I don't want a grid tie inverter, but have excess power now that's it's summer. My batteries are getting charged into the high 13 volt range. Is there a simple way to run a full size refrigerator or AC from a combination of excess power and makeup from the grid? I rent the apartment, so it needs to be plug in, not wired at the panel, which is in a shared utility/wash room.
My electric bill last month was only $15 anyway, so it's hard to justify spending much money. I have piped gas for cooking and hot water.
I did the setup shown in my account bio link http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj62/dnix71/ because I was without power for almost a month after hurricane Wilma. There is still unrepaired damage to the distribution system here in south Florida, so even a 'weak' storm will probably crash things again.
There is a place in Miami that sells cosmetic blem 60 watt PV panels from Germany for $3.34/watt. If I have a plugin hybrid, it would be worth getting some more panels and running the window ac all day for comfort. I have ordered an electric hybrid bicycle from WalMart to commute. That can be charged directly from the battery setup I already have. Gas costs me about $8 a day now, so the bike will be paid for by the end of the summer, even if I get an extra battery pack to swap out.