Rural AZ

>"my power company wouldn't let me use grid-tied solar without it being permitted." ?

Nah they didn't give a shit what I connected it to. I literally stubbed a 200 amp service entrance on vacant land then just went wild connecting it to whatever I like. I shot the shit with their engineer when they ran secondary off the power pole and that was it, I've never seen them again.

> no government inspectors are coming by anyway, then it doesn't matter.

I don't know for certain but having an unpermitted solar panel visible via satellite would likely trigger a visit.