alt Hacker News"If you want to run your home loads, the cheapest/simplest way (without going grid-tie) is to have an electrician add a critical loads panel supplied by your inverter output ..."
No, that's actually not the simplest.
Far simpler is to install a solar breaker in your main panel and a physical lockout[1] between utility power and the new solar breaker.
There is no ATX, there are no smarts, the power goes out and you flip two breakers. There is nothing simpler than this.
The beauty of this is, you can keep scaling up your solar generation, adding panels as the years go by, and you are never locked into these ridiculous "preferred breakers" sub-panels.
Will you have to be smart about your total power use while you are on solar ? Yes, you will - just don't run the dryer and the microwave at the same time.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/QYZZRS-Generator-Interlock-Compatible...
Changing your usage pattern isn't simpler.
When I mean simplest, I meant a solution that doesn't rely on doing anything. If/when Solar isn't enough or your batteries deplete, it just falls back to grid. Power outage? Your critical items automatically are backed by solar/battery.
Having to think about your what high draw appliances are running and using additional power adds mental load (ie complexity) and is an immediate no for most people.