HARTFORD, Conn. -- Help is on the way for Connecticut homeowners who want to go green.

A state energy group has voted to release enough money to assist about 300 homeowners in the state in buying and installing solar panels.

The nonprofit group Solar Connecticut said the state has as many sunny days as Miami and turning solar power into energy is a viable option.

With the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund board's decision to release the funds, the state and federal government will pay nearly half of the cost of a homeowner's solar energy project.

Solar Connecticut's executive director, Mike Trahan, said now's the time to go solar in your home because the federal stimulus plan includes solar tax credits. Combined with the state rebate program just passed by the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, an average homeowner will end up paying between $18,000 and $24,000.

Trahan admitted that's a lot of money, but he said homeowners can make up that money over time. He said it's hard to tell how long that could take, though.

"As energy prices continue to spike, the power generated from these power systems will stay constant," he said.

Another option that's already available, Trahan said, is to lease the panels for no money down and fixed monthly payments. He said thousands of state homeowners have already gone solar.

Trahan said millions of dollars are currently available for those who are ready to lease.

For those who decide to go solar, Trahan said, a solar contractor approved by the Clean Energy Fund installs the panels on the homeowner's roof or on a freestanding pole. If a homeowner uses an approved contractor, he said, the fund pays its share upfront, so the homeowner won't have to wait to be reimbursed.

Trahan said the group will also install an energy conversion system. He said that on a sunny day, it could provide enough power for an entire home. On a rainy day, he said, the homeowner would have to use power from the utility company.

In a year, it could produce about 75 percent of a home's energy.

"If you generate more power than you use, you could sell it back to the utility company," he said. "The meter would run backward -- in some cases, people get a check."

For more information, visit Connecticut Clean Energy online.