If you're looking for reliable, honest solar information, you've come to the right place. I'm willing to bet that you're tired of going to different sources and getting different information each time. That's understandable. The solar power issue is confusing to a lot of people, and that's a shame because it deters them from making the switch to a full home system.
First things first, you need to know that this isn't for people that plan on moving in the next 10 to 15 years. If you are, then you'd just be wasting your money by doing this. Although having solar panels (or shingles) mounted to your roof does make the value of your home go up, not enough to recoup the costs in the beginning. These systems are designed for those that plan on living in their homes for a while, as that's when you'll really start to see the money and energy savings.
A good rule of thumb about how expensive these systems are is $20,000 to $30,000 depending on the size of your home. Now, obviously it can be more or less, but the point is that it varies and you should be ready to spend around that much. Of course, there are all sorts of government grants and rebates out there to make this initial cost feasible. Then, you can look forward to having the unit completely pay for itself in about 10 years. After that, you'll really see a change as the extra money you save will not have to go toward paying off the system.
If you're not ready to jump into that quite yet, get your feet wet with smaller things attic fans, pool heating systems, laptop and cell phone chargers, or rings (each containing photovoltaic cells, of course). You will begin to see the beauty of this technology and be hooked from then on.