Fort Collins enjoys the same exceptional solar resource as the rest of Colorado’s Front Range — roughly 300 sunny days annually and high-elevation sunlight intensity. A well-designed 5–7kW system typically offsets 80–100% of an average Fort Collins household’s annual electricity consumption.
Fort Collins Utilities has among the lowest residential electricity rates in Colorado, averaging around $0.12/kWh off-peak. Lower rates mean smaller monthly savings and payback periods in the 10–11 year range for cash purchases. EnergySage puts the average Fort Collins payback at about 10.6 years, with 25-year lifetime savings typically over $40,000. Solar installation cost in Fort Collins typically runs $3,500–$4,000/kW before incentives.
Fort Collins Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility operated by the City of Fort Collins with one of the more developed residential solar programs among Colorado municipal utilities.
Time-of-Day (TOD) pricing: All FCU residential customers are on a Time-of-Day rate. On-peak hours are weekdays only — 2–7 PM in summer (May–September) and 5–9 PM in non-summer (October–April). On-peak rates run approximately $0.22/kWh; off-peak approximately $0.07/kWh.
Solar and TOD: Summer peak hours (2–7 PM) align closely with peak solar production. When your panels generate during those afternoon hours, you’re displacing the most expensive electricity you’d otherwise buy — and exporting surplus earns credits at the higher on-peak rate.
Net metering credit rollover — the critical detail: At the end of your 12-month billing anniversary, any remaining unused credits are forfeited to Fort Collins Utilities without compensation. Unlike Xcel Energy (Continuous Rollover) or Colorado Springs Utilities (2 cents/kWh cash-out), Fort Collins provides no payment and no rollover. Work with your installer to right-size the system to your actual annual consumption.
FCU interconnection: Installers must be FCU-approved Participating Solar Contractors to qualify for rebates. Combined timeline from signed contract to Permission to Operate typically runs 8–12 weeks.
FCU Solar Rebate: $200/kW of installed DC capacity, up to $1,000 for solar PV. Battery storage qualifies for an additional $150/kWh of usable capacity, up to $3,000, for a combined maximum of $4,000. Paid by check after final inspection. Requires a FCU Participating Solar Contractor and 20-year REC assignment to Fort Collins Utilities.
Epic Loan (on-bill financing): Up to 100% financing with no upfront payment. Terms 3-15 years, starting approximately 5.25% APR, maximum $50,000. Payments appear on your monthly utility bill.
Battery storage and TOD: A battery charged from off-peak electricity or midday solar, then discharged during the 2–7 PM summer peak window, directly reduces the most expensive electricity you would otherwise purchase — making Fort Collins one of Colorado’s stronger markets for solar-plus-storage.
Colorado statewide incentives: Fort Collins homeowners benefit from Colorado’s property tax exemption for solar and the state sales tax exemption on solar equipment.
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