Hi Bill,

Peak voltages (positive or negative) of 170 should not harm your equipment. The normal peak voltages from your 115 mains power are around +/- 162 volts so 170 volts peak is only around 4% up on this. The normal mains power supply fluctuations probably exceed this.
In choosing solar panels you need to know the actual output of the panels in a practical installation. This is generally considerably less than the manufacturers stated output so it is important to seek expert advice to achieve a satisfactory result. I don't know about costs in the USA but here in Australia it can be a fairly expensive excercise.

Cheers
Len C.