Pretty wide open questions. If you connect to the local utility you have to play by their rules and those rules are influenced in most cases by state regulations. So it would be very handy to know roughly where you are.

In the vast majority of cases, the utilities have come up with a basic way of penalizing folks who do not follow the rules. An old fashioned power meter could run backwards so any solar produced reduced the power bill. This was stone age net metering (I had it long ago legally as the utility regarded solar as a nuisance. For this and other reasons the utilities either had existing meters with "ratchets" that would treat every KWhr going though the meter in either direction as power sold by the utility. That means every hard earned KWhr you generate and is sent to the utility is treated as bought from the utility. So you are penalized for solar connected to the grid. If its legal install permitted by the utility, they end up installing a meter that records power in and power out and their tariffs decide how the generation is treated. If you do not want net metering than you need to configure your existing system to zero export or make sure that you are always buying more power than you are generating. Typical grid connected inverters do not have zero export capability so its likely you need to swap to an All in one inverter that has the brains to be configured for zero export. Note the tech is advancing rapidly and there could be a grid tie inverter with the capability you need out there, I am just not familiar with it.

WIth respect to microinverters they do not inherently make grid tie easier or harder, they are a solution to the Rapid Shutdown (RS) rules and panel level shading. RS is now in effect for panels mounted on occupied dwellings. These rules could be problem with an existing off grid system as any system connected to the grid will need to comply with current code including rapid shutdown. If you have a string based system with central inverter, you would need to upgrade to individual optimizers behind each panel or microinverters behind each panel.

Its up to you on if its worth it. The upfront cost may be significant for marginal payback. Lot to be said to keep the loads separate and skip the hassle of grid tie while trading it off with the hassle of swapping loads when you run out of solar.

Thank you so much for that. It gives me some insight to think about. My local poco is a co-op. So I am a paying member soon to be in good standing. They are very lenient about things. Soon as that meter base is placed, I will be connecting everything myself. Then all they do is follow up with plugging in the meter and flipping the switch.

From what I have read, all they are concerned about is the compliant inverter. Everything else is on my end. If installed properly and the required signs placed, I am good to go. But I have just started reading up on this and not too much information of what companies have the inverter that is UL compliant.

+1 on Peakbagger's info/post.
On your post, reading up is a good first step but it can't hurt to talk.
I'd have a conversation with the head technical person at your coop and take good notes while doing so.
I'd bet there's more to what they require than you think.
What you don't know or assume can hurt you.