Xcel suburbs: peak shifting
For a home in Centennial or Littleton on Xcel’s time-of-use rate, a battery charged from midday solar and discharged between 5 and 9 pm avoids the priciest power on the bill. It also keeps essentials running through a summer thunderstorm outage.
The payback depends heavily on how much of your usage falls in that evening window. For many households it is long; for heavy evening users — cooking, laundry, a pool pump — it improves.
CORE territory: self-consumption
CORE pays retail-equivalent net metering only for home systems up to 10 kW AC. For larger systems, every exported kilowatt-hour earns CORE’s avoided cost, so storing that energy and using it later is worth several times more than sending it to the grid.
On the rural east side, where some homes rely on wells and longer distribution lines, backup value also matters more. A well pump’s start-up surge has to be part of the battery sizing.
The unincorporated permit path
Unincorporated Arapahoe County requires a separate energy-storage permit, a stamped Colorado engineer’s detail for mounting the battery, and the battery’s location, fire detection and impact protection shown on the plans. Inside a city, the requirements follow that city’s rules.
As of September 2026, Colorado’s 10% battery income-tax credit applies through tax year 2026, and batteries are exempt from state sales tax. Verify current terms.
FAQ
Questions we hear
Does a battery pay off faster for CORE members than for Xcel customers?
It can for CORE members whose systems are larger than 10 kW AC, because their exports earn only CORE’s avoided cost. For smaller net-metered systems, the difference is smaller.
What does unincorporated Arapahoe County need for a battery permit?
A separate storage permit, a stamped engineer’s mounting detail, and plans showing location, fire detection and any impact protection. We prepare all of it.
Can a battery keep my well running near Byers?
Usually, if the inverter can handle the pump’s start-up surge. We size for surge as well as runtime.
Which battery brands do you install in Arapahoe County?
Tesla Powerwall 3, Enphase IQ Battery and SigEnergy — the same three brands we install everywhere.