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Bob Prout's grandfather started his family-owned funeral parlor in 1920. It's changed a lot since then.

Did , did people look at you and say you're crazy? What kind of a funeral parlor runs on solar energy.

Even my best friend told me I was nuts.
But when you talk to people now, what's their reaction?

Now that the energy costs have sort of skyrocketied now, and people are getting their bills.
I've got, there've been much warmer reception.

Prout installed 114 solar panels on his roof 3 years ago before the price of oil reached $135 a barrel and before rates in his town rose dramatically.

when you factor in the tremendous rate increases, I am still paying half of what I was paying three years ago for my electric.

Paul says he produces about 3/4 of his electrical needs for his business and home upstairs. Every hour each individual solar panel produces  enough energy for more than two 75-watt bulbs.

The energy flows directly into the house and can be used immediately for things like light or air conditioning. whatever is not used is then sent out over the grid and is bought by the power company. the power company gets renewable energy to sell to consumers and Prout gets paid, last year, making some $5,400.      

Technically, your energy may be in any of these wires, generally (that's correct) running around here(absolutely correct).

That could be used at that building or the next building down the street. under the state's clean energy program, New Jersey helped pay for the panels which cost $140,000. Prout's share, $60,000.

He has already cut his electrical bill some months by more than half.

February was 259, $173 in March.

Prout plans to add more panels by the end of the year.

And I would like to see how low I could get the bill.

I am Deborah Feyerick for cnnMoney.com