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Plug-In Solar in Colorado

That's right. Colorado law permits one plug-in solar device at each address up to 1,920 watts. No utility approval or fee applies, although your utility might ask you to report the device.

A home with a plug-in solar panel on the porch railing, the kind of kit Colorado's rules apply to

Before connecting a kit in Colorado, choose one rated at or below 1,920 W. Its inverter must stop sending power during a grid outage.

Colorado Law, Explained

Signed May 7, 2026, HB26-1007 takes effect Aug 12, 2026. The law is Chapter 127, Session Laws of Colorado 2026.

Two size tiers apply: 1,920 W overall, and a simpler tier that goes up to 391 W.

Safety listing: A nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL) must label and list the device, and the device must include a feature that keeps it from energizing the grid whenever the power goes out. Starting January 1, 2027, Colorado sales, leases, and rentals of devices above 391 W require UL labeling and listing.

Utility approval: None is required. Before installation or use, a retail electric provider can't require the customer to obtain its approval.

Telling the utility: The customer may have to report device use, including whether it exists and its size in kilowatts.

Fees: The utility may not impose any fee connected to the device. Nor may it require controls or equipment beyond those built in under the UL listing.

Starting January 1, 2027, no person may unreasonably bar installation or use of a device, and unreasonable covenant or restriction bans are void. A property owner may still make reasonable rules about advance notice, fire and overload safety, and the device's location.

HOAs: Starting January 1, 2027, common interest community law treats a device as an energy efficiency measure. An HOA may not ban it, but it can require the owner to secure it and bear its liability and costs.

  • Each address may have only one system, and each wall outlet may have only one device.
  • Devices of 391 W or less aren't subject to state solar PV installation requirements, code rules, or listing rules requiring changes to building wiring.
  • Installations must meet fire code and local building codes for health and safety.
  • Damage or injury caused by the device isn't the utility's responsibility.
  • By December 31, 2026, the same act directs the PUC to revise interconnection rules for meter collar adapters.

Read this bill

How Bigger Systems Were Governed Before the Law

Hooking up: Under PUC interconnection rules, Level 1 handles inverter-based systems no larger than 25 kW-AC. Larger solar systems follow those rules. Plug-in devices meeting HB26-1007 need no utility approval.

In investor-owned utility areas, customers can use net metering for renewable systems up to 200% of average annual use. Each month's excess carries forward as kWh credits.

Kit Savings in Colorado

Each 1 kW of panels in Denver produces 1,641 kWh a year according to PVWatts. The rate for Colorado homes is 16.8 cents per kWh in 2026 so far. Savings for an 800 W kit vary by panel placement:

Where the panels gokWh a yearSaved a year
Tilted south on a stand1,312$220
Upright on a railing827$139
Facing east or west1,050$176

Denver, Month by Month

With the panels tilted south, an 800 W kit makes this many kWh.

Kit Options Within the 1,920 W Cap

KitkWh a yearSaved a yearPays back inPrice
US Solar Supplier 1180 W EZ1 Kit1,936$3252.8 years$899
Bright Saver 360 W Balcony Kit591$994.2 years$414
EcoFlow STREAM 800 W Kit1,312$2205.0 years$1,099

All kits face south at an angle, and their full output is used at home. Compare all kits

Colorado Facts Worth Knowing

  • Colorado allows a larger kit under its 1,920 W limit, but each address may have only one system.
  • Starting January 1, 2027, HOAs and others cannot unreasonably block a plug-in device.
  • In 2024, Colorado homes paid an average rate of 14.92 cents/kWh, which was moderate.

Are you renting, or is your setup on a balcony?

Colorado law applies to the hookup, but not the mount; see the renter rule above. Ask your landlord or HOA before proceeding. Explore solar for balconies and solar for apartments.

Primary Utilities

  • Public Service Company of Colorado (Xcel Energy)
  • City of Colorado Springs
  • United Power
  • CORE Electric Cooperative
  • Black Hills Colorado Electric

Next Steps for You in Colorado

  1. Select a kit rated at or under 1,920 W. All 7 of the 7 kits we compared meet that cap, and each must have the listing named in the law. Compare kits.
  2. Read the notice rule above. If it applies to you, tell your electric utility. Your papers should include the kit's spec sheet.
  3. A grounded outlet on a lightly used circuit is required, and a power strip must never be used.

Sources

View all states at once, or check a nearby state: Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah.