Solar IP Camera – The Convenience of 24/7 Surveillance Without an External Power Source
Unlike traditional IP cameras that need to be connected to a power source, solar ip camera run on sunlight and are ideal for locations where cables can’t reach. This makes them the perfect choice for commercial events and remote sites.
Look for solar-powered cameras that offer Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity for reliable remote access. Consider whether the camera will integrate with your existing smart home ecosystem or supports voice control.
Power Requirements
Solar powered security cameras offer the convenience of 24/7 surveillance without requiring an external power best solar security camera source. This allows for a wide range of applications, such as securing remote gates, oil & gas well sites, parks & recreation areas, border control, and more. They are particularly useful in locations where the installation of a traditional wired power source is impractical or impossible.
Solar cameras use high-grade solar panels (in some cases built into the camera’s exterior) to collect and convert sunlight into DC energy, which is then inverted to AC energy that powers the cameras. The wattage of the solar panel determines how fast the battery can be charged, as well as how long the camera can remain on and recording.
The first step in sizing your solar system is to identify the total power requirements for your cameras and any communication equipment. This can be done by adding the nominal wattage of each device together and referencing the equipment Spec Sheet to find out how much power it draws.
Once you know your total power consumption, you can size the Battery Array, Solar Panel Array, and Charge Controllers accordingly. It’s also important to factor in the Peak Sun Hours for your location. For example, if you live in Zone 1, which receives only 1.4 Peak Sun Hours in December, you would need to size your system appropriately.
Battery Size
A solar security camera with a large battery capacity will enable it to operate continuously without sunlight. It will also enable the camera to remain on standby mode for longer periods. The camera will only be woken up to respond to PIR motion detection events or user access via the app/client.
The battery capacity will also determine the length of time the camera can record non-stop in rainy and cloudy days. For example, the Reolink TrackMix LTE Plus can work for about 2.5 days on continuous recording with event alerts in the standard working mode.
Another factor that can directly affect the lifespan of a solar IP camera is the efficiency of the solar panel. A high-efficiency solar panel converts more sunlight into energy, which means it can charge the camera’s battery more quickly. In addition, regular cleaning of the solar panel can also improve its efficiency and increase its lifespan.
Some solar cameras also integrate with smart home systems, allowing users to view footage from their phones or other devices. This feature can be useful for busy homeowners who don’t want to worry about checking the camera often. However, it’s important to check if the camera is compatible with your existing smart home system before buying.
Solar Panel Array
Solar powered security cameras provide a way to bring surveillance capabilities to locations where providing a wired power source may not be possible. These systems are great for remote sites such as oil & gas well sites, border control, parks & recreation areas, construction sites, ranches, or even shopping mall parking lots.
Sizing your Solar Panel Array starts with knowing how many Peak Sun Hours your area receives on average per day. This can be found on a map like this:
Once you know how many Peak Sun Hours your area gets on average per day, you can start to calculate the size of your solar panel and battery array. To do this simply multiply your daily energy consumption by the number of days you want to be able to operate without help from the sun.
For instance, if you live in Zone 4, which, in December only receives 1.4 Peak Sun Hours, you would need a system that can operate for around 20 hours on a single charge. To determine this you can use a Solar Panel Wattage Calculator or simply refer to the Short Circuit Current (Isc) of your chosen solar panel. You will also need a Solar Charge Controller which is a device that sits between the Solar Panel and your battery array, it regulates the voltage as the current comes in from the solar panel to prevent overcharging or overdischarging.
Solar Charge Controller
The Solar Charge Controller is the brain of the system and determines how much power your Battery will be charged during peak sun hours each day. This is the key factor when determining your Battery size as it must be able to keep up with the demand of your equipment for 24 Hours per Day. Typically, you will find the total nominal wattage used of your equipment on the Camera Spec Sheet and you can add up all your equipment requirements and divide that by your Battery size to come up with a daily requirement in watts.
Other important factors to look at when deciding on the best solar powered security camera include camera resolution, field of view, night vision capabilities and motion activation. You will also want to make sure the security camera supplier camera is compatible with your current Wi-Fi network and that it works well with smart home systems like Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. 4G solar cameras are an option and can upload footage to the cloud so they can be viewed from any location with a mobile phone connection.
If you are considering using a solar powered security camera for your construction site, do the math and figure out if it would be more economical to use a PoE (Power over Ethernet) camera with a long ethernet cable run to it from the router rather than trying to set up a whole new solar power system including a Battery and Solar Panel array. This may save you hundreds of dollars up front and many hours upkeep complexity as well as eliminate the need for a battery and solar charge controller in the first place.
