Do you have experience using solar power?

I am an electrical contractor in NJ and have a lot of experience in installing solar PV systems and educating my customers about energy efficiency measures.
Solar PV can be a great investment, especially due to the rapidly falling prices while the 30% Federal tax rebate is still in place. Also, many states have certain incentives for installing solar PV.
There are many factors that play into the return on investment when it comes to solar. For example, the ideal PV system in the US is installed on a southern facing roof, with very little shading throughout the day. If you have that, you are off to a good start.
Another major factor that comes into play, is the age of your roof. If your roof is over 10 years old, it is recommended that you replace the shingles on your roof. Solar panels have a warantee for around 25 years, as do most roofs.
These are the 3 major factors that determine the cost, production, and return on investment of a PV system. Ideal conditions can lead to a 5–7 year payoff on solar PV system.
As for being “off the grid,” if you are already tied into the grid, it only makes sense for you to buy a “grid-interactive” system. Being off the grid would require a battery backup system to store the electricity produced by your system. The cost of batteries are still very high, which would greatly reduce your return on investment. These prices are expected to greatly decline over the next 10 years as electric cars become more popular, leading to an increase in battery production and advancement of the technology.
The downside to not having batteries is that in the event of a power outage, because there is nowhere to store the electricity being produced by the solar panels, you will not have electricity in your home. The common inverters used with solar panels are required to have power coming from the utility to operate. It is more economically feasible to install a backup generator at this time, rather than batteries.

Believe it or not though, for high utility bills, you usually have some better options to save money.
What I would recommend doing, is to replace any incandescent light bulbs with CFL’s or LED light bulbs. These bulbs are much more efficient and last much longer than incandescent bulbs.
Also, old appliances are very inefficient, so replacing an old appliance, such as a refrigerator, can save you a lot of money in the long run.

Something else that is worth looking into, is an energy audit of your home. This can be done through a private company, or even some utilities offer this service, sometimes even for free.
An energy audit is an inspection of your home to check for air leaks, most commonly found in your attic and basement.
This usually consists of a visual inspection, as well as a blower door test, in which a special door with a fan is inserted into an exterior door and the house is depressurized. The inspector will go from room to room and can identify air leaks throughout the home.
After the inspection, they will give a detailed report, as well as a breakdown of costs and return on investments. The best investment you can usually make in your home’s efficiency is through an energy audit, with follow up of insulating and air-sealing.

I can’t decide if this is spam or not, but @SquirrelEStuff gave ti a serious answer.

I’ve looked into this, but it scares me. First, it seems like the payback period for installing solar is in the neighborhood of 20–25 years. Heck, I’ll be dead by then! If the payback were faster – in other words, I would save as much in power bills over 8 years as I am paying up front, I might do it. But I don’t see that as the case. The 7 years that @squirrel mentions are – in my understanding – far from the normal case.

Second, my local utility isn’t particularly solar-friendly. Without their active support, it doesn’t make much sense.

@SquirrelEStuff I am an E.E. and I approve of this answer.

I suppose a wind turbine is out of the question.