Here's some video to demonstrate what owning a solar home is like. You can click on any video to start it.

 This first one is provided by a solar contractor in California, where solar power really is undergoing a lot of growth. This homeowner's system is "grid connected". Any excess power produced is sent back to the power company, and he receives credit for it on his bill. This is called "net metering", and is available in Virginia and Maryland. Another option would be to use batteries to store excess power. This is more expensive, but provides electricity during a power outage.

This shows the installation of photovoltaic (PV) panels on a house in California.