[DugwayDuke]

"I think the system they're talking about is not independent. You're still on the grid, just sending electricity to the electric company during the day (which they pay you for). If the power goes out, yours does too."

So, let me see if I understand this. A CA resident is supposed to buy a solar system that generates power and that power is sent to the grid. In return, the CA power company sells the CA resident back the power. Pretty kewl scheme, you build the power plant and I'll sell you the power from it.

[Republican in CA]

I was told that the power is sent to the grid, and the electric company pays the home owner for the power generated during the day. Then the home owner pays for the power used during the night. The net result is positive for the home owner, but small in comparison to the cost of the system. (I think they said it paid for itself in ten years?)

Also, if I install a solar system, I want to be able to avoid blackouts (in a suburb of Los Angeles, we've been having short, 20 to 30 minute outages every three months or so), so what's the point?