I also started from scratch and after 3 yrs I'm off-grid producing 16MW/year... but it hasn't been 'that cheap'
Heat Pump is the most effective technology that I've found to go with solar.
- 160 (summer) -200 (winter) kwh/month = Reheems 50gal Hybrid Hot Water Heater for whole house - works really well.
- Just installed a LENNOX whole house heat-pump/AC with one of the highest efficiencies - and its fantastic, very low power compared to old/traditional sytems.
- My Electric Dryer is like a hot plate - turns on/off but when on uses 5000w! So I wish I had bought a heat-pump Dryer.. these are more in the 1000w range I read.
How many square feet do you need to heat and what are your weather extremes? If you share this we could get a 'power requirement' and then advise on an approximate solar size (and cost) you would need. My reply to you: My husband said we have 960 square feet in our house to heat. And that winter temperatures are from 10 degrees to 20 degrees below zero. The cost of heating our house (using several small electric portable heaters -including the costs of running our electric hot water heatermake a total cost of about $250 - $300 per month. We don't use a clothes dryer. I hang them up. But use an electric washing machine - about 1 load pera week. We also have a refrigerator. We live in a woodsy area - our yard is about 3/4 percent trees. We live in Traverse City - the climate zone here is 5.