DENVER -- Have you thought about putting solar panels on your house, but the upfront cost is just too much right now?

Depending on the type of system installed, the price could be $10,000 to $20,000. A new program coming to Colorado will allow homeowners to spread out that cost over 20 years and get the benefits now of going solar.

"They allow customers to lease solar systems and benefit from all the wonderful things that solar systems have to offer without having to come up with the money to purchase it themselves," said Namaste Solar chief executive officer Blake Jones.

Namaste Solar is one of several local companies that partner with SunRun to install the electric solar array on homes.

The program works like this. California-based SunRun will lease to homeowners a solar system that is mounted on the roof. The upfront cost is as little as $1,000 for the system and homeowners also pay a monthly leasing fee.

That fee is typically 10 to 20 percent lower than what your current electricity bill is now. That fee basically takes the place of what you were paying to the electric company but customers will still receive a monthly bill from the electric company.

Jones said in most cases the electricity bill will be nominal. Depending on how much power the panels produce during the year, the homeowner could even get some money back at the end of the year from the electric company.

"For those people who don’t want to worry about any potential headaches associated with owning a solar system or making sure that it's working properly, this is absolutely fantastic. That's why we are so excited to have SunRun come to Colorado because there've been lots of people who've wanted to go solar but they haven't been able to get over those barriers, particularly the upfront cost. So now with SunRun they can," said Jones.

SunRun provides the installation, monitoring, repairs and insurance for customers, taking the worry out of owning a solar system. The lease agreement runs for 18 years and at the end of the lease customers can have the system removed for free, renew the agreement with SunRun or purchase the system for a fee set at the start of the lease.

What the company gets out of the deal is all the tax credits form the federal, state and local governments as well as from the power companies.

Local solar companies say this is just the program they need to make solar energy mainstream.

"We're just scratching the surface. More than 4,000 homeowners have gone solar in Colorado. There's still a long way to go before we start getting even 1 percent, 2 percent of homeowners to go solar. But I'll bet in 20 years from now if you drive through a neighborhood you’ll see solar systems on many of those homes. It will be just as common of a sight as a chimney or satellite dish on people's roofs," said Jones.

To find out more about the program visit SunRunHome.com or Namaste Solar.com.