Solar in Boulder, CO
With Xcel Energy Colorado's electricity at about 16.8¢ per kWh and 1,471 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Boulder home today: about a 13.3-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 13.3 yrsColorado: 12.4 yrs
- 25-year net
- $18,331after paying $15,740
- Sun
- 1,471kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 16.8¢7% below U.S. average
A typical Boulder home, by the numbers
| Utility | Xcel Energy Colorado |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 584 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 4.8 kW, about 11 panels, 7,059 kWh a year (101% of use) |
| Cost | $15,740 |
| First-year savings | $1,138 |
| Payback | 13.3 years |
| Exported power | 13.5¢/kWh (Xcel Energy Colorado) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 2.6% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Boulder
- Owner-occupied homes
- 47%
- Single-family detached
- 39%
- Median home value
- $1.0M
- Median year built
- 1977
- Population
- 106,433
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 69%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 17,858 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Boulder
Public installation records for Colorado don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Colorado.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Boulder
Is solar worth it in Boulder, CO?
For a typical home in Boulder, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 4.8 kW system costs about $15,740 after state incentives, saves about $1,138 in year one and pays back in about 13.3 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Boulder?
About 1,471 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 7% less than the Colorado average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Boulder?
Most homes in Boulder are served by Xcel Energy Colorado, at about 16.8¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Poudre Valley REA, United Power.
How much do solar panels cost in Boulder?
A fair cash price is around $3.05 per watt before incentives, so about $15,740 for a 4.8 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Lafayette 13 yrs
- Erie 13 yrs
- Broomfield 12.9 yrs
- Longmont 13.2 yrs
- Westminster 13 yrs
- Arvada 13 yrs
- Northglenn 12.6 yrs
- Thornton 12.6 yrs
- All of Colorado
Data: PVWatts (National Laboratory of the Rockies), EIA-861 2025 adjusted to 2026, U.S. Census ACS, LBNL Tracking the Sun, state policy research as of October 2026.