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Solar power in Colorado
Use of solar power in the U.S. state of Colorado

Solar power in Colorado has grown rapidly, partly because of one of the most favorable net metering laws in the country, with no limit on the number of users. The state was the first in the nation to establish a Renewable Portfolio Standard for its electric utilities.

Colorado consumers typically obtain varying amounts of solar power from rooftop solar, community solar gardens, and larger solar farms. Colorado is home to many solar installers which are ranked annually by the amount of power installed. Several thousand people are employed in solar-energy-related activities throughout the state. A few companies have attempted to establish solar panel manufacturing operations in Colorado, including Abound Solar, Ascent Solar, and Primestar Solar. Colorado was the first state where Dow introduced some of the earliest solar shingles.

The Colorado Solar and Storage Association (COSSA), a state affiliate of the national non-profit Solar Energy Industries Association, supports solar use and industry growth through its efforts which include both business and residential consumer education. The Interstate Renewable Energy Council is also a source for information on consumer protection, workforce development, and for other news affecting industry developments in the state.

Colorado's colleges and universities support educational and research programs in solar power science and technology, and in the related interdisciplinary subjects of energy, environment, and sustainability. Golden, Colorado is home to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and to the Golden Field Office of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, both of which are funded by the United States Department of Energy. The Rocky Mountain Institute with offices in Boulder and Basalt in also especially dedicated to promoting efficient energy use within the world's rapidly developing economies.

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Solar farms

Main article: List of power stations in Colorado § Solar farms

The 7.7 megawatt (MWAC) Alamosa Photovoltaic Power Plant completed in 2007 in the San Luis Valley was one of the first utility-scale solar farms in the U.S. utilizing photovoltaics.16 More than a dozen additional facilities sized between 5 and 50 MW came online throughout the state during the following decade. The 120 MW Comanche Solar Project located near Pueblo was the state's largest solar farm as of 2017.

Installed capacity

As of 2017, Colorado was the 12th largest solar state in the U.S., with nearly 1 gigawatt of cumulative solar capacity installed.17

Colorado Solar Capacity (MWp)181920212223
YearPhotovoltaicsCSP
CapacityInstalled% changeCapacityInstalled% change
200714.611.5371%
200835.721.7145%
200959.123.466%
2010121.162.0105%11
2011196.775.562%2.41.4
2012299.6102.952%31.829.4
2013360.458.019%31.80
20144006720%31.80
201554414436%31.80
201692137769%31.80
20171,0199811%31.80
20181,19717817%31.80
20191,377.6180.615%31.80
20201,708.3330.724%31.80
20212,183.2474.9%

Generation

Total solar generation in Colorado (GWh)24
YearTotal% growthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2014606384052535861576154524436
20156435.8%343957595866626460514548
201699935.6%47577174879192801201158780
20171,48532.7%75851321461591691381431341289185
20181,65310.2%9110113715617518516916615812410487
20191,85210.7%10010615217318620420119917215811092
20202,20416.0%117121179213249241245212203166143116
20212,79026.6%132143196227242307312304276231224198
20223,81926.9%217250318368391373395383347310238229

See also

  • Renewable energy portal
  • Energy portal
  • United States portal
  • Colorado portal
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References

  1. "A Landmark Settlement in Colorado Over Solar Grid Fees: 'This Could Be a Model'". greentechmedia.com. August 16, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2019. http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/stakeholders-forge-landmark-solar-settlement-with-xcel-energy-in-colorado ↩

  2. "How does net metering work in Colorado". reenergizeco.com. June 7, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2019. http://www.reenergizeco.com/net-metering-colorado/ ↩

  3. "State of Colorado, Energy Office, Renewable Energy Standard". colorado.gov. Retrieved February 15, 2019. http://www.colorado.gov/pacific/energyoffice/renewable-energy-standard ↩

  4. Solar Power World, 2018 Top Colorado Contractors http://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018-top-colorado-solar-contractors/ ↩

  5. "State of Colorado, Energy Office, Renewable Energy Standard". colorado.gov. Retrieved February 15, 2019. http://www.colorado.gov/pacific/energyoffice/renewable-energy-standard ↩

  6. "First Solar Acquires GE's Primestar Solar IP". greentechmedia.com. August 6, 2013. Retrieved February 15, 2019. http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/First-Solar-Misses-Q2-Revenue-Lowers-Guidance-Acquires-GEs-Primestar-Sol ↩

  7. "DOW Brings the Revolutionary DOW POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle to U.S. Markets". businesswire.com. October 4, 2011. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111004005338/en/DOW-Brings-Revolutionary-DOW-POWERHOUSE%E2%84%A2-Solar-Shingle ↩

  8. Colorado Solar and Storage Association (COSSA) http://www.cossa.co ↩

  9. Colorado Solar Industries Association website http://www.coseia.org ↩

  10. Interstate Renewable Energy Council http://irecusa.org/ ↩

  11. "Interstate Renewable Energy Council - Colorado". irecusa.org. Retrieved February 21, 2019. http://irecusa.org/?submit=&s=colorado ↩

  12. "CSU Sustainability Initiative - Solar Energy Research". colostate.edu. Retrieved February 21, 2019. http://green.colostate.edu/solar-energy-research/ ↩

  13. "CU Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute". colorado.edu. Retrieved February 21, 2019. http://www.colorado.edu/rasei/research ↩

  14. "UNC Environmental and Sustainability Studies". unco.edu. Retrieved February 21, 2019. http://www.unco.edu/environmental-sustainability-studies/ ↩

  15. "CU Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Community". colorado.edu. Retrieved February 21, 2019. http://seec.colorado.edu/ ↩

  16. "SunEdison Activates Largest Photovoltaic Power Plant for Xcel Energy". arizonaenergy.org. December 17, 2007. Retrieved February 20, 2019. http://www.arizonaenergy.org/News_07/News_Dec07/SunEdison%20Activates%20Largest%20U.S.%20Photovoltaic%20Power%20Plant%20for%20Xcel%20Energy.htm ↩

  17. Kelsey Misbrener (March 23, 2018). "SEIA praises Colorado energy storage legislation". Solar Power World. Retrieved November 5, 2019. http://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018/03/seia-commends-colorado-energy-storage-legislation/ ↩

  18. Sherwood, Larry (August 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2011" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2012-08-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20120906231846/http://www.irecusa.org/wp-content/uploads/IRECSolarMarketTrends-2012-web.pdf ↩

  19. Sherwood, Larry (July 2010). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2009" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-09-25. Retrieved 2012-07-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20100925184512/http://irecusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IREC-Solar-Market-Trends-Report-2010_7-27-10_web1.pdf ↩

  20. Sherwood, Larry (June 2011). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2010" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 20. Retrieved 2011-06-29. http://irecusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IREC-Solar-Market-Trends-Report-June-2011-web.pdf ↩

  21. Sherwood, Larry (July 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2012" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Retrieved 2013-10-11. http://www.irecusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Solar-Report-Final-July-2013-1.pdf ↩

  22. Sherwood, Larry (July 2014). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2013" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Retrieved 2014-09-26. http://www.irecusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Final-Solar-Report-7-3-14-W-2-8.pdf ↩

  23. "SEIA Colorado Solar". Solar Energy Industries Association. Retrieved 2019-11-05. https://www.seia.org/state-solar-policy/colorado-solar ↩

  24. "Electricity Data Browser". www.eia.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-10. https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/topic/0?agg=2,0,1&fuel=vtvv&geo=000000000004&sec=g&linechart=ELEC.GEN.ALL-CA-99.M&columnchart=ELEC.GEN.ALL-CA-99.M&map=ELEC.GEN.ALL-CA-99.M&freq=M&ctype=linechart<ype=pin&rtype=s&maptype=0&rse=0&pin= ↩