For Denver homeowners
Solar installation in Denver, Colorado. Xcel territory, quick permits where you qualify.
Denver homes on Xcel Energy get Colorado's net metering mandate and, for most rooftop systems, a same-day SolarAPP+ quick permit instead of a multi-week manual review. Solar Assure confirms which permit path your system qualifies for and prices Denver installs at the same $2.50 per watt we quote everywhere, before promising a rebate we haven't verified is still funded.
- Xcel Energy territory. Covered by Colorado's net metering mandate (C.R.S. 40-2-124). Rate estimate ~14.72¢/kWh, checked this week and labeled an estimate because Xcel's own rate pages wouldn't load.
- SolarAPP+ quick permits. Systems under 10 kW DC on standard service can get same-day electrical permit approval instead of a multi-week review.
- No rebate we can't verify. Denver has run solar rebates before; we checked the city's own current rebate page this week and won't promise one that isn't confirmed active.
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Why Denver is a solar fit
Colorado's capital, one utility, verified numbers.
Denver is the City and County of Denver, a consolidated city-county government, home to roughly 715,000 residents within city limits. Unlike some of Solar Assure's Missouri metro areas, Denver has one utility and one building department, which simplifies permitting even before SolarAPP+ enters the picture.
The permitting advantage
SolarAPP+ can mean a same-day permit.
Denver adopted SolarAPP+, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's automated plan-review software, for residential rooftop solar. Here is exactly how it works and who qualifies.
Every Denver install
An electrical permit is always required
Every residential photovoltaic system in Denver needs an electrical permit. A zoning permit is also required if the panels won't sit flush against the roof slope, or if the project includes a battery or generator. Applicants submit a one-line diagram, supporting calculations, equipment catalog sheets, and a site plan showing panel locations and required setbacks through Denver's e-permits system.
Systems under 10 kW DC
SolarAPP+ quick permits, same day
For qualifying single-family and duplex projects, systems rated below 10 kW DC on 400-amp or smaller service, with no service upgrade, EV charger, or major rewiring in scope, a licensed electrician can submit the design to gosolarapp.org for automated code-compliance review. A passing design gets a SolarAPP+ approval ID immediately; Solar Assure uploads that approval to Denver's e-permits system and selects the Quick Permits pathway, which can mean same-day electrical permit issuance instead of the standard multi-week review.
Larger systems and historic districts
Standard review, and one extra step for landmark properties
Systems 10 kW DC and larger, or projects outside SolarAPP+'s scope, go through Denver's standard e-permits review with stamped, engineered electrical plans. Properties in a designated historic district or subject to Lower Downtown Design Review need a certificate of appropriateness from Denver's Landmark Preservation Commission before a permit is issued; Solar Assure handles that submission alongside the standard permit application when it applies.
Being straight about the rebate question
Denver has run solar rebates. We checked if one is active right now.
Denver's Climate Action Rebate (CARe) program, funded by a voter-approved sales tax, has paid out solar rebates alongside heat pump and electrical-panel rebates in past years. We checked the City and County of Denver's own current building-decarbonization rebate listing this week, and a residential rooftop solar cash rebate is not among the programs it currently lists as open. That doesn't rule out a solar rebate being funded again later, and rebate programs like this do reopen with new budget cycles, but we are not going to promise you a dollar figure we can't currently verify on the city's own site. If a Denver solar rebate is active when you get your quote, we'll confirm the exact amount and eligibility rules with you directly, sourced to the city's own program page at that time, not to whatever we found searching around this week.
How a Denver install works
From first call to energized system in 8-12 weeks.
We serve Denver alongside the rest of Colorado from our Lake Saint Louis headquarters. Here's the actual timeline.
Common questions
Questions Denver homeowners actually ask.
What electric utility serves Denver, Colorado?
What permits does Denver require for residential solar?
Does Denver offer a cash rebate for solar panels?
Is net metering guaranteed for Denver homeowners?
Is the federal solar tax credit still available for Denver homeowners in 2026?
A fun fact about your city
You live exactly one mile above sea level.
Denver earned the nickname "Mile High City" honestly: the 13th step of the State Capitol building sits at exactly 5,280 feet, one mile above sea level. That altitude means thinner air and less atmosphere to filter sunlight, and Denver averages around 245 sunny days a year, among the higher counts of any major U.S. city. None of that changes your solar math on its own, since Xcel's own tariff and Colorado's net metering law are what actually set your numbers, but it is a reminder that Denver's climate is genuinely well-suited to solar production, not just a line every installer says.
Josh founded Solar Assure in Lake Saint Louis to bring residential solar to families without the high-pressure tactics of national sales organizations. Solar Assure is licensed in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois and Colorado. For Denver specifically, Josh personally confirms your permit path (SolarAPP+ or standard review) and whether any city rebate is currently active before any numbers are quoted.
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