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By Jorge Casuso

June 17 -- You want to go solar but can’t afford those $40,000 panels for your roof? The City of Santa Monica has a few options, and some other valuable information to help shed light on a blooming alternative to soaring energy costs.

At a forum sponsored by the City Monday night attended by nearly 100 residents, several alternative power companies offered Santa Monicans ways to “go solar” without having to buy expensive photovoltaic panels, which have become a major obstacle for green consumers.

The companies are offering “affordable, hassle-free” solar power for property owners who don’t want to monitor, maintain and clean the panels, but want to reap the lower energy costs, while helping the environment.

“You can save real money right away,” said Nat Kraemer, president and executive director of Sun Run, which provides solar electricity through a guaranteed power purchase agreement. “It’s about buying electricity instead of a complex piece of equipment.”

“Financing a residential solar panel system, particularly in our current economy, has been the major stumbling block for even the most enthusiastic green consumer,” said Mo Rousso, who heads Helio mU.

The California company used Monday’s forum to unveil its Green Energy Plan, which Rousso predicts “will greatly accelerate the adoption of solar power in California.”

The plan, as well as a similar program presented by Sun Run, doesn’t require property owners to pay up front for panels – which can cost more than $40,000 for a single residence.

Instead, they can pay a smaller one-time fee of about $18,000, then pay for the solar electric power generated by the panel on their roof at a fixed rate that is lower than that offered by utility companies, potentially saving thousands a year in energy costs.

Santa Monica officials hope to promote solar power by creating a “solar assessment district” that allows homeowners to borrow money for “solar efficiency” and pay it back over 15 to 20 years on their property tax bill.

The program – which is awaiting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s approval – could be in place in “six to 12 months,” said Susan Munves, who heads the City’s Energy and Green Building Programs.

Residents who attended the forum had plenty of questions for the panelists – ranging from what happens when I sell my home to what if one of the nascent companies goes out of business.

(The panels would likely increase the value of the home, the panelists said, and it is unlikely the company actually producing and installing the panels would go out of business.)

Apartment owners and tenants wanted to know how the programs would work in multi-family buildings.

(In San Francisco, the panelists said, landlords and tenants have come up with agreements that allow the initial costs – and lower power charges – to be covered by the rent.)

Still, some of those who attended didn’t buy the concept. Some fear the technology would quickly become outdated. Others said they preferred to own the panels and reap higher energy savings and avoid the maintenance costs included in the start-up price.