Installed prices for the three systems we install
Tesla Powerwall 3 stores 13.5 kWh per unit. We install the first for about $19,000 and each additional unit for about $12,000, so two are about $31,000 and three about $43,000. The first unit carries the gateway, electrical work and permitting; add-ons mostly carry the battery itself.
Enphase IQ Battery systems start around $17,000 for the first 10 kWh and are cheaper to expand afterward. They pair naturally with Enphase microinverter solar and can be sized in smaller steps.
SigEnergy is the most modular of the three: $15,500 for the first 9 kWh, then $3,500 for each additional 9 kWh module. So 18 kWh is about $19,000 and 27 kWh about $22,500. The same $3,500 can instead add a bidirectional EV charger to the system, which turns a compatible EV into additional backup.
How much battery do you actually need?
Size a battery to the loads you want running, not to your whole house. A refrigerator, furnace blower, Wi-Fi, lights and a few outlets can run a long time on one battery. A well pump, electric range, central air or an EV charger all shorten that window sharply.
Wildfire-driven shutoffs are the sizing case many Front Range and foothills homeowners now plan around. Xcel de-energized about 50,000 customers in December 2025 and about 18,000 in March 2026, and those outages ran from a day to three days or more. Riding through three days usually means solar recharging the battery during the day, not a bigger battery. Our blackout runtime calculator shows hours per battery for the loads you pick.
Colorado incentives for batteries (as of September 2026)
Colorado’s residential energy storage income-tax credit (C.R.S. 39-22-546) is 10% of the purchase price for systems in tax years 2023 through 2026. The purchase price counts equipment, sales tax and freight — not labor or permits — so on a $19,000 installed Powerwall the credit is less than $1,900. It’s nonrefundable unless assigned to the seller, and it is scheduled to end with tax year 2026. Batteries installed in 2027 won’t qualify unless the legislature extends it.
Residential battery storage is also exempt from state sales and use tax under C.R.S. 39-26-733, through January 1, 2033.
Utility programs vary by territory. Fort Collins Utilities has offered $300 per kWh for solar-paired batteries (minimum 6 kWh, up to $6,000). La Plata Electric has offered $1,000 or $2,000 depending on size, Gunnison County Electric $2,000 for 8 kWh or more, and Holy Cross Energy’s Power+FLEX program an upfront and monthly payment for enrolled batteries. Xcel’s Renewable Battery Connect has paid a per-kW incentive in exchange for letting Xcel draw on the battery during a limited number of grid events, with amounts that have stepped down over time. Check each program’s current terms before you sign.
The federal picture for batteries
The §25D homeowner credit that once covered batteries ended for installations completed after December 31, 2025. A battery you buy outright in 2026 gets no federal income-tax credit.
Storage keeps a much longer runway under the business-side §48E credit — full value for projects that begin construction through 2033 — which is why a leased battery can sometimes be priced with federal value built in. That applies to the owner of the equipment, not to you as a homeowner purchaser. Treat this as a question for your tax advisor, as of September 2026.
Where a battery earns money, and where it doesn’t
On Xcel’s default time-of-use rates, on-peak power from 5 to 9 pm on weekdays costs about 2.7 times the off-peak rate. A battery charged by midday solar can cover those evening hours, which is real but modest daily value — it won’t pay back a $19,000 battery on its own in most homes.
In territories that credit exports below retail — Longmont’s value-of-solar, Fort Collins’ time-of-day credits, CORE’s avoided-cost rate — storing your own solar for evening use is worth more than exporting it. In plain 1:1 net-metering territory, a battery adds much less bill value and is mainly an outage and peace-of-mind purchase. We’ll say which camp you’re in.
Adding a battery to solar you already have
Adding a battery to an existing solar system we did not install is sometimes straightforward and sometimes not, depending on the inverter and how the system was wired. We don’t service or take over other companies’ systems, but we can look at whether a new, separately installed battery makes sense alongside what you have. SigEnergy and Powerwall 3 both include their own inverters, which helps in some retrofit cases.
FAQ
Questions we hear
How much is a Tesla Powerwall 3 installed in Colorado?
About $19,000 for the first unit and about $12,000 for each additional unit, installed by our crews. Your electrical panel and where the battery mounts can move that number.
Does Colorado still have a tax credit for home batteries?
Yes, for now. As of September 2026, the state credit is 10% of the equipment purchase price for tax years through 2026 (C.R.S. 39-22-546), and it does not cover labor or permits. Verify current terms and your eligibility with a tax preparer.
Which is cheapest to expand: Powerwall, Enphase or SigEnergy?
SigEnergy, at about $3,500 per additional 9 kWh module. Powerwall add-ons run about $12,000 per 13.5 kWh unit. Enphase is also cheaper to expand than to start; we price add-ons per project.
Will one battery get me through a wildfire power shutoff?
Often yes for essential loads if you also have solar to recharge it during the day. Without solar, one battery typically covers essentials for somewhere around a day, depending heavily on what you run. A well pump or electric heat shortens that a lot.
Do I have to let Xcel use my battery?
Only if you enroll in a program that requires it, like Renewable Battery Connect, which pays you in exchange for limited grid dispatch. You can own a battery without enrolling.
Is a battery worth it if I’m on 1:1 net metering?
Mostly for backup, not bill savings. When exports are credited at full retail, storing solar yourself adds little. The case improves on time-of-use rates and in territories with lower export credits.