This is a general reply...I've been thinking about solar for awhile now.  Seems it can be done for $1.50 to $2.00 a watt.  8kw system for say...$16000, doing most the work yourself.  Tack on the 26 percent tax credit down to 11,840.  If you use 1000 kw a month an 8kw should come close to eliminating your bill.  This is MY thinking and I COULD be WAY off.  We don't have very good sun here and neighbor guy has 10.5kw system and hasn't paid an electric bill in 4 years.  I have electric at my house, farm, and grain bin site and last bill was hair over $500.  So the median house value in Dallas, according to google, is $201,000.  If all new construction required solar it would be $217,000 and just think the electricity made if all houses in Dallas had solar panels, let alone all United States.  No big deal on a 30 year note, with free electricity.  Be like a 401k for electricity.  If everyone contributed just a little there would be alot.  How much are YOU spending on your new house you are building?  I don't know what they cost.  Just sayin the panels COULD pay for themselves.  70,000 for a pickup, 35,000 for ice fishing house or boat or camper trailer, 20,000 for motorcycle, 15,000 for snowmobile....you see where I'm going with that.  I'm not a liberal, pretty conservative just thinking about the possibilities instead of the problems.