Solar is great. But it cost a lot upfront and does NOT financially make sense to me.
solar panels make sense for some and not so for others.
if you plan to stay in your house for at least 6 to 10 years. then it is a maybe. if you plan to move a lot...then it doesnt make sense at all.
i have solar panels sized to cut my electrical usage by half which in turns decreases my electricity bill by 2/3rds. return on investment was set about 9 years but with edison's constant rate hikes and tiering system, i am now down to about 5 1/2 years.
i have contemplated a larger system to lower my electrical bill lower and lower but the roi is not practical for me. a 0$ bill usually takes the longest for roi but is very satisfying to see. having a 0$ bill also means that ones system may be too large and that the you are paying edison for the excess electricity you generated. that is, if your utility company is edison...which has a clause stating that they will not pay you for any excess electricity that you generate that is fed back to the grid. again, if your pv system is connected to the grid...like mine is.
when i got my system, it was $2.80 per watt rebate...now it is back up to $3.80 per watt rebate. a great time to install solar if you are thinking about it.