Typical home: Worth it

Solar in Columbine, CO

With Xcel Energy Colorado's electricity at about 16.8¢ per kWh and 1,520 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Columbine home today: about a 12.9-year payback.

Payback, typical home
12.9 yrsColorado: 12.4 yrs
25-year net
$18,709after paying $15,230
Sun
1,520kWh per kW per year
Electricity
16.8¢7% below U.S. average

A typical Columbine home, by the numbers

UtilityXcel Energy Colorado
Electricity use584 kWh a month
Best-value system4.6 kW, about 11 panels, 6,994 kWh a year (100% of use)
Cost$15,230
First-year savings$1,131
Payback12.9 years
Exported power13.5¢/kWh (Xcel Energy Colorado)

Cash purchase, no federal credit, 2.6% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.

Solar production per kW in Columbine

kWh per kW each month, south-facing at 20° tilt. PVWatts v8 with local typical-year weather.

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan94
Feb112
Mar141
Apr142
May148
Jun147
Jul148
Aug137
Sep134
Oct120
Nov102
Dec95

Homes in Columbine

Owner-occupied homes
89%
Single-family detached
79%
Median home value
$617k
Median year built
1976
Population
25,478
Roofs suitable for solar†
91%

Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 7,661 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).

Installers working in Columbine

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 Columbine

Is solar worth it in Columbine, CO?

For a typical home in Columbine, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 4.6 kW system costs about $15,230 after state incentives, saves about $1,131 in year one and pays back in about 12.9 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.

How much solar power does a system produce in Columbine?

About 1,520 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 4% less than the Colorado average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.

Who is the electric utility in Columbine?

Most homes in Columbine are served by Xcel Energy Colorado, at about 16.8¢ per kWh on average.

How much do solar panels cost in Columbine?

A fair cash price is around $3.05 per watt before incentives, so about $15,230 for a 4.6 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.

Nearby

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.