Damon, my wife is Swedish and I'm well aware of most of Europe being probably 10 years more advanced than the US in energy conservation, use of renewable energy, and technology. Especially in private homes and public transportation. In the US people are very wasteful just because they can be, and they think nothing of jumping in a car to drive two blocks to get a gallon of milk at the convenience store instead of walking or riding a bicycle.
So your description of what it takes to install an approved grid-tied system in the UK does not surprise me. Here in the US, renewable energy and it's use, and $2.50/gallon gas, is buzz words used by politicians, for the most part, that they can spout to get elected. But if gas was $8 a gallon here like it is in Sweden, I suspect habits would change, and all these "rules" that prevent the practical application of renewable energy sources would also change. Americans have been spoiled by artificially cheap energy, and when the price of it goes up, it cripples the economy because Americans have designed their whole lifestyle around it.
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Chris