Do I need utility permission in Colorado?

It depends on your state's rules and your utility. The safe path in Colorado is to use a UL-listed (UL 3700) microinverter and check your utility's interconnection policy (major utilities here include Xcel Energy) before you install; see the status for Colorado above for specifics.

Is Plug-In Solar Legal in Colorado?

Legal — signed (eff. 12 Aug 2026) Avg rate ~15¢/kWh

Last verified: August 1, 2026 · source data

Quick answer: Plug-in / balcony solar is legal in Colorado under HB26-1007, signed 7 May 2026. The act takes effect 12 August 2026: a device supplying up to 1,920W to the grid needs no utility approval, no interconnection paperwork and no fee, provided it is labelled and listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory. A device up to 391W is additionally exempt from the state's solar PV installation requirements. Two parts of the act are delayed to 1 January 2027 — the UL rule for sales above 391W, and the protections against HOA covenants. Average residential rate is around 15¢/kWh.

Colorado law names the certification. Colo. Rev. Stat. 40-2-140 requires equipment certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory — and most plug-in kits sold today do not state one. What counts, what does not, and what each popular product actually declares →

Legal — but will it actually pay off in Colorado? Run your numbers →

📬 One email if Colorado’s rules change — plus the free 50-state cheat sheet now.

What Colorado law requires of the equipment

Colorado is one of eight states that write certification into the statute. This section is about what satisfies it, not about what we can earn from.

Colo. Rev. Stat. 40-2-140 — “labelled and listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory” from 12 August 2026, in 8 days

What meets it today

Hoymiles HiFlow Pro — certified to UL 3700 and UL 1741. $152.78 from NAZ Solar Electric. Pre-order — Expected arrival at our warehouse is early September. (manufacturer page for the certification; seller product page for price and availability, read 4 August 2026.)
APsystems EZ1 Microinverter — certified to UL 3700. $325 from APsystems USA direct. We have not checked stock or lead time. (product page, read 2 August 2026.)

What does not

AUECOOR 600W Complete Grid-Tie Kit — its listing says “Certification: CE”: no NRTL listing stated.
Y&H 600W Grid-Tie Microinverter — its listing says “The inverter is not UL1741 certified.”: the seller states it does not have it.

What that means in practice. This starts on 12 August 2026. From that day a device without the listing does not qualify for Colorado’s simplified route. Until the Hoymiles unit reaches its US warehouse in early September, the choice in Colorado is narrow: the APsystems EZ1 at $325, sold direct by the manufacturer, and the Hoymiles unit, which can be ordered but not yet delivered. We have not checked APsystems’ stock or lead time, so confirm that before you rely on it. We would rather say all of that than point you at something cheaper that does not meet your own state’s wording.

We earn nothing from either of these. Neither manufacturer runs a programme that pays publishers, so there are no tracking links here. What UL listing means, which eight states require it, and what eight popular products actually declare. Prices and availability read 4 August 2026.

Two systems, one job. For plug-in solar that feeds your home and lowers the bill, the head-to-head worth reading is EcoFlow Stream vs Anker SOLIX — two balcony systems doing that same job.

A different job: a portable power station is backup power for an outage. It is not a substitute for a grid-tie kit and it does not lower your bill. If that is what you are after: Anker C1000 vs EcoFlow DELTA 3 · C1000 vs C2000 · Anker vs EcoFlow at brand level

Thinking about installing? See our best plug-in solar kits for 2026 and estimate your yearly savings.

Colorado now has a plug-in solar law. HB26-1007, signed by Gov. Jared Polis on 7 May 2026, takes effect 12 August 2026 — ninety days after the general assembly adjourned — and creates a formal legal category for “portable-scale solar generation devices.” The statutory definition caps a device at 1,920W of output to the electric grid, not panel nameplate, which is the highest plug-in cap in the U.S. From that date a utility cannot require its approval, charge a fee, or demand extra equipment, and the act also requires utilities to accept meter-collar adapters.

There is a second, lighter tier: a device of 391W or less is exempt from the state's solar PV installation requirements and from building-code provisions that would require changes to the building's wiring.

Two parts of the act are delayed to 1 January 2027. From that date it becomes unlawful to sell, lease or rent a device above 391W that is not UL labelled and listed; and from that date a covenant that unreasonably prohibits a device is void, though a property owner may still impose reasonable restrictions such as prior notice, fire and overload precautions, and where the device is placed. Those HOA protections are not in force yet. Confirm the setup and any interconnection steps with Xcel Energy or your co-op before you buy.

Before you buy in Colorado

Call your electric utility and ask: (1) do they allow small plug-in / behind-the-meter grid-tied solar, and (2) is any notification or interconnection form required? Stay within the wattage they specify, use a UL-listed microinverter, and keep written confirmation.

Then estimate your numbers with our savings calculator (pre-loaded with Colorado's rate).

Ready to start? If you want backup power for outages rather than a grid-tied kit, see our power stations guide →

Nearby states: Wyoming · Kansas · Oklahoma · New Mexico · Utah · see the full 50-state tracker.

Status last reviewed 2026-08-01. Plug-in solar law is evolving quickly — verify current Colorado rules and your utility's policy directly. Informational, not legal advice.