the state electrical board fits in, and why utility interconnection is a separate step.Read more
Updated Sep 2026How Many Solar Panels Does a Colorado Home Need?The simple formula, real modeled production numbers for Denver and Fort Collins, how roof direction changes the count, and how to plan for an EV or heat pump before you size.Read more
Updated Sep 2026Home Battery vs. Generator for Colorado OutagesWhere a standby generator is still the better tool, where a solar battery wins, how Xcel’s multi-day wildfire shutoffs change the math, and why some mountain homes should have both.Read more
Updated Sep 2026Colorado HOA Solar Law (C.R.S. 38-30-168)What Colorado’s solar-access statute actually says, the 10%/10%/60-day tests, where it doesn’t protect you (townhome roofs, common elements), and how to submit an application that gets approved.Read more

Get honest numbers for your roof

Our Colorado crew looks up your utility’s current rules, models your roof, and tells you straight — including when solar or a battery won’t pay off.

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