Solar in Highlands Ranch, CO
With Xcel Energy Colorado's electricity at about 16.8¢ per kWh and 1,597 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Highlands Ranch home today: about a 12.5-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 12.5 yrsColorado: 12.4 yrs
- 25-year net
- $19,529after paying $14,720
- Sun
- 1,597kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 16.8¢7% below U.S. average
A typical Highlands Ranch home, by the numbers
| Utility | Xcel Energy Colorado |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 584 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 4.4 kW, about 10 panels, 7,025 kWh a year (100% of use) |
| Cost | $14,720 |
| First-year savings | $1,133 |
| Payback | 12.5 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 Highlands Ranch
- Owner-occupied homes
- 78%
- Single-family detached
- 75%
- Median home value
- $713k
- Median year built
- 1997
- Population
- 102,257
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 97%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 24,576 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Highlands Ranch
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 Highlands Ranch
Is solar worth it in Highlands Ranch, CO?
For a typical home in Highlands Ranch, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 4.4 kW system costs about $14,720 after state incentives, saves about $1,133 in year one and pays back in about 12.5 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Highlands Ranch?
About 1,597 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% more than the Colorado average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Highlands Ranch?
Most homes in Highlands Ranch are served by Xcel Energy Colorado, at about 16.8¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Highlands Ranch?
A fair cash price is around $3.05 per watt before incentives, so about $14,720 for a 4.4 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Littleton 12.7 yrs
- Columbine 12.9 yrs
- Centennial 12.3 yrs
- Englewood 12.5 yrs
- Ken Caryl 12.9 yrs
- Dakota Ridge 12.9 yrs
- Parker 12.3 yrs
- Castle Rock 11.8 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.