By Cheryl Reza

COLORADO SPRINGS - One Southern Colorado business goes green to hopefully save money.  O'Brien's Carpet One installed 132 solar panels they are say they'll save 45 - 55 percent on their energy bills.  The panels can generate up to 25 thousand watts of energy.  The panels absorb the sun the energy is converted into AC energy and put into the grid, Project Manager Sam Masias says, "if he's producing more energy than he's consuming that meter will spin backwards, his meter will spin backwards and will put the electricity back out onto the grid where one of his neighbors may be using it."

The cost to install the system is around 175 thousand dollars, with rebates and tax credits the owners out of pocket cost estimated at 20 - 25 thousand dollars.  The owner John Hughes says he jumped at the opportunity.  He expects to save more than 55 percent because of his location Hughes says, "here we have no blockage whatsoever from the sun, no trees or anything so we have a clear shot of all the sun that's available to us."

Next year around 700 thousand dollars will be available from the city in way of rebate money for businesses like Hughes who install the panels.  Masias says, Hughes system will be up and running by the end of next week.