BruceM said "Off grid seems like a big deal until you do it, and then you wonder why anyone would want to be grid connected."
I wholeheartedly agree. We went off-grid 4 years ago. Had corporate power before that, had them come and disconnect us.
We are in the Pacific Northwest, not a whole lot of sun here, but enough to make it work. My winter fuel bills for the generator are less than my previous monthly electric bill, and the now rates are increased significantly since we went off-grid. Great for our frequent power outages too! We are the only ones in the area with power, water, and communication then.
BTW, we use about 2 to 2.5 KWH per day, including my shop tools.
Cheers,
Hugh