I know there is a ton of information on this site, but I still would like some guidance to help me avoid costly mistakes,
Welcome to the DIY Solar Forum, we are all here to share and help, and occationally make a few jokes, don't take any of it too seriously.
We can help you avoid mistakes, but it may mean doing some homework, and listening to things you don't like to hear. just so you know!
and be able to purchase quality, tried and true parts for my project.
In solar, you generally get what you pay for. but there are some crappy products with great marketing ...beware.
Starting with buying instead of starting with research and asking the knowledgeable members here was likely your first mistake. But don't worry we all made mistakes somewhere along the line in going solar, I did too. consider it a learning experience.
I have a small ranch home 2200 sq. ft. (1100sqft. basement, 1100sq ft. topside). My home has a 200Amp 120/240 power system with a Generac 24K emergency generator.
Great information to set the stage, but not enough detail - do you have a year of electrical utility bills that would inform you (and us) of you typical electrical consumption per day per month per season. This is a good start to what every memeber on here will tell you to start with - and energy audit.
If you are planning any significant changes from the loads your utility bills were powering, you need to add those new loads to the calculation - there is a handy spreadsheet in the resources section. ie if you want to add an EV this is a big load, and you need to know how much additional power this will take over your utility bill information.
You have a 24kW back up genny - good to know, it can be helpful during poor periods of PV (solar).
Which leads to the very next thing you will want to find out - go to PVWatts online - and plug in you location, pick a 1kW PV array size and plug in your latitude as the PV angle - see what PV Watts spits out per kW of PV panels. record this information, especially the worst months like Dec Jan.
I would like to start with building a 24-volt solar generator
Stop right there - why 24 volt?
typically the members here will suggest 12v 1-2kW output, 24v 2-3 kw output and 48v for everything above 3kW output - might want to reconsider.
that will provide a minimum of 5kw continuous,
are you sure? 5kW continuous x 10 hours per day is 50kWh per day, the average N.American home is typically 30 or so.
Maybe you need this, or maybe your thinking of things like A/C loads but those don't run in winter. Just check your real peak load, and daily average total power requirement, per season, then plan around the information. Solar and A/C work well together since hot summers and long solar days occur together.
with at least 7kw surge capability, and provide this power for at least 10 hours before recharging.
see above.
Now, I live in NE Pennsylvania, at 1100ft above sea level, in the woods, on the side of a large foothill. My home faces North/South and my southern roof has sunshine all day, and my north roof in the afternoon until dusk.
If you put PV on the roof of your home, there are NEC requirements that come into play. These include Automatic Shutdown, and Arc Fault detection and disconnection. Some solar equipment is designed with these two features integrated into them, and others are not. Many members on the DIY forum chose to mount solar PV on ground mounts instead of their roof, in part to avoid the need for ASD and AFDD, best to know in advance and plan accordingly.
I have purchased 2ea. Dakota Lithium Pos-4 12V 200 Amp Hr. 2400 WH batteries to start. All responses will be appreciated, and thanks for your time!
Gatorhead
It is typically not a great idea to use 12v batteries for 24 and 48v systems. You may want to reconsider what batteries you use for your system and repurpose those Dakota's for another project like an RV or mobile set up. Or just return or sell them. Yeah, I warned you there may be advice you will not want to hear, but it is honest advice none the less.
….. 
