> Why would I fuck around with the utility at all if I’m installing enough solar/battery to power my needs? What will you do when it has been raining/cloudy fo

> Why would I fuck around with the utility at all if I’m installing enough solar/battery to power my needs? What will you do when it has been raining/cloudy for weeks straight like it has recently in California? For this period, wind has dramatically outproduced solar [1]. Even in the summer/fall, when there was severe wildfire smoke in the area, my solar+battery barely produced anything. Sure, you can set up a propane generator (very expensive at the size needed for a full house backup), but then you are dependent on the propane-distribution grid. The dirty secret of "no-sacrifice off-grid" lifestyles is how much they are dependent on propane for heating and electricity. Also, the grid's up-time is going to be better than your home battery setup up-time both because it is constantly maintained and it has access to a greater diversity of energy sources (wind, nuclear, fossil, large-scale storage) that are firmer than anything you can attach to your house. The fact is that modern living standards (cars, TVs, comfortable temperatures) require a much larger amount of energy and energy-availability than most people can produce on their properties with solar. The additional energy has to be imported somehow, either from the electric grid or as liquid or gaseous fuels. 1. See Renewables Trend at http://www.caiso.com/TodaysOutlook/Pages/supply.html http://www.caiso.com/TodaysOutlook/Pages/supply.html