Commercial net metering by utility in Teller County
CORE Electric Cooperative: CORE net-meters commercial systems up to the lesser of 25 kW AC or 200% of the meter's 12-month usage, with monthly kWh carry-forward and an annual settlement at avoided cost. Anything larger is not net-metered: it takes service under CORE's Small QF schedule (up to 500 kW), which buys all exported energy at the published avoided-cost rate ($0.04616/kWh from May 2026). Every non-residential CORE rate carries a 15-minute-peak demand charge, and those charges rose in January 2026.
Black Hills Energy (Colorado Electric): Black Hills' On-Site Net Metering tariff covers residential, commercial and industrial customers with systems sized to no more than 200% of expected annual consumption across the customer's premises, interconnected in tiers up to 1 MW AC (systems over 25 kW get design and relay review). Banked kWh roll month to month and are paid out annually at the Energy Payment Rate — $0.03489/kWh from January 1, 2026 — unless the customer elects indefinite rollover. Small General Service classes carry no demand charge; Large General Service (over 50 kW) pays $28.00/kW at secondary voltage or $24.00/kW at primary. Under its 2023–2026 renewable plan, medium commercial systems of 25–250 kW can earn a $0.02/kWh performance incentive for ten years, limited to 250 kW of capacity a year. A new rate case filed June 2026 would take effect around March 2027.
Territory lines follow feeders and substations rather than town limits, so the county-wide picture (by land area: CORE Electric Cooperative ~57%, Black Hills Energy (Colorado Electric) ~43%) can differ from your address. The utility name on the bill is the one that counts.
Demand charges: the half of the bill panels don't fix
Read the demand line on your bill before anyone sizes an array. On many commercial rates it is a third to half of the total, it is set by one peak interval per month, and solar alone cannot be relied on to lower it. Storage can, and it also keeps refrigeration and phones up during an outage.
We ask CORE Electric Cooperative (or your utility) for 12 months of interval data where it is available. Monthly totals hide the peaks that set the demand charge, and a design built on totals will overpromise.
Load shapes across Teller County
Colorado Springs and Pueblo carry defense contractors, steel and manufacturing, hospitals, churches and a large military-adjacent retail base; the Arkansas Valley adds packing sheds, cold storage and irrigated agriculture. Municipal and co-op utilities down here set their own non-residential solar terms, so the rate class matters as much as the roof.
Teller County's commercial addresses cluster in Woodland Park, Cripple Creek, Green Mountain Falls and the smaller towns, with farm, ranch and rural-industrial accounts on the co-op and rural lines in between. Each building type has its own load shape; our property-type pages walk through the ones that fit this county best.
Tax treatment for 2026–2027 projects
Businesses can still claim the federal §48E investment credit on solar, but the window is defined: projects that did not begin construction by July 4, 2026 generally must be placed in service by December 31, 2027. Storage keeps its eligibility much longer, and 100% bonus depreciation has been restored for qualifying property. Sourcing rules for foreign entities of concern now affect equipment choice on projects starting construction after 2025.
Tax-exempt owners — churches, districts, nonprofits, tribal and municipal entities — may be able to take the credit's value as a direct payment under the elective-pay rules. All of this has shifted repeatedly and depends on your entity and timing, so we give your CPA equipment and cost detail to work from rather than tax advice.
Permitting commercial arrays in Teller County
Expect two approvals: a building and electrical permit from whichever office has authority for your address (county for unincorporated Teller County, the town inside municipal limits, the State Electrical Board for electrical in many small jurisdictions), and an interconnection agreement from the utility. Commercial systems don't use the automated residential permitting some cities offer; plan on stamped structural drawings and weeks, not days.
FAQ
Questions we hear
Which utility rules apply to a business in Teller County?
CORE Electric Cooperative and Black Hills Energy (Colorado Electric) serve the county by area, and Cripple Creek maps to Black Hills Energy (Colorado Electric). On the co-op side, commercial net metering is guaranteed to 25 kW by statute and larger systems are by agreement. The utility on your bill is the one we design to.
Will solar lower my demand charges in Teller County?
Sometimes, but not reliably on its own. Demand is set by your single highest draw each month, and a cloudy afternoon lets it through. A battery programmed to shave peaks usually does more for demand charges than panels alone; we model both from your interval data.
How long do we have to use the federal commercial solar credit?
As of September 2026, solar generally must be placed in service by December 31, 2027 unless construction began by July 4, 2026. Storage keeps eligibility longer. Confirm timing and eligibility with your tax advisor — the rules have moved more than once.
Do you install commercial systems in Teller County?
Yes. Our own crews install rooftop and ground-mount commercial systems and storage throughout Teller County, and we handle plan review, the engineer's stamp and utility interconnection. Projects in Woodland Park and the rest of the county are scheduled from our Denver base.