The demand charge is the battery’s paycheck
Say your family’s usual dinner-hour peak is 7 kW. That’s about $38 a month in demand charges on CORE’s 2026 rate. A battery that supplies most of the 4–8 p.m. load could cut that to a couple of kW, saving on the order of $25–$30 a month — roughly $300–$360 a year, depending on how disciplined the evening is.
That alone won’t pay off a $15,500–$19,000 battery quickly, and we won’t pretend it does. Add the backup value for foothills homes, keeping more of your solar at home instead of settling it at avoided cost, and the Colorado 10% battery income-tax credit (tax years through 2026; verify current terms), and the picture gets better.
Backup where outages are long
Many CORE members live on wooded foothill lots with wells, where an outage means no water as well as no lights. A Powerwall 3 (13.5 kWh) or a SigEnergy stack sized for the well pump, furnace blower and refrigerator can carry a careful household for a day or more, and recharge from solar the next morning.
What it costs and what counts
Our 2026 pricing: about $19,000 for the first Powerwall 3 and $12,000 for each additional; Enphase around $17,000 for the first 10 kWh; SigEnergy from $15,500 for 9 kWh plus $3,500 per added 9 kWh module. Batteries are exempt from Colorado sales and use tax, and a battery connected to your solar follows CORE’s standard interconnection process through PowerClerk.
Utility type
Electric cooperative
Wholesale: Several long-term suppliers (its Xcel Energy supply contract ended after 2025)
How exports are credited
Exports banked 1:1 as kWh credits
System size limit
10 kW AC residential (25 kW commercial) and ≤200% of annual usage
Net metering, in plain English
Residential systems 10 kW AC or smaller whose expected production is no more than 200% of the past 12 months’ usage are net-metered: generation offsets CORE-supplied energy kWh-for-kWh, surplus rolls forward, and an annual true-up within 60 days of the end of the April billing cycle pays leftover credits at avoided cost. Systems larger than 10 kW are not net-metered; their exports are credited monthly at avoided cost.
Time-of-use: CORE’s standard residential rate (as of 1/1/2026) is a $20.00 monthly service charge, $0.1155/kWh, and an on-peak demand charge of $5.47/kW based on your highest 60-minute use between 4 and 8 p.m. An optional time-of-use rate (AT) charges $0.2705/kWh on-peak and $0.08558/kWh off-peak plus a $5.47/kW basic demand charge.
Sources & dated facts
- Colorado law (C.R.S. 40-9.5-118) requires every electric co-op to offer net metering to systems of at least 10 kW residential and 25 kW commercial, carry excess kWh forward month to month one-for-one, and credit any annual excess within 60 days.As of Sep 23, 2026
- CORE net metering is available to residential systems of 10 kW (AC) or less whose proposed annual production does not exceed 200% of the member’s 12-month usage.As of Sep 23, 2026 · source
- CORE’s avoided-cost rate was $0.04473/kWh through April 2026 and is $0.04616/kWh as of May 2026; it is recalculated annually.As of Sep 23, 2026 · source
- CORE performs the annual true-up within 60 days of the end of the April billing cycle, crediting excess generation at avoided cost.As of Sep 23, 2026 · source
- Residential systems over 10 kW are not net-metered but receive a monthly credit at avoided cost for kWh delivered to CORE.As of Sep 23, 2026 · source
- Interconnection applications are submitted through CORE’s PowerClerk portal; battery systems follow the same Level 1 (≤25 kW) procedures.As of Sep 23, 2026 · source
- Nearly 9,000 CORE members had rooftop solar interconnected at the end of 2023, totaling more than 52 MW.As of Sep 23, 2026 · source
FAQ
Questions we hear
Does CORE have a battery rebate or demand-response program?
We didn’t find a residential battery rebate or battery program on CORE’s website as of September 2026. The savings on CORE come from the 4–8 p.m. demand charge, which you control yourself, plus state tax treatment.
How much can a battery save on my CORE demand charge?
It depends on how high your evening peak is and how much the battery can cover. Each kW you shave off your highest 4–8 p.m. hour saves $5.47 a month at CORE’s 2026 rate. We estimate it from your actual usage data before quoting.
Do I need solar to add a battery on CORE?
No, but pairing them helps. A standalone battery can still cover the evening peak by charging off-peak, while a solar-charged battery also keeps summer surplus in the house instead of settling it at avoided cost after April.
Is the Colorado battery tax credit still available?
As of September 2026, Colorado offers a 10% income-tax credit on residential battery purchases (C.R.S. 39-22-546) for tax years through 2026. Batteries installed in 2027 won’t get it unless the legislature extends it. Confirm with your tax preparer.