Brettski,
At $8,000 to bring in power, I'd think you'd have to be crazy not to. There might be a person out there that would buy a house that's off grid, but 99% of buyers don't want to have to learn how to operate and maintain an off grid system. That is only for those extreme situations where it's just not possible to bring in power, or the price to do so is over $100,000
Every power company prices there install rates differently, but one thing they do is base the price of bringing in that power on the demand sheet that you fill out. The more demand that you will use, the less it will cost to run the lines.
I had to bring mine in 1,800 feet. With my demand requirements, it cost me under $600. I don't know if you can do this or not, but it's worth investigating.
I hang out an other website that's more about tractors and working the land. There is a poster there that is just about the smartest guy I've come across. He put in a solar system to power his home and shop. He's a machinist and needs enough power to run his tools.
It's a very good read and those who join in the discussion really add alot to it. One poster, Patrick, is an expert in this stuff and he really takes the time to explain the how and why to it all. From emergency folding of the panels on a windy day, to ducting the generator to keep the shed cool. It's all there, and it's for real. No theory, he did this and the posts are what it took to make it happen.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/86406-solar-power-shed-project.html Eddie
