GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - Some researchers say Colorado is the best state for heating homes and water with the sun. That's because the state's rays are strong, and our mild nights keep ground water cool.

Some customers at Van's Car Wash might not notice the solar thermal panels on top of the roof, heating its water to more than a hundred degrees. Owner Dave Van Dyke says the thermal panels were installed back in the 1970s, often making the water scorching.

"I have to cool the water down, because it's too hot to go on cars," says Van Dyke.

Water is heated up inside the solar panels on top of the car wash. It then flows down into a holding tank, where it stays warm and heats up cold water running into the facility. "You're savings are great. It's renewable energy," says Van Dyke.

Using the sun to heat homes and water has been done for decades. However, now Colorado is hoping to re-power interest in its solar thermal technology.

"New technologies that are more efficient, easier to install and less expensive," says Lou Villaire, an associate with Atlasta Solar Center in Grand Junction, about the advancements in solar thermal technology.

About 16 evacuated tubes heat water for home heating systems. The government gives a 30 percent rebate for the cylindrical panels, which cost about $5,000. Experts say the system will pay for itself in several years. It's all savings from the sun after that. "Energy independence. A lot of folks come in and say, 'I would like to be able to produce my own power, be less beholding to the utility,'" says Villaire.