something solar

Update on my solar upgrade:
The deal fell through on the panels I was promised so I cancelled the order.  So...

I have gotten a lot of questions over the years from folks about what they need to take their house "off the grid".  That is always a tough question because most people don't realize it means a change in lifestyle unless they are willing to spend a small fortune.  So today I decided to tackle the issue by proposing a system to take just a home office off the grid.  I am going to experiment with this exact system (which will ultimately be used for my airstream trailer) to see how it actually performs.  I am sourcing everything that anyone could get right now if they wanted to.  The goal is to keep it under $1000.00.  This is all off the shelf stuff that doesn't require bulk buying and includes free shipping (except for the batteries).  Tax, some wiring, and odds'n'ends will add to the total cost.  This is just my best guess for now so until I try it out for myself - buyer beware!  I plan on ordering everything next week and will document additional costs and how I put it all together.

Solar panels x 4 = $521.56: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Poly-72cells-100-Watts-100-Watt-Solar-Panel-Off-Grid-12-Volt-12V-RV-Boat-/271313478269?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f2b8b227d

Charge controller x 1 = $42.99: http://www.ebay.com/itm/30A-PWM-Solar-Charge-Controller-LCD-Display-Solar-Panel-Regulator-12V-24V-/300969734928?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item461331b310

Inverter x 1 = $117.12: http://www.amazon.com/Whistler-Pro-1600W-Watt-Power-Inverter/dp/B003R7AJ4K/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1385166595&sr=8-5&keywords=inverter

Lighting x 1 = $7.93: http://www.amazon.com/Generic-Waterproof-Flexible-Adhesive-Lighting/dp/B005EHHLD8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1385166945&sr=8-4&keywords=white+led+lighting

Batteries x 3 = $254.97: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Duralast-Marine-battery/_/N-25t6?itemIdentifier=315062_0_0_

Book x 1 = $16.17: http://www.amazon.com/Photovoltaic-Design-Installation-For-Dummies/dp/047059893X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1385168642&sr=8-2&keywords=solar+power+for+dummies

Total: $960.74

(Note about batteries:  I have several friends who swear by their systems that are using deep cycle marine batteries instead of golf cart or specialty solar batteries so I figured this would be the time to put them to the test.  Having an old battery to exchange saves a $15 core charge.)  34,50,50,0,B,.13