Resilience for foothills businesses
For a restaurant, clinic or shop in the foothills, a multi-day wildfire shutoff means lost inventory and lost revenue. Solar paired with commercial storage can keep refrigeration, point-of-sale and critical lighting running. That value is real, but it’s hard to put on a spreadsheet, so we price the backup portion separately.
Demand charges on the plains side
Office and retail buildings on Xcel commercial rates usually pay both energy and demand charges. Solar reduces energy costs predictably; storage is what reliably trims demand. We use interval data to show which one moves your bill.
Permits and tax timing
Unincorporated commercial PV requires a permit application with elevation drawings, electrical calculations, equipment cut sheets and one-line drawings. As of September 2026, commercial solar generally must be placed in service by December 31, 2027 for §48E unless construction began by July 4, 2026. Plan with your tax advisor.
FAQ
Questions we hear
Can solar keep my foothills business open during a shutoff?
With a commercial battery sized for critical loads, yes. Solar alone shuts down during a grid outage for safety.
What does unincorporated Jefferson County require for commercial solar permits?
A permit application with elevations, electrical calculations, equipment cut sheets and one-line drawings.
Is my Jefferson County business on Xcel, CORE or United Power?
Plains-side cities are mostly Xcel; foothills businesses may be CORE or, in Coal Creek and Golden Gate canyons, United Power. Check your bill.
Should we add storage or more panels?
If demand charges or outage risk dominate your costs, storage usually does more. If energy charges dominate, panels do. Interval data answers it.