Colorado Springs Solar Permit Guide
Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) territory · El Paso County
Overview
GridPermit collects Colorado residential solar and permitting facts directly from official sources (city, county, and state government sites, utilities, and public utilities commissions) and shows only what we can verify, with a confidence score and a link to where it came from. Nothing here is estimated or inferred beyond what's stated below. See our methodology for the rules this page follows.
Battery/solar incentive program on record
No battery/storage incentive program is on record for this locality.
Permit fees
- Colorado Springs Utilities Solar Energy Program application fee (residential): $100 (flat fee, one-time)
Per CSU's own 2024 rate case, charged on the customer's next electric bill after their solar installer submits the application. This is a utility interconnection application fee, not PPRBD's separate building/electrical permit fee, which was not found this session (PPRBD's own site was unreachable).
- Colorado Springs Utilities Solar Energy Program application fee (150 kW or larger systems): $1000 (flat fee, one-time)
Per CSU's own 2024 rate case; applies to large/commercial-scale systems, not typical residential installations.
Rebates
Colorado Residential Solar Property Tax Exemption
Statewide Colorado property tax exemption: independently owned residential solar electric generation facilities (photovoltaic systems) meeting the criteria in §39-1-102(6.8), C.R.S. are exempt from Colorado property taxation under §39-3-102, C.R.S. To qualify, the facility must be located on residential real property, used to produce electricity primarily for use in the residential improvements, and have a production capacity of no more than 100 kW AC. This is a genuine statewide exemption applicable to any qualifying Colorado residential system, not utility- or city-specific.
Status on file: active. Verify current status before relying on this.
Utility and generation supplier
Utility
Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU)
Generation supplier
Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) (utility)
CSU is a municipal utility; no separate Community Choice Aggregator applies. Net metering: monthly net usage is tracked as 'Energy Sent to Grid' minus 'Energy Provided by Grid'; a positive year-end banked credit balance is paid out on the January bill at the current cogeneration rate, approximately $0.02 per kWh (this is the default behavior for a new solar system or a home purchased with an existing system). Customers may instead opt into a one-time, irrevocable 'rollover' election to carry banked credits forward into the next year instead of being paid out. CSU's own site separately states that in 2026 it 'is exploring options to update how residential solar customers interact with our grid' — an active, unresolved policy review at the time of this research, not yet a finalized change, so no altered terms are recorded here beyond what is currently in effect.
Interconnection
Required documents
Not yet verified.
Inspection steps
- Installer submits a solar interconnection application to Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) online; CSU reviews it for standards/safety compliance
- Once CSU approves, it emails approval and system details to the customer, the installer, and PPRBD
- The installer is then responsible for obtaining the proper permits from PPRBD, which verifies codes and laws
- PPRBD inspects the installation and closes the permits
- After all permits are completed, CSU installs an upgraded net meter and a separate production meter, then issues a Permission to Operate (PTO)
This is CSU's own description of the combined utility-interconnection-plus-PPRBD-permit process; it does not itemize PPRBD's own inspection steps in detail (that page was unreachable this session).
Eligibility constraints
- Property types: residential
- Max system size (AC): Not yet verified.
- Max system size (DC): Not yet verified.
- Max thermal capacity: Not yet verified.
- Program/pathway: CSU Solar Energy Program (Connecting Solar) interconnection application
- Other conditions:
- Residential application fee tier ($100) applies for systems under 150 kW; a separate commercial/large-system tier ($1,000 fee) applies at 150 kW or larger, per CSU's own page
- Installer must submit the application on the customer's behalf via CSU's online Connecting Solar portal
- System must pass CSU's standards/safety review before approval; if denied, required updates are provided to the customer and installer
- PPRBD permits must be obtained and closed before CSU will install the upgraded net meter and issue a Permission to Operate (PTO)
Official contacts
- Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, phone: 719-327-2880, official website
Need a solar installer who handles permits in Colorado Springs?
EnergySage is an independent solar marketplace where you can request property-specific pricing from installers familiar with local permitting.
Compare quotes from solar installers →You'll continue on EnergySage's website. GridPermit has a partner relationship with EnergySage; this link is not currently tracked, and whether the partnership results in compensation to GridPermit has not yet been confirmed.
Sources
- Solar energy (Connecting Solar), Colorado Springs Utilities (utility). Accessed 2026-08-12.
- Renewable and Clean Energy Assessment (Residential Renewable Energy property tax exemption), Colorado Division of Property Taxation, Dept. of Local Affairs (program_administrator). Accessed 2026-08-13.
- Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, El Paso County, Colorado (government). Accessed 2026-08-12.
Frequently Asked Questions
What utility serves solar customers in Colorado Springs, Colorado?
Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) is the interconnection and distribution utility for Colorado Springs. The default electricity generation supplier is Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU), a utility, separate from Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU).
Who do I contact about solar permits in Colorado Springs?
Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, phone 719-327-2880.