"Why would I fuck around with the utility at all if I’m installing enough solar/battery to power my needs?"
This is exactly my sentiment and is the reason that we have made ourselves independent from the grid.[1]
However the math gets very difficult if you need to charge an electric car ... it's a tremendous amount of electricity to keep one, not to mention two, cars topped up after daily use.
The extra panel and battery requirements for cars are such that it really does make sense to be grid-tied and arrange your charging on off-peak hours, etc. That is what makes this so frustrating for typical homeowners - there's an obvious and sensible symbiosis here that would work well for (most people).
[1] That, and the fact that I hate PG&E with the burning fire of 1000 suns.
This is exactly my sentiment and is the reason that we have made ourselves independent from the grid.[1]
However the math gets very difficult if you need to charge an electric car ... it's a tremendous amount of electricity to keep one, not to mention two, cars topped up after daily use.
The extra panel and battery requirements for cars are such that it really does make sense to be grid-tied and arrange your charging on off-peak hours, etc. That is what makes this so frustrating for typical homeowners - there's an obvious and sensible symbiosis here that would work well for (most people).
[1] That, and the fact that I hate PG&E with the burning fire of 1000 suns.