CLIFTON PARK - Four years ago Margaret and Kevin Matocha were like a lot of other young couples. They drove a pick up truck and a minivan and recycled as much as possible. Today they have a Toyota hybrid, a mini Cooper, and 26 solar panels on the roof of their Mallard Drive home.

The Matochas are not fully "off the grid" but they are as close as possible. To be completely free of the power company they would need a battery backup. Because of the cost they decided to forego the extra expense.

"We talked about it a couple of years ago but we didn't pursue it," Margaret Matocha said. "Then when we started looking at it again we thought we could swing it financially with all the incentives that were offered so we said let's go for it."

The couple figures their out of pocket costs for the entire system will come to $13,000 once they've received their incentive reimbursements. The total cost for purchasing, installation and the connection to the home's power supply was $40,000.

They calculate New York State Energy Research and Development Authority will reimburse them 50 percent. They also expect to get a $5,000 one time tax credit from the state and a $2,000 one time tax credit from the federal government.

"Economically it's tough," Kevin Matocha said, "You have to tell yourself it's an investment and that you're doing something good. You hope it pays off. If the cost of electricity goes up it'll come sooner."

After looking at companies in the alternative energy field the Matochas narrowed the field to two. "We went with gro solar, a Vermont Company," Matocha said. "We read their literature and saw them taking part in the home make over TV show. They come in and calculate how big of a system you'll need. Our home is 2,700-square-feet and they recommended the mid size system."

Gro solar is a 10-year-old company founded by Cornell engineering graduates Dori and Jeff Wolfe. The company is recognized as the first NYSERDA-certified dealer. The business' first commercial solar electric installation system was for the New York State Dormitory Authority building in Albany.

Prior to switching to solar power last week the Matochas were paying about $90 per month in electric bills. They expect to see that monthly bill disappear.

"The man from National Grid came in and installed a new electrical meter and it read 000," Matocha said. "Two hours later it read 9,998. We'd banked two hours and it was a pretty gray day."

The roof of the south facing home received 20 of the panels and the garage got the final six. They are expected to last 25 years and produce electricity even without full sunlight. During last week's string of cloudy days the system was still producing enough power to run all the family's devices and bank some kilowatt hours.

"As time goes on we were told they may not produce 100 percent like they do when they're new but they will produce something," Matocha said.

The home will use the electricity being produced by the panels during the day. If there is more being produced than is being used it is banked with National Grid. When night falls the system shuts down automatically and the home's usage transfers back to the power company automatically with no discernable difference in service.

"New Jersey has better incentives," Matocha said. "There if you bank a kilowatt hour you get credit for it whether you use it or not. Right now we're on the plus side. At the end of the year we're suppose to get a check from National Grid if we're still on the plus side."

Since the panels became active Matocha said she has not noticed any change in her electrical appliances.

"There's no transition that you can feel from the grid to the panels," she said. "The TV doesn't flicker, lights don't dim, nothing."

The solar panels create direct current and it is changed into alternating current inside the home. In the basement gro solar technicians installed a small unit about two feet tall on one wall to make the change. The unit's LED screen displays the carbon dioxide being saved minute by minute.

Outside next to the newly installed electrical meter the technicians installed a breaker box in case National Grid's power lines went down.

"They don't want any power from our panels going into the lines while people are working on them," Matocha said. "When the power goes out we'll be out too just like everybody else. It's one of the questions you discuss when you're considering the backup battery system, how often does your power go out."

Prior to signing the contract for the system the couple spoke with their neighbors and let them know what they were planning.

No one expressed any reservations. Since the panels have gone up people taking walks past the house have stopped to look and one resident from a neighboring street was so interested he stopped by to discuss the system. He later told the couple he contacted gro solar.

"A lot of our appliances use gas so that lowered our electrical bill to begin with," Matocha said. "But we have central air and even with that the company said we should be banking energy credits."

The Matochas said they welcome all questions and will be glad to discuss the system with anyone who's interested.

"We're considering a solar powered heater that'll heat two rooms," Matocha said. "It'd be nice in the winter but we'll wait a while on that."