Living Solar

Living Solar’s story began not in a boardroom, but on a remote piece of land in Colorado’s Red Mesa area. When founder Ben Jason was quoted an exorbitant amount to bring utilities to his property in the mid-1990s, he knew there had to be a better way. Starting with a small wind turbine and adding solar panels the following year, he taught himself renewable energy from the ground up. That hands-on experience became the foundation of Living Solar, established in 1995 to bring energy independence to other families and businesses across the Four Corners region. Ben’s commitment to technical excellence ran deep from the start. He trained extensively at Solar Energy International and earned his NABCEP certification in 2002, becoming the second person in Colorado to achieve this distinction. In those early days, only battery-based off-grid systems existed, and few imagined solar panels connected to the utility grid. But Ben mastered every renewable technology available—solar PV, solar thermal, wind, micro-hydro, and hybrid systems—positioning Living Solar as the Four Corners’ most versatile renewable energy resource. The company’s reputation for quality caught the attention of SunPower in 2007, when the premium solar manufacturer selected Living Solar as its exclusive authorized dealer for residential and commercial systems in the Four Corners area. This partnership aligned perfectly with Ben’s philosophy: homeowners and businesses in Durango and surrounding Colorado communities deserved access to the most efficient, reliable solar panels on the market, backed by local expertise that understood southwestern conditions. Over nearly three decades, Living Solar has completed more than 500 solar installations throughout southwest Colorado and northern New Mexico, from small residential arrays to major commercial projects like the 600-panel system atop Durango’s Main Mall. The company handles every aspect of solar installation—system design, permitting, utility interconnection paperwork, and navigating federal and local incentives—so Durango homeowners can focus on the benefits rather than the bureaucracy. Living Solar also offers multiple financing options to make the transition to solar energy more accessible. What sets this Durango solar installer apart is the combination of deep technical knowledge and genuine local commitment. The team includes multiple NABCEP-certified professionals, including Lead Installer Peter, who earned his certification in 2008 and has overseen installations totaling multiple megawatts. Sales engineer Jeff Berman brings an electrical engineering degree and 12 years of rural electric utility board experience, ensuring customers receive properly engineered solutions, not cookie-cutter designs. Customers consistently praise the crew’s professionalism, the accuracy of energy production estimates, and Living Solar’s thorough educational approach that helps homeowners understand their options. Today, Living Solar has brought online nearly half of all solar electric systems in La Plata Electric Association’s service territory. With solar panel technology maturing and costs declining, the payback period for home solar in southwest Colorado typically runs seven to ten years, while quality panels are built to produce clean energy for 40 years or more. For a region blessed with some of North America’s best sunshine, solar installation makes both environmental and financial sense—and Living Solar continues helping individuals, businesses, and communities across the Four Corners achieve energy independence, one thoughtfully designed system at a time.