Soil is a good way to start. I strongly recommend planning RIGHT from the start to grow a mother plant out of your first seed pack, because to do hydro effectively, you really should be starting from rooted clones, and to do any style efficiently, starting with clones cuts at LEAST 6 weeks off every crop!!!
Read the link in my siggy for hints too.

600w lamps are a great choice, adn with their lower heat output and high lumens, they are very flexible- you can configure them to always utilize your electric and space at max efficiency.