Quick answer: To install CCTV cameras in places where there is no mains electricity, you need a small off-grid solar system: solar panel + charge controller + lithium battery which supplies 12 V to the IP cameras and a 4G router so you can view them on your mobile. If it’s the right size, it works 24 hours a day, even at night and on several consecutive cloudy days. In this guide, we explain how to work it out step by step and what mistakes to avoid.
Country estates, country cottages, vegetable gardens, building sites, agricultural sheds, car parks or access roads to housing estates: these are places where surveillance is needed and there’s almost never a power socket nearby. These are the real alternatives:
| Option | Advantages | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|
| Solar-powered camera with built-in battery | Inexpensive and easy to fit | It only records when it detects movement, runs out of battery in winter and relies on Wi-Fi or its own SIM card |
| To carry the current from the internet | Unlimited energy | Trenching, cabling and administrative procedures: once you’ve gone beyond a few dozen metres, it usually costs more than a solar kit |
| 12 V off-grid solar kit | Standard IP cameras recording 24 hours a day, night vision, 4G router always connected, expandable | You need to size it correctly and fit the circuit board and watertight housing |
For one or two cameras at a temporary location, a solar-powered battery camera may suffice. To properly monitor a site or a building site, with continuous recording and no unexpected power cuts in winter, the reliable option is the 12 V solar kit.
This is the most important step. Add up the power of everything that will be switched on and multiply it by 24 hours a day:
| Team | Regular consumption | Per day (24 hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed IP camera (with infrared) | 3 to 6 W | 72 to 144 Wh |
| Motorised PTZ camera | 10 to 25 W | 240 to 600 Wh |
| 4G router | 3 to 6 W | 72 to 144 Wh |
| PoE switch (without cameras) | 2 to 5 W | 48 to 120 Wh |
| NVR recorder with hard drive | 6 to 15 W | 144 to 360 Wh |
Check your camera’s technical specifications and use the power consumption figures with the infrared lights on, which is when it uses the most power. If you can’t find this figure, assume 5 W per camera.
The battery needs to last through the night and several consecutive overcast days. For video surveillance, we recommend between 3 and 4 days’ battery life. The formula is simple:
Battery capacity (Wh) = daily consumption × number of days of autonomy ÷ 0.9
The 0.9 is because it is not advisable to completely discharge a lithium battery. Example: 290 Wh/day × 4 days ÷ 0.9 ≈ 1,290 Wh, i.e. a 12.8 V, 100 Ah lithium battery (1.28 kWh).
Here’s the most common mistake: basing your calculations on summer sunshine. In December, a solar panel produces about a third of what it does in July. To ensure your system doesn’t shut down in winter, follow this rule:
Panel power (W) = daily consumption ÷ (peak sunshine hours in winter × 0.75)
In the south-east of the peninsula, you can expect around 3 hours of peak sunshine in December with the panel at a steep angle; in the northern half, between 1.5 and 2.5 hours. Example for 290 Wh/day in Murcia: 290 ÷ (3 × 0.75) ≈ 130 W. With a 190 W panel, you’ll have more than enough and the battery will recharge more quickly after several cloudy days.
Use a regulator MPPT: It gets up to 30 % more out of the panel than a PWM controller, particularly in winter. Choose the size according to the power rating of your 12 V panels (for example, a 75/15 MPPT can handle around 220 W and a 100/30 around 440 W). Always add a fuse between the regulator and the battery, a disconnector to work safely and with a surge protection (the regulator’s load output or a BatteryProtect) so that the cameras switch off before the battery is damaged.
Many people connect a 230 V inverter and plug in the camera transformers. It works, but the inverter itself consumes several watts 24 hours a day, and each transformer loses energy: between 15 and 25 % of the total is lost. By powering the cameras, router and recorder directly from 12 V, you’ll need a smaller power supply and a smaller battery. If your cameras are PoE, use a PoE switch with a 12 V input.
That’s exactly what our Basic solar kit for CCTV cameras.
To save you having to work out the specifications or source components one by one, we have put together three kits featuring Victron equipment that is already configured for video surveillance, with a battery life of around 4 days:
| Kit | For | Plates / battery |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 1–2 cameras + 4G router (up to 12 W) | 190 W / 1.28 kWh |
| Medium | 3–4 cameras + 4G router or recorder (up to 25 W) | 380 W / 2.56 kWh |
| Pro | 6–8 cameras + NVR + PoE switch + 4G router (up to 50 W) | 690 W / 5.12 kWh |
You can see them all in the category solar kits for CCTV cameras. If your situation doesn’t fit, Tell us about it and we’ll put one together for you, tailor-made.
Yes. The power is supplied by a solar kit with a battery, and the connection is provided by a 4G router with a data SIM card. This means you can view the camera and receive alerts on your mobile from anywhere.
An IP camera with a 4G router consumes around 8 to 10 W, or about 200–250 Wh a day. In the south-east of the peninsula, a 150–200 W solar panel with a 100 Ah lithium battery is sufficient; in the north, it is advisable to increase this to around 300 W.
It depends on power consumption and capacity. A 12.8 V, 100 Ah lithium battery can power 12 W for around 4 days without sunlight. With double the capacity, you can power twice as many cameras for the same length of time.
Solar-powered cameras with a built-in battery are cheap, but they only record when they detect movement and tend to run out of power in winter. A solar kit powers standard cameras 24 hours a day, with continuous recording and the router always connected.
Yes. Connect a PoE switch with a 12 V input to the kit’s output, or a PoE injector that boosts the voltage, and add its power consumption to that of the cameras.
Yes, if you base your calculations on December’s production figures and a battery life of 3 or 4 days. That’s why it’s so important not to use summer data for your calculations.
A stand-alone 12 V installation that is not connected to the mains does not require any formalities with the electricity supplier. It must, however, be fitted with the appropriate safety devices and in compliance with the Low Voltage Electrotechnical Regulations.
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