Colorado is the number one state in the nation for electric vehicle adoption. In the third quarter of 2025, nearly one in three new cars sold in Colorado was electric. The state has now surpassed 210,000 registered EVs, and that number is climbing every month.
But here is something most new EV owners figure out within a few billing cycles: charging at home is not free. Depending on your vehicle, your driving habits, and when you plug in, home EV charging can add $80 to $150 per month to your electricity bill. Under Xcel Energy’s new time of use rates, that cost jumps even higher if you charge during peak hours between 5 PM and 9 PM.
The good news is that solar panels can eliminate most or all of that cost. When you pair rooftop solar with a Level 2 home charger, you are fueling your car with energy your own roof produces. No gas station. No grid markup. No peak hour penalties.
Here is how it works, what it costs, and what Colorado homeowners should know before combining solar and EV charging in 2026.
What Does It Actually Cost to Charge an EV at Home in Colorado?
The average EV in Colorado travels about 12,000 miles per year. A typical electric vehicle uses roughly 30 kWh to travel 100 miles, which means you need approximately 3,600 kWh per year just for driving.
At Xcel Energy’s current blended residential rate of about 13 to 14 cents per kWh, that translates to $470 to $500 per year in electricity. That is already far cheaper than gasoline. A comparable gas vehicle burning $3.30 per gallon at 28 miles per gallon would cost around $1,400 per year in fuel. So the EV saves you roughly $900 annually at the plug.
But those numbers shift under time of use pricing. If you charge your EV during peak hours at 21 cents per kWh, your annual charging cost jumps to $756 or more. Many EV owners plug in the moment they get home from work, which falls right in the middle of Xcel’s peak window. That is an easy habit that costs real money over time.
Read more about how Xcel’s TOU rates affect your electricity bill
How Solar Panels Change the EV Charging Equation
When you install solar panels on your Colorado home, the electricity they produce offsets what you would otherwise buy from Xcel. Every kilowatt hour your panels generate is one less kilowatt hour on your bill.
Adding an EV to a solar home is one of the highest return upgrades you can make. Instead of paying 13 to 21 cents per kWh to charge from the grid, you are charging with solar electricity that costs you roughly 4 to 6 cents per kWh when you factor in the cost of the solar system over its 25 year lifespan. That is a 70% reduction in fuel cost compared to grid charging and a 95% reduction compared to gasoline.
Over 25 years, charging your EV with solar instead of grid electricity saves approximately $12,000 to $16,000. That is money that stays in your pocket rather than going to the utility company.
The key is sizing your solar system correctly. Most Colorado homes need a 7 to 9 kW system to cover household electricity usage. If you are also charging an EV, you will want to add 2 to 3 kW of additional capacity to account for the extra 3,600 kWh per year your vehicle needs. A well designed 10 to 12 kW system covers both your home and your car.
Get a free solar quote sized for your home and EV
The Best Way to Set Up Solar EV Charging at Home
There are two main approaches to charging your EV with solar at your Colorado home. Both work well, and the right choice depends on your budget and goals.
Grid Tied Solar with Net Metering
This is the most common and cost effective setup. Your solar panels connect to the grid through an inverter. During the day, your panels produce electricity that powers your home and sends any excess to the grid for net metering credits. At night, you plug in your EV and charge using those credits.
Under this setup, you do not need to charge your EV during daylight hours to benefit from solar. The grid acts as your battery. Your panels bank credits during the day and your EV draws from those credits at night. This is the simplest approach and requires no battery storage.
The one limitation is timing. Under Xcel’s TOU rates, your solar credits are earned at off peak rates during the day. If you charge your EV during peak hours, you are using credits worth less than the electricity you are consuming. The solution is to set your EV’s charging timer to start after 9 PM when rates drop back to off peak levels.
Learn how grid tied solar works in Colorado
Solar Plus Battery Storage
Adding a home battery to your solar system gives you more control and bigger savings. During the day, your panels charge the battery with excess solar production. During the peak window from 5 PM to 9 PM, the battery powers your home so you avoid buying expensive peak electricity. After 9 PM, you charge your EV using a combination of remaining battery capacity and cheap off peak grid power.
With this setup, you are completely avoiding peak rates for both your home and your vehicle. A Tesla Powerwall 3 or Enphase IQ battery handles this optimization automatically. The battery’s software manages charging and discharging cycles based on Xcel’s rate schedule without any input from you.
The battery also provides backup power during outages. Colorado homeowners experienced an average of nearly 6 hours of outage time in 2024, a significant increase over prior years. Between wildfire season shutoffs, winter storms, and aging grid infrastructure, backup power is becoming a practical necessity rather than a luxury.
Explore battery backup options for Colorado homes
How Much Solar Do You Need to Charge Your EV?
The amount of additional solar capacity you need depends on how many miles you drive. Here is a quick reference for Colorado homeowners.
Light driving (8,000 miles per year): You need roughly 2,400 additional kWh annually. That requires about 1.5 to 2 kW of extra solar capacity, or approximately 4 to 5 additional panels.
Average driving (12,000 miles per year): You need roughly 3,600 additional kWh annually. That requires about 2.5 to 3 kW of extra solar capacity, or approximately 6 to 8 additional panels.
Heavy driving or two EVs (20,000+ miles per year): You need 6,000 or more additional kWh annually. That requires 4 to 5 kW of extra solar capacity, or approximately 10 to 13 additional panels.
Colorado averages over 300 days of sunshine per year, which makes it one of the best states in the country for solar production. A south facing roof in the Denver metro area produces roughly 1,500 to 1,600 kWh per year for every kilowatt of installed solar capacity. That high production rate means you need fewer panels to cover your EV charging needs compared to homeowners in cloudier states.
See current Colorado solar incentives and rebates
Colorado Incentives That Make Solar EV Charging More Affordable
Colorado and the federal government offer several incentives that reduce the cost of going solar for EV owners.
Federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D): This covers up to 30% of the cost of your solar panel system and battery storage. For a $30,000 solar plus battery installation, that is a $9,000 tax credit. Consult your tax advisor for 2026 eligibility details.
Xcel Renewable Battery Connect Rebate: If you add battery storage, Xcel offers up to $5,000 in upfront rebates through their Renewable Battery Connect program. You also earn $100 in annual bill credits for five years by participating in their virtual power plant program.
Colorado EV Charger Rebate: Xcel Energy offers rebates for Level 2 home EV charger installations. Starting July 1, 2026, all EV chargers sold in Colorado must be ENERGY STAR certified, so plan your installation accordingly.
Colorado EV Purchase Incentives: While not directly solar related, the Vehicle Exchange Colorado program offers up to $9,000 for new EVs and $6,000 for used EVs. These rebates make the overall cost of switching to an EV plus solar even more attractive.
When you stack these incentives together, the combined cost of a solar system, battery, and Level 2 EV charger drops significantly. Many Colorado homeowners end up with a total out of pocket cost that pays for itself within 6 to 8 years through electricity and fuel savings.
Explore solar financing options in Colorado
Which EV Charger Works Best with Solar?
For solar EV charging at home, a Level 2 (240 volt) charger is the standard recommendation. Level 1 chargers that plug into a regular 120 volt outlet add only 3 to 5 miles of range per hour, which is too slow for most EV owners. A Level 2 charger delivers 25 to 30 miles of range per hour, meaning a full charge overnight is easy.
Look for a charger with built in scheduling capability. This lets you program charging to start after 9 PM to avoid Xcel’s peak rates. Many smart chargers also integrate with solar monitoring apps so you can track how much of your charging comes from solar production versus the grid.
Popular Level 2 chargers for Colorado homes include the Tesla Wall Connector, ChargePoint Home Flex, and Emporia Smart Charger. All of these support scheduled charging and work with 240 volt circuits that your electrician can install alongside your solar system.
Apollo Energy can install your Level 2 charger at the same time as your solar panel system. Bundling the installation saves on labor costs and ensures your electrical panel is properly configured to handle both solar production and EV charging loads.
Schedule a free consultation with Apollo Energy
Why Colorado Is the Best State for Solar EV Charging
Colorado’s combination of high sunshine, strong EV incentives, aggressive utility rate increases, and progressive clean energy policy makes it one of the best places in the country to pair solar with an electric vehicle.
The state ranks first nationally in EV market share. Over 210,000 EVs are already registered here, and that number is accelerating. Xcel Energy’s proposed 9.9% rate increase, if approved, would push electricity costs even higher starting in August 2026. Every rate increase makes solar panels more valuable because you are avoiding a higher and higher per kilowatt hour cost.
Colorado’s 300 plus days of sunshine mean your solar panels produce more electricity per installed kilowatt than panels in most other states. That translates directly into more free miles for your EV every year.
And with Xcel’s mandatory time of use rates now in effect, the financial case for solar plus battery plus EV charging is stronger than it has ever been. You produce electricity for free during the day, store it to avoid peak pricing in the evening, and charge your car overnight at the lowest possible cost. It is a system that works together to minimize your total energy spend.
The Bottom Line on Solar EV Charging in Colorado
If you already own an EV or plan to buy one, adding solar panels is one of the smartest financial decisions you can make as a Colorado homeowner. You are already saving money by not buying gasoline. Solar takes those savings to the next level by eliminating or drastically reducing your home charging costs.
The math is straightforward. Grid charging costs $470 to $750 per year depending on when you charge. Solar charging costs roughly $200 per year when you amortize the system. Add in battery storage and TOU rate optimization, and your total home electricity and transportation fuel costs can drop to near zero.
Apollo Energy designs solar and battery systems specifically for EV owners. We size your system to cover both your home and your vehicle, install your Level 2 charger, and configure everything to maximize savings under Xcel’s time of use rate structure. Every proposal includes projected savings so you can see exactly what the numbers look like before you commit.
Ready to fuel your EV with sunshine? Get a free solar and EV charging quote from Apollo Energy.