John Doe

Buckeye, Arizona

Went solar in 2011

Paid with Home Equity Line of Credit

Why he paid with HELOC: "I didn't have the cash to pay for a system outright, and I also didn't want to take a lease, since it might've made it hard for me to sell my house."

Average monthly savings: More than $65 per month. John says he paid an average of $75 a month before he installed his solar system. Now he pays about $10 a month for connection fees, and his solar system is generating 100 percent of his power needs.