Asklemmy

I'm an electrical engineer who designs commercial and Utility Scale PV systems (i.e. Multi acre solar power plants), though I've done a couple dozen residential systems as well.

@[email protected] chimed in with some really good advice, but I wanted to add a few things.

If I were to do my own system I'd go with micro inverters, enphase IQ8 most likely, as they can be setup to operate during a grid outage, either with a battery backup, or with a load balancing panel.

Careful of the downfalls of going the DIY route, not sure how it is in your state, but in some states I've worked in you will forfeit incentives if you don't use a qualified installer.

Get familiar with your utilities net metering policies, if they don't net meter power at or near retail rates then you'll end up giving them your power for free/cheap whenever you overgenerate. Some utilities will also make it difficult if you're not going through a qualified installer.

Lastly, and this is coming from someone who understands the industry intimately, really take a look at the numbers and decide if this makes sense for you. Most residential solar will take 5-10 years to pay for itself (after incentives) and start to generate a profit. Compare that with the same sum invested in a general s&p500 index fund which would likely have doubled in value during that time.

Ultimately I decided not to install solar on my home, despite the ability to 100% DIY the whole thing and get parts at steep discounts, and instead installed a backup generator and signed up with a local community solar array (which is not something that all states/utilities allow).

Happy to answer any questions you may have!