Solar Security Camera Calculator
Enter your camera count, type, and operation mode — get solar panel size, battery Ah for 3 cloudy days, charge controller rating, and comparison vs. running a power cable.
How to Use This Calculator
Select camera count and type
Enter the number of cameras you want to power from solar (1-8). Then select the camera type: WiFi battery cameras (5W) are the most solar-friendly — a single 100W panel and small battery can power 1-2 cameras. PoE wired cameras (15W) offer better image quality and reliability. PTZ cameras (30W) are high-power pan/tilt/zoom units for large property surveillance. If you have an NVR/DVR recorder, select that type for its 40W load — this is often the largest single power draw in a wired system.
Choose operation mode and accessories
Motion-activated operation dramatically reduces power consumption — equivalent to about 4 hours of full-power operation per day vs. 24 hours for continuous recording. Add a WiFi router/PoE switch (15W × 24hrs = 360 Wh/day) if your cameras need a local network device. A local NVR recorder adds 960 Wh/day — consider cloud storage or onboard SD cards to eliminate this load in solar-powered systems.
Read the sizing and comparison results
The calculator shows panel count (in 100W increments, typical for security systems), battery Ah for 3 cloudy days, charge controller size, and total system cost. It then compares this to the cost of running a power cable via trenching — the main alternative when grid power is nearby. For remote locations like construction sites or rural properties, solar is almost always the right choice.
The Formula
Security cameras use a 15% standby power estimate during motion-only mode — cameras stay alert and ready to record, drawing minimal power during idle periods. The 3-day battery provides cloudy-day autonomy appropriate for most US locations. In Seattle or the Pacific Northwest, consider sizing for 5+ cloudy days.
Example
Carlos — 4-camera driveway and perimeter system in Dallas
Carlos wants to add security cameras to his 1-acre property with a long driveway. Running power cable would require 150 feet of trenching. He's comparing solar vs. trenching for a 4-camera WiFi system with a router.
Result
Carlos's solar system costs roughly the same as minimum trenching cost — and trenching also requires electrical permits and ongoing electricity cost. Solar wins for the driveway-end cameras. He chooses solar with a 100Ah LiFePO4 battery (good for ~2.5 days) and uses cloud storage to avoid an NVR.
FAQ
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width="100%" height="700" frameborder="0"
title="Solar Security Camera Calculator"></iframe>