Agree w/ Steve_S ... we are totally off-grid (and never going back), and to everyone's nice lists of what to do & how to do it, I'd add:
- build it yourself ... from ground up (no installers). at that point, it's a piece of cake to swap in/out anything, do work-arounds, etc. Legion of reasons why others won't fix it for you.
- redundant redundancy systems ... it's no fun swapping out little things to big things when stuff fails, but just a few backup options yield many possible solutions.
The multiple separate systems idea above *is* the way we currently lean ... one system drives the main house (big magnum inverter, but just passing it's 5-year warranty period), and a little system (driving internet, computer gear), and finally, a portable system(s) such as a hand-truck 2kw mpp & battery bank (to power other critical loads, while a magnum-like LF inverter is ordered, received, installed).
And ... things just change over time ... diy means you'll roll with the changes.