Solar Rebate Program

The Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) is pleased to offer a Solar Rebate Program to homeowners and small businesses wishing to install a solar electric or solar domestic hot water system. The GEO has provided matching grants to select local Program Partners with the goal of developing local solar electric and solar domestic hot water system rebate programs.

The next round of rebates will be available to residents and businesses through local Program Partners in February, 2009.

Solar Electric

Once energy efficiency has been optimized, grid-tied, net metered solar photovoltaic (PV) systems offer the option to further offset electricity costs. Grid-tied PV systems allow the owner to send excess energy back into the grid and benefit the owner by mitigating the susceptibility to fluctuations in the price of electricity. In addition, distributed solar electric systems decrease the demand for electricity generated from centralized fossil fuel plants, which leads to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

• The Solar Rebate Program offers rebates of up to $9,000 per solar electric system ($4,500 from the GEO and $4,500 from the local Program Partner) to qualified homeowners.
• Rebates of up to $15,000 per system are available to small businesses.
• Only residential and small business, grid-tied, net metered systems are eligible.
• The GEO Solar Electric Program is not available in Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy service territories. These utilities offer their own rebate programs for solar electric systems.
  • Xcel Energy customers should visit the Xcel Energy website for more information.
  • Black Hills Energy customers should visit the Black Hills Energy website for more information.
• Solar Electric Program participants are required to demonstrate that an energy audit has been performed prior to system installation.
• The rebate is available statewide through local Program Partners.

Solar Domestic Hot Water

Solar heated domestic hot water is perhaps one of the most cost effective ways to incorporate renewable energy into a home or business. In the average Colorado home, up to 15% of the annual energy consumed is used for domestic water heating. By using solar energy to heat domestic water, homeowners and businesses can significantly reduce their water heating costs while also mitigating the consumption of fossil fuels.

• The Solar Rebate Program offers rebates of up to $3,000 per system ($1,500 from the GEO and $1,500 from Program Partners) to qualified homeowners.
• Rebates of up to $9,000 per system are available to small businesses.
• Only small business and residential, domestic hot water systems are eligible.
• Space heating applications are not eligible.
• The rebate is available statewide through local Program Partners.

Orphan Solar

Many solar systems installed during the 1970s and 1980s have fallen into disrepair or have been taken off-line. The Solar Rebate Program offers rebates for repairs made to these systems to provide homeowners with an incentive to re-commission these older systems.

• The Solar Rebate Program provides rebates of up to $3,000 ($1,500 from the GEO and $1,500 from Program Partners) to qualified homeowners.
• Domestic solar hot water and space heating applications are both eligible within this program.
• The rebate is available statewide through local Program Partners.

How to Participate

This is not a direct rebate from the state. The GEO has partnered with the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (CoSEIA) and local Program Partners to administer the program. If you are a homeowner or business owner, here's how you can participate:

1. Review the program guidelines on CoSEIA's website.

2. Determine if you reside in an eligible jurisdiction, and who your local Program Partner is. The GEO has partnered with local Colorado Partners to implement the Solar Rebate Program. See a list of participating jurisdictions on CoSEIA's website. Contact your local Program Partner to confirm your eligibility and to determine your next steps.

What if the program isn't being offered in my area?

If you don't see your area on the participating Program Partner list, contact your local elected officials and ask them to contact your GEO Regional Representative about the Solar Rebate Program.

If you represent a municipality, utility or non-profit organization and are interested in becoming a Solar Rebate Program Partner, please complete and submit the Interest Form available in the Partnership Opportunities section of this website. Submission of the Interest Form informs the GEO that you are interested in scheduling a follow-up meeting to discuss the program in more detail, and is not a commitment of partnership.

Information for your GEO Regional Representatives can be found in the Contact Us section of this website.

Attention Solar Contractors!

This program means more business for solar contractors. In order to ensure consistent and high quality installations, the GEO requires that the systems be installed by pre-approved solar contractors. The GEO partners with the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (CoSEIA) to implement the Solar Rebate Program. Solar contractors interested in offering the GEO rebate must first complete a pre-qualification process with CoSEIA. A list of approved contractors is made available to the public on the CoSEIA website.

For more information about how to become a GEO Solar Rebate Program Contractor visit CoSEIA's website.