alt Hacker NewsGrid-tied solar is fragile. If the grid is not nearly-perfect, it won't generate. It will not help society as a whole.
If you personally have battery backup, that helps you personally and you should pay for it, just like you might pay extra to turn up the heat while I keep it lower to save money.
In Canada (or the US) the grid is reliable and so you can ignore when it isn't working. This doesn't apply everywhere in the world