Solar · Colorado
How many solar panels do I need in Colorado?
For the average Colorado home, which uses 674 kWh a month (EIA, 2024), about 12 × 400 W solar panels (4.62 kW) facing south at the best tilt. One kW of panels in Colorado makes about 1,750 kWh a year, 5.2 kWh a day in September and 4.0 in December, the 5th sunniest of 51.
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Solar output by month in Colorado
Output falls to 77% of the September level in December. Grid-tied homes are sized on the year; anything off-grid has to be sized for December.
| Month | kWh per kW | Per day | 200 W panel, Wh/day into a battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 130 | 4.19 | 712 |
| February | 133 | 4.75 | 807 |
| March | 158 | 5.09 | 866 |
| April | 154 | 5.15 | 875 |
| May | 152 | 4.91 | 836 |
| June | 150 | 4.99 | 848 |
| July | 153 | 4.94 | 841 |
| August | 155 | 5.01 | 852 |
| September | 155 | 5.18 | 881 |
| October | 151 | 4.88 | 830 |
| November | 133 | 4.43 | 753 |
| December | 124 | 4.01 | 681 |
Charging a power station in Colorado
A 200 W panel propped up facing south refills a 1,000 Wh power station in about 1.1 days in September and 1.5 days in December. To refill it in one day you’d need about 230 W of panels in September and 300 W in December. Check your station and panel →
A balcony or plug-in panel in Colorado
A 400 W panel hanging upright on a south-facing railing makes about 477 kWh a year, worth about $81.96 at Colorado’s average rate (17.17¢/kWh, August 2026), if you use the power as it’s made. Shade and the rules where you live matter more than anything here. Try your kit →
The rules in Colorado: Colorado law (HB26-1007, 2026; signed May 7, 2026, in effect since August 12, 2026) on plug-in solar says: “designed or commissioned to supply a maximum power output of not more than one thousand nine hundred twenty watts to the electric grid” … “may require a customer to notify the provider of the customer's use of a portable-scale solar generation device by indicating the presence and size of the device in kilowatts”. Check with your utility before connecting. Official source: Colorado General Assembly, HB26-1007; checked November 5, 2026. Every state we track →
Across Colorado
Colorado’s figure is the population-weighted average of Denver, Colorado Springs and Aurora, its three largest cities; across them, a kW makes 1,740 to 1,764 kWh a year.
| City | Population (2024) | kWh per kW a year |
|---|---|---|
| Denver | 729,019 | 1,740 |
| Colorado Springs | 493,554 | 1,764 |
| Aurora | 403,130 | 1,751 |
Cross-check: an estimate from NASA POWER sunshine came out at 1,637 kWh per kW, 7% below the Global Solar Atlas figure. Within our 12% threshold.
Electricity rates and appliance costs in Colorado →
FAQ
How many solar panels do I need in Colorado?
For the average Colorado home, which uses 674 kWh a month (EIA, 2024), about 12 × 400 W solar panels (4.62 kW) facing south at the best tilt. One kW of panels in Colorado makes about 1,750 kWh a year, 5.2 kWh a day in September and 4.0 in December, the 5th sunniest of 51.
How much does a solar panel produce in Colorado?
A 400 W panel facing south at the best tilt makes about 700 kWh a year in Colorado: about 62 kWh in September and 50 kWh in December (Global Solar Atlas).
How long does a 200 W solar panel take to charge a 1,000 Wh power station in Colorado?
About 1.1 days in September and 1.5 days in December, propped up facing south, at 85% charging efficiency. Lying flat, about 2.9 days in December.
How many solar panels for the U.S. average home in Colorado?
The U.S. average home uses 863 kWh a month (EIA, 2024). In Colorado that takes about 5.92 kW: 15 × 400 W panels.
Is there still a federal solar tax credit?
Not under the residential credit for systems installed after 2025: the IRS says the section 25D credit will not be allowed for any expenditures made after December 31, 2025, and an expenditure counts as made when installation is completed.
Sources and assumptions
- Solar output (kWh per kW of panels, by month): Global Solar Atlas 2.0, long-term averages to 2025 (data version 2.2.68, updated 2026-04-01), for crystalline-silicon panels facing south at the best fixed tilt, after typical system losses. Data obtained from the “Global Solar Atlas 2.0, a free, web-based application is developed and operated by the company Solargis s.r.o. on behalf of the World Bank Group, utilizing Solargis data, with funding provided by the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). For additional information: https://globalsolaratlas.info” Licensed CC BY 4.0; we rounded and combined it as described here. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Solargis or the World Bank Group.
- State figure: population-weighted average of the state’s three largest cities (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 population estimates; coordinates from the 2020 Census Gazetteer). Hawaii and DC use one city.
- Cross-check: NASA POWER sunshine climatology (2001–2025), tilted with a standard isotropic-sky model × 0.80. States more than 12% apart were reviewed by hand; the gaps are explained on our methodology page.
- Home use: EIA Table 5A, 2024 average monthly residential kWh by state. Rates: EIA Electric Power Monthly, August 2026.
- Tax credit: IRS FAQ on the One, Big, Beautiful Bill (FS-2025-05, Aug. 21, 2025).
- Assumptions: 85% charging efficiency into a battery, 85% from battery to appliance, panel counts rounded up, off-grid sizing for the worst month.