Not long ago, solar panels on the roof seemed about as fashionable as avocado green refrigerators and shag rugs.

But avocado green and shag rugs are back in style, and so, it seems, are solar panels on the roof.

Thanks to the California Solar Initiative, an aggressive rebate program that adds to the existing federal tax credit of $2,000, lots of California homeowners are making the leap [1] and installing solar panels on their roofs. The state's goal is to install one million panels by 2018, reducing greenhouse emissions by three million tons [1].

Most of these sun-worshiping homeowners don't think of themselves as green or especially eco-friendly. Instead, they put the panels on their roofs because it made a lot of financial sense.

Major rebates and reduced heating bills made the switch much more attractive and feasible, according to this New York Times article [2]. Especially since the savings seem considerable. Many homeowners claim that they're saving thousands of dollars a month. Granted, the people who save that much tend to have enormous homes -- with heating bills that are triple my monthly mortgage payment.

Still, if the trend towards aggressive rebate and incentive programs that are based on California's initiative start trickling across the country [2], I'd definitely consider the splurge for my house. I'd certainly be willing to evaluate whether it made any financial sense for me.

At first glance, it seems like a no-brainer. For one thing, I live in the sunbelt, and we get something like 360 days of dazzling sunshine each year here in New Mexico. Other pluses would be a fat rebate, the prospect of reduced electricity bills, and of course, the fact that I'd doing right by the planet.

But realistically, the price tag to install a system sounds pretty steep. Going solar seems to be a major home improvement project costing tens of thousands of dollars, a figure that's on par with a complete kitchen renovation.

If I'm being completely honest, right now, if I had a big chunk of money to spend, I'd be much more likely to go towards a Sub-Zero fridge and granite counter tops.

But if solar energy -- which has seemed about as sexy as a heavy cardigan sweater for a long time now -- suddenly turns chic [2], one day soon it might seem as desirable as a brand new kitchen.