EAGLE COUNTY, Colorado — Solar panels on rooftops aren’t the norm yet in Eagle County, but the number of people producing their own, renewable power at home is growing at a staggering rate.

Holy Cross Energy, which provides electricity for Eagle County and the surrounding areas, saw the number of renewable energy generators in their grid quadruple in just the past two years, said Craig Tate, a member services representative.

Most of these homes are fitted with arrays of solar panels, which convert sunlight into energy. A much smaller number of people are installing hydro-electric systems, which use the natural current of nearby rivers and streams to power homes, and an even smaller handful are installing their own wind turbines.

“It’s mostly solar in the Vail Valley — we get great sun here,” Tate said.

Local businesses that install renewable energy systems, like Grid Feeders and Active Energies, say business has definitely picked up in the past year and there’s a large demand for things like solar systems in Eagle County.

A rejuvenated interest in environmentalism at the national level, along with a tax credit and rebates offered by Holy Cross Energy and Eagle County, has led to this boom in demand for renewable energy, said Matthew Charles, a designer with Grid Feeders.

“As the global climate situation becomes more real and apparent, the people here that have the means to do things like this are trying to step up and do their part in the climate crisis,” Charles said.

When Don Holzworth and his family move into their new home in Bachelor Gulch in a couple of months, they’ll be living off the power of the sun, just like he’s doing in North Carolina. Holzworth will be producing his own electricity with solar panels installed on the roof by Active Energies.

While renewable energy is growing in Colorado, Holzworth sees potential for a lot more.

“Considering the amount of sunshine in Colorado, I was shocked by the lack of solar systems out here,” Holzworth said.

Compared to simple, inexpensive lifestyle changes like installing compact florescent lights and carpooling, solar power and renewable energy are big investments — investments that many people can’t afford.

“It’s an exceptional up front cost, and some people can’t get past that,” said Jason Weingast, vice president of Active Energies

Renewable energy systems will pay you back, but it could take you a while, anywhere from 10 to 25 years, Charles said.

It all depends on how big your system is, how much energy you use, what rebates you received and if you had your system installed while the house was being built, or if it was retrofitted.

Some people, who are looking strictly to save money, are turned away by the long return time on the investments, Weingast said.

And there are others who don’t think much about the money at all. “There’s no mold set for people buying these systems — various ages and incomes — some just look at the financials, others just want to do the right thing,” Weingast said.

Staff Writer Matt Terrell can be reached at 970-748-2955 or mterrell@vaildaily.com.