If you’re a homeowner in Colorado, you’ve probably at least thought about switching to a solar panel system to produce your electricity. Especially with all the power shortages around the country, suddenly soaring electric bills, and solar panel prices dropping for decades until they’ve finally stabilized at attractive rates. Naturally, you will have questions about solar pricing and options, perhaps including: Why use solar panels here? Is solar really worth it in Colorado? Below are just seven of the many reasons why Colorado is one of the best locations in the United States for residential solar panels!
7 Reasons Why Colorado Is Ideal For Solar Panels
Why choose solar panels for your home in Colorado? After all, this is a largely mountainous, snowy state on a center-north latitude line. Here are 7 big reasons why Colorado is actually one of the best states in the country for residential solar energy:
Superior Solar Panel Efficiency in Colorado Climate
Colorado is one of the best states for solar panels for home use. First, Colorado receives an average of 300 sunshine days per year, making it the perfect state for people who want to live off-grid with whole-home solar or make a partial-home solar conversion. Second, solar panels work best in cold weather, not in the blistering desert or subtropical heat. That makes Colorado a better location for solar panels in terms of average annual temperature than Arizona or Florida!
Energy Cost Savings with Colorado Solar Panels
Your Energy, a CSU extension, has calculated that a 5 kWh solar panel system generates an average of 8,000 kWh hours per year. With the average cost of $.11 per KwH, Colorado homeowners can realize an average of $880 in annual energy cost savings with solar panels vs. power from the public electric grid. By one industry estimate, over 85% of buildings in Colorado are suitable for roof-mount solar panels, with the collective capacity to generate 24.7 million megawatt hours per year!
Colorado Solar Rebates
Though many, if not most, federal, state, and local solar rebates have been phased out over the years as the technology has become more widely adopted, in Colorado, there are still some remaining opportunities for solar rebates to help offset the initial cost of switching to a solar panel system for electricity. A couple of such rebates that may be available in your area might include a rebate of $400 to $2,500 for eligible homeowners from EnergySmart Colorado and a kW usage-based rebate of up to $3,000 from Holy Cross Energy.
Net Metering in Colorado
Colorado is one of the many states with a net metering policy that enables you as a solar homeowner to have your installer connect your residential solar energy production system to your local public power grid and sell excess solar energy that you don’t use to the electric company for credit you can apply to your future electricity bills.
Solar Panel Federal Tax Incentive 2022
The federal solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) has been extended at the 26% rate through year-end 2022 only, after which the savings rate will drop to a new permanently lower percentage. So, there is still time to take advantage of the big federal income tax credit on your 2022 tax return.
Colorado Solar Sales Tax Exemption
The state of Colorado is working on its state-wide initiative to power the entire state with renewable energy by 2050. Part of that commitment to the full conversion is the passage of the Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Renewable Energy Equipment, which means you do not have to pay any state sales tax when you buy your solar panel system.
State Property Tax Exemption for Solar Homes
Even though your solar panels become a part of your real estate property when they are connected and are supplying electrical energy to power your home, the state of Colorado has implemented a Property Tax Exemption for Residential Renewable Energy Equipment. That means you do not have to pay property tax on the increased property value due to your solar equipment added as an improvement.
Solarise, Because It’s A Great Time To Go Solar in Colorado!
Solarise provides the solar industry’s best value in top-quality residential solar panel systems equipment and installation. We also provide a 30-year solar panel warranty, which is one of the best in the business.
$0 Down and Low-Interest Financing for Colorado Homeowners