If domestic oil is properly regulated then importing oil will price itself out because it's such a pain (those boats are expensive and inefficient, at least when compared to pipelines). I wouldn't go so far as to call solar hot water systems proven, they kind of suck even in Tucson.
They work real good here in NY, according to one homeowner I visited recently. Used as a backup system, they heat the water to a temp much warmer than the groundwater, especially in the winter. He had one installed 25 years ago and has saved thousands in home heating oil, which was only needed in the very winter. In the fall and spring, thins house used little or no oil at all, unlike most houses, including mine.
I agree that solar cells are a waste of money. But solar hot water heating is a long proven technology.