Solar in Lafayette, CO
With Xcel Energy Colorado's electricity at about 16.8¢ per kWh and 1,516 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Lafayette home today: about a 13-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 13 yrsColorado: 12.4 yrs
- 25-year net
- $18,597after paying $15,230
- Sun
- 1,516kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 16.8¢7% below U.S. average
A typical Lafayette home, by the numbers
| Utility | Xcel Energy Colorado |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 584 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 4.6 kW, about 11 panels, 6,974 kWh a year (100% of use) |
| Cost | $15,230 |
| First-year savings | $1,127 |
| Payback | 13.0 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 Lafayette
- Owner-occupied homes
- 66%
- Single-family detached
- 55%
- Median home value
- $687k
- Median year built
- 1994
- Population
- 30,602
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 82%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 7,350 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Lafayette
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 Lafayette
Is solar worth it in Lafayette, CO?
For a typical home in Lafayette, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 4.6 kW system costs about $15,230 after state incentives, saves about $1,127 in year one and pays back in about 13 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Lafayette?
About 1,516 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 Lafayette?
Most homes in Lafayette are served by Xcel Energy Colorado, at about 16.8¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by United Power.
How much do solar panels cost in Lafayette?
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
- Broomfield 12.9 yrs
- Erie 13 yrs
- Westminster 13 yrs
- Boulder 13.3 yrs
- Northglenn 12.6 yrs
- Thornton 12.6 yrs
- Arvada 13 yrs
- Longmont 13.2 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.