Solar in Colorado

Is solar worth it in Denver, CO?

A typical 7 kW rooftop system in Denver produces about 10,433 kWh/year and pays back in roughly 18.3 years against the area’s ~11.0¢/kWh commercial rate. Computed from Denver’s solar geometry — refine for your exact roof below.

Specific yield
1,490
kWh/kWp/yr
7 kW system output
10,433 kWh
per year
Est. payback
18.3 yr
@ ~11.0¢/kWh
Year-1 savings
$1k
vs $21k system

Make it your answer

Monthly production — 7 kW system in Denver

05001.0k1.5k2.0kJan: 614 kWhJanFeb: 702 kWhFebMar: 979 kWhMarApr: 1.0k kWhAprMay: 1.1k kWhMayJun: 1.0k kWhJunJul: 1.1k kWhJulAug: 1.0k kWhAugSep: 929 kWhSepOct: 815 kWhOctNov: 629 kWhNovDec: 564 kWhDeckWh
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How much solar does Denver get?

Denver’s desert climate gives a solar specific yield of about 1,490 kWh per kW of installed panels each year (south-facing, tilted near the latitude of 40°). At an estimated commercial electricity rate of ~11.0¢/kWh, a 7 kW array offsets roughly $1k of bills in year one, for a simple payback near 18.3 years before incentives. Add storage and you can ride through outages and shift usage off peak — model the full system for your address next.

Get the exact payback for your roof

Run real NREL PVWatts production against your actual serving utility — then size storage in the modeler.