This is great. If you search Youtube there are quite a few videos of people doing their own off-grid solar installs, and some even grid tied. Obviously grid tie

This is great. If you search Youtube there are quite a few videos of people doing their own off-grid solar installs, and some even grid tied. Obviously grid tied is a terrible idea if you don't get the proper permits and loop in the electrical company, but I've seen people doing it (and going to great lengths to conceal what they're doing, including using a relay to shut off the panel) The economic advantage of having solar panels is completely negated by the fact that the electric company owns the grid, and therefore, tells YOU what you can and can't do to the wiring of your own home. At the end of the day they'll give you a credit on your bill and skim off the top of the power you're generating. I have been wanting to build something like this, I want a lot more than 200W though. A lot of off-grid solutions I have looked at use a ground rod. Does anyone happen to know when that becomes necessary? Obviously you can't have a ground rod in an airplane, for example, just chassis ground.