One of the limitations of conventional relays is that when the batteries are coupled (the relay is in the closed position), it has a power consumption of 0.45A (for an 80A model), this is negligible when the load source is an alternator or a charger as they produce a significant amount of electricity.
The bistable relay is based on a different mode of operation, the relay is set to either the open or closed position, and regardless of the position, the power consumption remains low. The Sterling Bistable Relay consumes 0.5mA or 1000 times less than a conventional relay.
Thanks to its very low power consumption it allows other applications such as:
Recharging a secondary battery bank when the power source is a wind turbine or solar panels.
Protection of batteries against deep discharge (the circuit cuts off as soon as the battery drops below a certain voltage threshold).