[cgbg]

When I looked into solar power I was told the power company required I be connected into the grid—so when they lost power so would I!

That defeats the whole purpose of solar power imho.

[palmer]

Very few people are off the grid. Most doing solar are getting two subsidies, the first one when they buy it. Second, they get a continuous subsidy because the power company buys the power during the day when nobody needs it. In the evening when power demand peaks, the same people get to buy power generated with gas or coal at that same price (instead of a peak price). In Germany it is much worse. There the power company is forced to buy anyone's solar power at 50 cents per kWh (actual value about 2 cents). That has created a large pool of small dollar middle class welfare recipients in a cloudy, northerly country where solar electric makes no sense.

Getting back to your situation, there is no requirement to tie into the grid, unless you want power when there is no sun and don't have your own storage. I have some solar plus batteries and that system is not tied to the grid power which runs most things in my house (hot water, A/C, etc).

[ex 98C MI Dude]

Thats easy to get around. Have commercial hooked up to a 3 position switch. Top position is commercial, middle is completely off, bottom position is from your solar system.

All they said was you had to be hooked in to the system. They never said you had to use it!