Solar-powered homes could be within reach for thousands more Coloradans under a bill lawmakers unveiled Tuesday.

The bill, House Bill 1350, would permit the state and county and city governments to set up financing programs for homeowners wanting to install solar panels. Homeowners could get a low- or no-interest loan through the programs to cover the costs of putting solar panels on their homes.

"I think that this bill is brilliant," Rep. Claire Levy, D-Boulder, said during a committee hearing in which the bill passed unanimously. "We've needed to do something like this."

A typical solar panel system for an average home can run close to $25,000, said Eriks Brolis, with Boulder-based Namaste Solar Electric. Rebates from power providers and tax credits can often offset half or more of the cost, Brolis said.

But that can still leave homeowners looking at a bill of up to $10,000.

"Right now, even with the rebates and knowing it will save you money in the long run, many homeowners don't even consider putting solar on their house," said House Majority Leader Alice Madden, D-Boulder, the bill's main sponsor. "They know they're going to have to come up with some up-front payment."

The bill would largely leave it up to local governments on how the financing programs would be set up. Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor, who has studied the ideas, said a program could enroll homeowners and then issue bonds to be repaid by the homeowners over several years.

"In a sense, it's creating a voluntary property tax," Toor said.

Though the bill's supporters focused Tuesday on its solar panel potential, the financing programs could also help homeowners buy other clean-energy systems or do major energy efficiency upgrades.

The bill is similar to one by Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, which seeks to help low-income families pay for energy efficiency upgrades to their homes. Romer's bill, Senate Bill 184, would create the Colorado Clean Energy Finance Program, in which home owners could get small loans for projects such as upgrading windows or adding insulation. Romer said solar panels can pay for themselves through cost savings in 10 to 15 years.