Microgeneration is Expensive

 I've been doing more research on my potential off grid solar power system.

The main issue to contend with here in northeast ohio is the cloudy winter months. Sometimes there is no sun for solar power for days at a time. It's impractical to build a system with enough battery backup to make it through a few days with no sun. The batteries are about $9000 per day of power and only last about 10 years.

A backup generator is required. The options suck, though, and are expensive. We currently have a whole house backup system. It's basically a lawnmower style engine (two cylinder) connected to a generator and some controls. A lawnmower engine doesn't last too long in constant operation, though. Some mowers are worn out after 2,000 hours of use.

The system I sized for my house supposedly will need backup power 200 hours a year. That will consume a $5,000 generator every 7 to 10 years. If it's 10 years, the solar power system is roughly on par or slightly worse than grid power depending on natural gas prices for 200 hours of household power.

In sunny places, the generator would rarely run, so it's still cheaper than grid power.

In theory a "microturbine" system can have a longer operating life, maybe 5x or 10x as long as a piston engine, but those systems are really expensive and inefficient at converting fuel to electricity.