Solar in Thornton, CO
With Xcel Energy Colorado's electricity at about 16.8¢ per kWh and 1,595 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Thornton home today: about a 12.6-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 12.6 yrsColorado: 12.4 yrs
- 25-year net
- $19,359after paying $14,720
- Sun
- 1,595kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 16.8¢7% below U.S. average
A typical Thornton home, by the numbers
| Utility | Xcel Energy Colorado |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 584 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 4.4 kW, about 10 panels, 7,020 kWh a year (100% of use) |
| Cost | $14,720 |
| First-year savings | $1,123 |
| Payback | 12.6 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 Thornton
- Owner-occupied homes
- 71%
- Single-family detached
- 62%
- Median home value
- $518k
- Median year built
- 1997
- Population
- 144,187
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 95%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 31,082 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Thornton
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 Thornton
Is solar worth it in Thornton, CO?
For a typical home in Thornton, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 4.4 kW system costs about $14,720 after state incentives, saves about $1,123 in year one and pays back in about 12.6 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Thornton?
About 1,595 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 Thornton?
Most homes in Thornton 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 Thornton?
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
- Northglenn 12.6 yrs
- Broomfield 12.9 yrs
- Westminster 13 yrs
- Commerce City 12.6 yrs
- Brighton 12.5 yrs
- Erie 13 yrs
- Lafayette 13 yrs
- Denver 12.5 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.