Labor costs remain the limiting factor for me. The numbers only work out well if I DIY most of the work, despite being in one of the two or three most expensive electricity markets in the US. Like, the panels could be free and it'd barely change this, the labor's so expensive.
The other discouraging part is that as I understand it it's tricky to build the systems out a little at a time, e.g. start with five panels and no battery, add another five panels and batteries to the mix a few months later, add another ten panels another year later, stuff like that, without ending up with a lot of duplicated equipment and kind of a mess of an installation.
While they're more expensive, microinverters help a lot with having a more flexible install plan a few panels at a time because you just buy one inverter per panel. Also helpful if you have shading issues where a little bit of shade won't ruin a whole string of power generation.
Especially if you're not trying to achieve an off-grid/backup solution, microinverters keep your install and additions simple.
Also, when you start small you don't need or have any use for a battery. Produce less than you consume or be happy with a little bit of waste and you don't need the complexity of a battery.
There are plenty of well planned paths towards a slow accumulation of pieces and features.
The other discouraging part is that as I understand it it's tricky to build the systems out a little at a time, e.g. start with five panels and no battery, add another five panels and batteries to the mix a few months later, add another ten panels another year later, stuff like that, without ending up with a lot of duplicated equipment and kind of a mess of an installation.