Colorado is a great place to install residential solar. The Centennial State gets more than 300 sunny days a year and was one of the first states to enact a renewable portfolio standard. This means there are some great solar incentives in Colorado, helping to reduce the cost of going solar at home. Here are our top picks for the best solar installers in Colorado.
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How we select the best solar installers in Colorado
Colorado is teeming with solar installers, making it a hard slog to figure out which company to choose for your residential solar project. To make things easier, we have trawled through the contenders to find a mix of the best solar installers in Colorado, including large and small companies, and those offering unique services or approaches.
All the installers on our list have at least one NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional on the team. Most have more than one, along with a licensed Master Electrician and the relevant licenses to carry out residential electrical work.
Each installer on this list meets the criteria listed below.
- Installer holds valid Master Electrician and Electrical Contractor licenses in the State of Texas and who have no violations linked with those licenses.
- Company has at least one NABCEP certified PV Installation Professional (PVIP) on their team, not just PV Technical Sales Professionals (PVTS)
- Extensive experience
- Workers compensation insurance and general liability insurance
- Check for BBB complaints or state consumer protection office for complaints
- Panel warranties of at least 20 years and, ideally, workmanship warranties to match.
The best solar companies in Colorado
Freedom Solar
Highlights: Freedom Solar is a nationwide solar installer, one of our top picks for solar in the U.S., and a top choice in Colorado. It is the only SunPower Master Dealer in Colorado and has regional offices in Denver and Colorado Springs.
The company installs commercial and residential solar and can serve customers across the state, including in:
Colorado Springs, Gleneagle, Monument, Woodmoor, Meridian Ranch, Pueblo, Canon City, Denver, Aurora, Littleton, Centennial, Thornton, Parker, Arvada, Broomfield, Westminster, Lakewood, Fort Collins, and most other places in Colorado.
Freedom Solar is very well versed in local Colorado solar incentives and permitting processes, including the Fort Collins Utilities solar rebate. Commercial clients in Colorado include Strait Music Company, Shake Shack, and WholeFoods Market. Freedom Solar employs several NABCEP Certified PVIPs, mostly based in Texas.
Freedom Solar offers the highest efficiency solar panels available, with SunPower panels also Cradle to Cradle certified for sustainability. SunPower and Freedom Solar also offer very generous performance warranties; if they underperform, Freedom Solar will work with SunPower to add more panels or compensate you for the difference in output. For homeowners with a small roofspace and high energy needs, SunPower panels are the top choice. They’re also a good fit for homeowners who simply want to maximize energy production.
For homeowners interested in battery storage, note that Freedom Solar is a Tesla PowerWall certified installer. The company also offers other battery options and can install online monitoring (for new arrays and to retrofit old arrays).
You can contract Freedom Solar to maintain and service existing solar energy systems installed by another company. This is a good indication of depth of knowledge and a solid business in it for the long haul. Freedom Solar also uses in-house crews only, meaning no problems related to subcontractors.
The company operates like a well-oiled machine, with efficient regional and city offices and excellent customer service. We like that Freedom Solar offers the benefit of local knowledge and local crews with all the backing of a bigger national company. Customers report Freedom Solar staff as being friendly, helpful, efficient, and diligent about permitting, incentives, installation, and aftercare.
Finally, Freedom Solar offers an excellent, comprehensive 25-year warranty including workmanship and production guarantees.
- NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installation Professionals (PVIP)
- NABCEP Certified PV Technical Salesmen (PVTS)
- Texas Licensed Master Electricians (ME)
- Texas Licensed Electrical Contractors (EC)
- Tesla Powerwall Certified Installer
- SunPower Master Dealer.
Namaste Solar
Highlights: Namaste is an award-winning residential and commercial solar installer based in Colorado. It is also an employee-owned Certified B Corporation and member of the Amicus Solar Cooperative. This group of more than 50 solar companies pools its buying power to get discounts on solar energy equipment, making for lower-cost residential solar installations in Colorado.
Namaste boasts several PVIPs and at least 17 years of experience designing and installing solar. The company has more than 10,000 solar arrays to its credit and also offers design and consultancy services across the U.S.
With Namaste you get a super friendly team with great depth of knowledge and all the ethics of a B Corp in it for the long haul (and the right reasons). These folks really want to help more people access solar power, for the environment, energy independence, and to help homeowners save money. The team in Colorado knows the permitting and rebate climate incredibly well, meaning it can handle paperwork to make going solar simple and easy.
The only downside of Namaste is that it’s so in demand that it’s sold out for 2022! Customers can still contact Namaste for a free, no obligation consultation and schedule an installation for Spring 2023 if interested. The free quote from Namaste will include a roof assessment, customized energy system design, a calculation of savings and an estimate of return on investment.
And if Namaste’s experienced technicians don’t think solar is a good fit for your home, they’ll tell you! These sustainably minded, ethical folks aren’t about pushing solar on everyone, but they are a great choice if you do have the right set-up for solar in Colorado.
Certifications and licenses:
- NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installation Professionals (PVIP)
- Certified B Corporation
- Colorado Electrical License: EC.0007627
Peak View Solar
Highlights: Peak View Solar is a top solar installer for Colorado and was established in 2009. This family-owned company carries an A+ BBB rating and previously operated as El Paso Green Energies (EPGE), changing its name in 2014.
Peak View Solar is owned and operated by Phil and Nancy Brodhagen, with their two sons, Matt and Doug, working with Phil on every solar installation. The family team is very accessible to customers, with 24/7 monitoring of systems and excellent customer service and aftercare. Peak View also has a licensed Master Electrician (Don Keller) on staff, who has more than four decades of experience in Colorado.
Phil, Doug, and Matt are all NABCEP Certified PVIPs and Doug is also a Certified PV System Inspector (PVSI). The team is a licensed Solar Contractor in the county of El Paso and can install residential and commercial solar systems, using roof mount, ground mount, and tracking, for grid-tied and off-grid projects with and without battery storage and backup generators. The team can also work with your roofing company or contractor to remove and replace solar panels as needed.
Peak View strongly favors American-made solar panels and tends to work with SolarWorld equipment. It can also work with other brands though, so don’t be shy about asking about other options for modules, inverters, and so forth. Some of the other brands it offers include Enphase, SMA, LG, Trina, SolarEdge, Jinko Solar, QCells, Mission Solar, OutBack Power, and Unirac mounting systems. It is certified to install LG Chem batteries.
Peak View Solar monitors every system it installs, 24/7, for fluctuations in performance. The company is committed to keeping customers happy, meaning it is proactive in adjusting systems to optimize energy production.
Peak View Solar isn’t pushy about sales and offers a 7-business-day cancellation period after you sign a contract. On the other side of things, the company offers a 10- or 25-year workmanship and roof penetration warranty and will handle any manufacturer warranty claims, saving you hassle and time. Peak View even offers a 10-year production performance guarantee, which is rare for a smaller installation company. This includes free monitoring for most systems for 10 years. If your system doesn’t perform as predicted by Peak View, the company will either pay for the cost of underperformance based on your utility bill or will upgrade your system to exceed the performance guarantee.
- NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professionals (PVIPs)
- NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector (PVSI)
- Colorado Electrical Contractor license: EC.0100401
- Master Electrician license
- LG Chem Battery certified installer
Steel City Solar
Highlights: Steel City Solar has been working in Pueblo County, Colorado, and nearby since 2016. The company is veteran-owned and operated and is locally grown and locally minded. The founder, James Brown, is Steel City Solar’s NABCEP Certified PVIP, Master Electrician, and a Centennial High graduate. He began Steel City Solar with Tyler Surat with the aim of supporting the southern Colorado community to gain energy independence.
The company can design and install new systems and service, maintain, and repair old systems. With its custom design capacity and solar expertise, Steel City Solar is a great choice if a cookie-cutter approach doesn’t seem right for you or your home. The company offers a free in-home visit to figure out if and how solar can work on your roof and will then design a properly sized system to work for you.
Steel City Solar does all design, permitting, and installation work in-house, meaning no subcontractors. It boasts a high inspection pass rate in Pueblo County, thanks to PV system designers who know the local codes and practices. The team is made up of local electricians, many of whom were recruited and trained right out of local high schools, all as part of Steel City Solar’s ethos of keeping it local. The team also includes knowledgeable sales staff and the whole project is handled by southern Colorado natives that Steel City Solar apprenticed and trained.
As a local company, Steel City Solar prides itself on having a real person at the end of the phone line, ready to answer calls if you have questions or concerns, whether you’re considering solar or asking for help with an existing system. Steel City Solar can offer a range of financing options and is transparent about costs. It also partners with the San Isabel Electric Association to offer exclusive rebates as part of the Empower Program.
Steel City Solar works with Unirac, SMA, Generac, Enphase, SolarEdge, QCells, SunPower, and LG brands, meaning it can offer the best quality panels, inverters, and storage options for most projects.
Once you’re system is up and running, Steel City Solar sticks around. The company helps with follow-up service, any necessary modifications, and repairs and warranty claims if needed.
- One NABCEP PVIP and Master Electrician
- Colorado Electrical Contractor license: EC.0100798
- SunPower Authorized Dealer
- BBB A+ Accredited
Active Energies Solar
Highlights: Active Energies Solar is a fast-growing family-run business in Eagle-Vail, Colorado. The company began in 2006 and changed ownership in 2017, since when it has more than tripled its service team. It often has at least 40 projects running simultaneously and has an experienced, certified, and committed crew to handle the workload.
The owner, Nick Clubine, is PVIP Certified, as are the Director of Operations (Bailey Matthews), Project Supervisor (Ryan Simmons), and Field Supervisor (Chris Caruso). There are also several PV Associates on the team, a Master Electrician, and other team members in the process of acquiring NABCEP certification.
Active Energies Solar offers turnkey PV installations, from design, through permitting and financing, to installation and aftercare. This company is an authorized SunPower dealer, meaning homeowners can install the highest efficiency solar panels available.
The process starts with a home visit from one of the team’s solar experts. They will evaluate your rooftop or site for a ground-mount installation and then walk you through the available options, incentives, net metering process, financing, and other finer points of going solar.
Active Energies Solar serves Eagle, Summit, Lake, Garfield and Pitkin Counties in Colorado. This includes installing solar in:
Eagle-Vail, Vail, Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorne, Keystone, Leadville, Basalt, Carbondale, New Castle, Winter Park, Granby, Hot Sulphur Springs, Kremmling, Grand Lake, Eagle, Gypsum, Dotsero, and Minturn.
The Active Energies Solar team also volunteers with local organizations, including Habitat for Humanity in Gypsum. This included donating all labor, design, approval, and installation of PV panels on every home in the Stratton Flats development, a project aiming for LEED Platinum certification. It also donated a solar installation to the Roundup River Ranch camp in Colorado.
Active Energies Solar is a member of WISE (Women in Solar Energy), and an active member of Actively Green (since 2015) and other sustainability initiatives in Colorado.
- Four NABCEP Certified PVIPs
- NABCEP Certified PV Associates
- Colorado Electrical Contractor license: EC.0007568
- SunPower Authorized Dealer
- BBB A+ rating