With more than 300 days of sunshine a year, it isn’t surprising that Colorado has made many top 10 lists in renewable energy including most solar installed per capita to greatest solar job growth. The state also has one of the highest Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS’s), which requires all investor-owned utilities to source 30% of their energy from renewables by the year 2020. The standard also includes smaller and privately owned utilities to source a percentage of their total power from renewable energy but to a lesser extent.

Colorado is also home to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory along with a number of small to medium solar manufacturing companies and training centers. Each of with contribute to solar technology, products and job training respectively. The state also uses the Solar Friendly Communities community to assist in streamlining application and approval processing in many municipalities and country governments. Another community is the community solar garden where residents can buy a portion of a local array and use it to offset their energy costs. Prospects in Colorado certainly are on the rise, and with their multiple community programs, incentives and rebates, the state will continue to grow in solar.

Financial Incentives

Rules, Regulations and Policies