"I am expecting energy bills to go higher. I am preparing for the future," Fredholm said.

Beyond saving money on electric bills, Fredholm is concerned about the environment.

"There are ways of producing energy other than burning coal," Fredholm said. "Technology has not been developed yet to remove all the pollutants coal releases into the air. I'm real worried about the mercury entering into the water."

A 1.2-kilowatt Grid-Tied Battery Backup system in Fredholm's home was installed by Bob Solger, owner of The Energy Savings Store. Solar panel collectors were mounted on Fredholm's roof.

Energy collected from the roof runs down to the basement into a charge controller and inverter box as DC power. The DC power is used to charge batteries. The inverter box converts the DC electricity into AC power used for the homes' electrical system, Solger said.

Power from the sun is transferred to four back-up batteries that store energy from solar panels on the roof. Four 12-volt, 104-amp hour sealed batteries that do not require service are used to store energy.

The backup batteries offer security for Fredholm. In the event of a power outage, the system will be able to provide enough energy to run essential electrical appliances such as a refrigerator, lighting and the blower motor on a gas furnace, Solger said.

"If there is another ice storm like last year when power was lost for a week, she won't have to leave the house. This will run the main system," renewable energy consultant Susan Brown said.

According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 includes financial incentives for solar power installation.

The act provides a 30-percent tax credit for both residences and businesses that install solar technologies. Residential systems are limited to $2,000, but there is no limit for businesses.

Fredholm will receive the entire $2,000 tax credit for the installation of her system.

The new solar system will handle about 25 percent of Fredholm's energy needs, Brown said.

"Any excess power can be sold back to the electric company under Missouri's new Net Metering law passed last year," Brown said.

Energy can be sold back at cost. Now residents will get full value for the energy sold back at 8 cents a kilowatt hour. Before the recently passed legislation, it was sold back at 2 cents a kilowatt hour, Brown said.

Installing a solar system will increase the value of a house. Brown said, as a general rule, houses increase in value by $20 for every dollar of energy saved.

Fredholm's system was about $25,000.

"Payback may seem a long way away, but the cost of energy is on the rise," Brown said. "How many things do people purchase based only on the financial side? Look at the expensive cars people drive. This system will pay for itself and reduce a person's carbon footprint."