2/ the systems when we built houses, the actual cost is a reasonable fraction of the whole cost. There are great neighbouhood power-sharing systems coming out of Europe that could be built into new subdivisions. It’s actually less expensive to set up new homes to be energy independent than it is to connect new homes to the power grid. When you add in both a connection cost plus twenty years of power bills, it costs about twice as much to be connected to the grid as to be off grid.