"Americans basically live like energy is unlimited, free and has no side effects ..."

Agreed - and guilty as charged which is why we're switching entirely to solar.

(I will also note that my household "cheats" by living in California where we need relatively little heat and do not even own an air conditioner so our path is, perhaps, a bit easier)

My main point is that whether you're a frugal EU council house or a profligate Texas McMansion, we - all of us - will continue to invent new demands for energy and continue to trend towards more energy used per person per unit time.

Therefore, if you're looking ahead to deployment of solar resources you should be realistic about that trendline.