Photovoltaic advice please

Hi Carol M.  This is a noble mission you have.....to go completely off grid with your alternative energy system.  This was also my intent when I first got into this a few years ago.  So far, I have been able to achieve only about 90% off grid condition. I don't know your location and conditions of sunlight exposure, but in my case, the Midwest, I have had to supplement the PV power with wind power as well.  There are few times when there is a lack of both wind and sun, but this happens on occasion too, and this requires a massive amount of battery storage to maintain household power under all conditions.  There are many variables and one has to take all of these into consideration.  Sometimes we simply try things and see how they work for us......going for the practical instead of just the theoretical method.  In any case, its a time consuming and expensive process.  In order to go completely off grid, I think that one would have to make some concessions on occasion, like doing without home entertainment, hot showers, hot food (there is always McDonalds, haah), and some sacrifices of comfort and convenience that may not appeal to everyone. I started with a personal audit of my typical power consumption for various needs to identify the major power consumers, and then tried to trim my consumption to an absolute minimum for daily living. It has been an interesting experience, however, and a work in progress.  I wish you good fortune in this endeavor. :-) Jon C.