[Matsu]

It's interesting. As I see it right now the options to scale a residential install include:

- Full autonomy with battery back up and net metering (most expensive up front?)
- Full autonomy with only emergency battery capacity and net metering
- Options without net metering
- Options without batteries
- Varying degrees of partial autonomy with net metering or without

Net metering: the regulator here is Ontario requires the local distribution company to buy and sell electricity a the same price with its residential customers, plus some conditions around safety inspection, approval of install, and annual fees for all that. So, when you're making more power than you use you "sell it back to the grid" at the same $/kwh rate as you would buy at that time, more or less. I suppose an install that gives 100% autonomy in the summer (runs A/C and household needs) and only partially offsets in winter would be about the most cost effective size. I wonder how much forgoing batteries shaves from the install cost?

The solar retailers don't do a very good job of explaining things up front, they all want to get in your living room for a high pressure sales pitch. Heaven forbid anyone gives a clear estimate...