✅ Federal Incentives
30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC)
MACRS + bonus depreciation
IRA Direct Pay for nonprofits
✅ State Incentives
⚡ Sales & Use Tax Exemption
100% exemption on solar equipment- usually saves 2.9% on system purchases (LINK)
⚡ Property Tax Exemption
Full value-added exemption for residential renewables ≤ 100 kW; small commercial/local facility exemptions apply as well (LINK)
🏛️ PACE Financing
Statewide PACE & C‑PACE available - supporting clean energy upgrades repaid via property taxes over 20 years (LINK)
✅ Utility & Local Incentives
Net Metering
Mandatory for systems ≤ 10 kW - customers receive full retail credit for exported energy (LINK)
Xcel, Holy Cross, Black Hills, SMPA all enable this
Performance-Based Incentives (PBIs)
Local Municipal Rebates
Solarize Summit (Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorne, Summit County): $1,650 rebate + 5% installer discount (Feb–May 2025) (LINK)
City of Boulder: Solar grants w/ income thresholds (up to $8k) + sales tax rebate (LINK)
Energy Smart Colorado (Roaring Fork Valley, Eagle, Gunnison, Lake, Summit): 25% system cost rebate (max $2.5k) (LINK)
Fort Collins Utilities: Up to $1.5k for solar, $3k for storage, $5.5k total, until July 2024 (LINK)
Colorado Springs Utilities: $0.02/W for residential solar (~40% project coverage) (LINK)
Denver Climate Action Rebate: $1/W up to $4k solar; battery rebates $500–$2.75k (LINK)
✅ Policy & Standards
RPS: Utilities must meet + 20%renewables (≥4% distributed) since 2020 (LINK)
Interconnection: Standard state/investor-owned utility rules; local permitting bottlenecks noted (LINK)
Community Solar Gardens: Investor‑owned utilities offer virtual net metering for gardens ≤ 2 MW under 2010 legislation (LINK)
✅ Nonprofit & Low‑Income Incentives
IRA Direct Pay: 30% cash rebate for nonprofits
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP): Covers solar for eligible low-income residents, including installation and maintenance
Income-based Grants/Rebates: Boulder, Denver co-op, Energy Smart programs include income-qualified tiers