My wife loves it! She likes to brag about it when she can.. LOL..

We don't have any children except for our critters. (rabbits, chickens, dogs, cats) I believe it would be a very wholesome lifestyle for kids..

We don't live in a cave. I have a 74" TV/Video Projection System with surround sound in my living room. Just can't run it all day, that's all. I can safely watch 2 DVD's back to back with no issue..

Really? How much lower can it go?

This is a good point, the more people the more energy consumption. I live 'almost alone'. My friend and neighbor has several horses here which require water and electricity. Every Sunday we have a dinner here with several friends also and there are always people in and out so I can't really say I live alone, not that I'm off the grid constantly.

I have two systems, one a strict intertie, the other an intertie with off grid capabilities if the grid goes down. I could run the second as a off grid system but it is better to run it as an intertie and save my batteries. With this configuration I make several hundred dollars a year because I use much less than my 10.6 KW system provides, even on overcast days I make more than I use.

What I do have here, that I think is essential, is the ability to make whatever we need and to be able to employ my machines when the grid is down. A full machine shop and a full electronics shop enable me to make everything from a bolt to tools to fix the car. I can fabricate printed circuit boards too.

Rob

The Grid is my battery at least until 2020 when my grandfather clause stops. Net metering lets you use the grid as a battery for now anyway.

I hope by then we will have a reasonable price solution with used EV car batteries. There are going to be a big supply of them once these batteries start needed changed out.

PB,
I had a nice chat with the CEO of our electric coop after I received a letter that all new interties will be paid the same rate the coop pays for electric. (Thanks ALEC!).
I'm paid the rate we pay for our juice (10.16 cents if I remember) but when my clause runs out I may see about changing how I sell power. The good thing is that we have our own options once the contract is over. I got $3.00 a watt for my install and all that equipment becomes mine once I have no contract.

I think the next big thing in power storage is going to be supercaps, some countries are already using them in buses.

Super Capacitor Buses in Shanghai

Rob

So when does your clause run out?
ALEC is going to kill new solar installs.

Those supercaps look very interesting that might be a better choice than batteries when the time comes.
I hope the make good progress with that tech.

They're starting to use it in wind now to capture gusts and I have a couple of magazine articles coming out using supercaps in applications.

Rob

Rob how long do you keep your current solar deal before?
Did they change net metering plan also?

I'm not sure how long it lasts but I think it's several more years, I'd have to dig out the original paper work.
My net metering didn't change, our coop is a really good, well run group just trying to survive and give the customers the best deal. Our rates are lower than NYSEG (NY gas and electric) but since we are rural we do get more outages than NYSEG. My girl friend lives in the village and has NYSEG, see rarely gets outages but that's to be expected.

Rob