Why don't people believe the partial use of solar energy can be a useful alternative or addition to a home?

I'm not sure...I would LOVE to be able to lower my electric bill with solar, but I've heard its not all that effective right now. Years ago I bought a house that had a solar water heater. I ended up putting a regular water heater in and taking the solar panel off the roof, and my electric bill actually went down. Hopefully, 25 yrs later solar has gotten better. I have no doubt though that some ingenious American will come up with some type of advancement to make solar more economical and efficient..I'm waiting...