You can read about solar energy all you want (and please continue to do so) but there is no substitute for an up-close look at a working solar energy system in order to fully understand the benefits of a solar home energy system.

Just ask three homeowners in the PebbleCreek community in Goodyear, Arizona — one of Forbes Magazine’s top ten retirement communities in the nation. Earlier this month, a few members of the group opened their homes so that their neighbors could catch a glimpse of solar energy in action. What’s more, the three homeowners even made their utility bills public to show just how much solar saves them on monthly electric bills.

Allwest Energy of Phoenix, Arizona — a company that has installed some 80 solar energy systems in PebbleCreek alone — sponsored the event in an effort to persuade neighbors to make the switch to clean energy. Several community members came together to organize the event and chose the three homes best showcase the benefits of residential solar power, namely: (1) lower utility bills, (2) increased home value of home and (3) protection from increased electricity prices over time.

Roughly 25 residents showed up and were treated to breakfast with a side of solar, as Allwest representatives were present to answer any questions not covered by the homeowners. Afterward, Allwest offered group discounts on solar installations to neighbors who wanted to install. It’s unknown how many homeowners took Allwest up on the offer.

Pam Peaper was one of the the three homeowners who opened their homes to neighbors, and she addressed two key issues that often make homeowners wary of installing solar — that the systems are obtrusive and solar costs too much:

“You can only see them [the solar panels] from a corner in the backyard. Our highest bill has been about $34 in the summertime and we are here all year. It [the solar home energy system] has been a huge savings; it’s completely hidden on the roof.”