Farm & ranch solar in Northern Colorado

Many Weld and Larimer operations take water from ditch companies fed by the Poudre, Big Thompson and South Platte systems, so pumping loads vary widely from farm to farm. A dairy’s milking, cooling and ventilation load runs every day, which makes it a much better match for solar than a pump that runs only in summer.

Net metering generally applies meter by meter. Before sizing, we map which meters carry the steady load and ask your utility, whether that’s Xcel, Poudre Valley REA, United Power or another provider, how it treats multiple meters on one property.

As of September 2026, USDA’s REAP grant program is paused while the agency rewrites its rules, but REAP guaranteed loans remain open. Rooftop solar on farm buildings is eligible, while ground-mounted solar over 50 kW has been excluded or deprioritized. Commercial solar can still qualify for the federal §48E credit if it’s placed in service by December 31, 2027, or if construction began by July 4, 2026.

100% bonus depreciation has been restored for qualifying property. Depreciation and credit timing depend on your tax situation, so we coordinate with your CPA rather than promising a figure. Verify current terms before committing.

Xcel’s 2025 and 2026 public-safety shutoffs reached parts of Weld and Larimer counties. For a dairy or a barn with ventilation and water systems, even a one-day outage is a production and animal-welfare problem. A commercial battery sized for critical circuits can be a cleaner complement to a standby generator than a replacement for one.