This system allows you to start using Solar, or any other alternative power as soon as you can, even if you don't have all the Solar panels and Batteries you require. That's because the PentaMetric will automatically activate a Relay when the Batteries State Of Charge (SOC) falls to 85%, causing an Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) to draw power from the Grid until the Batteries have recharged.
In theory, the sooner you can generate your own electricity, the faster you can get off the Grid.
Because what you used to pay, can instead go towards expanding the system.
1 x 260 Watt Winaico WST-260P6 Polycrystalline Solar Panel : $399
Latronics 2-way (40A) Automatic Transfer Switch : $495
Or, (MS5300) at JayCar: $249
Gigavac GX14 shunt : $193
PentaMetric Battery Monitor System (Input unit + Display) : $358.57
Latronics IRM pure sinewave Inverter : $1,000 ?
Combiner box - NHP Electrical Engineering Products - PV 3 string fuse box 20A (SBPVL4F320) : $1,200
42m of MC4 cable : $150 ?
Schneider Electric MPPT 80 600 Solar Charge Controller : $1,599
Total: $5,395.57
Return on investment (Using Solar Power)
48.5c per Kw (West Australia) x (260 wh x 8 hours of sunlight = 2,080 wh) = $1.88 per day
(Each battery supplies 3h of 109.8 wh)
$5,395.57 / $1.88 = 2,870 days (7.8 years)