ASHEVILLE -- Some homeowners in one part of North Carolina have found a way to make sure the sun powers the energy they use.  Solraize Asheville is a new effort by community members to put solar panels on their homes in a more cost-efficient way. 

Katie Bray, program director for Solarize Asheville, says her company's model operates similar to a wholesale club such as Sam's Club or Costco.

"Our goal is to make solar energy more affordable and easier for homeowners to adopt," she says. "And we reduce the cost by organizing citywide group purchasing."

Bray says so far 230 homeowners have signed up and will save as much as 38 percent on the cost of their solar installation - compared with the average cost last year in North Carolina. 

The model has been successfully done in about 10 other states, but North Carolina is the first state in the Southeast. 

Bray adds Solarize Asheville is looking to expand the program beyond Asheville to other parts of the state.

Matt Menne was the first person to sign up for Solarize Asheville. His panels will be installed next week.

He says he's not just excited about the savings on his electric bill.

"I think it's a way to personally reduce your carbon footprint," he explains. "This is a really great opportunity since it's reducing the overall cost and the tax rebates are currently pretty significant."

On sunny days, solar panels will generate electricity to power the home. Any unused energy will be sold back to the grid and the homeowner will receive a credit that can be used when he or she needs to use power from the grid - on cloudy days or at night.

Bray says she hopes the program changes outlooks as well as utility bills.

"The idea behind this program is anything that we can do to change our behaviors and make ourselves more conscious of how we're using energy and where it's coming from and what the actual true costs of that are," she explains.

Solarize Asheville also has partnered with a bank to help homeowners fund the cost of the panels. 

There are currently state and federal tax rebates to help offset the costs of solar installation.

(Stephanie Carson of North Carolina News Service Contributed This Report)