Application guide · Security & surveillance
Solar CCTV System Price: Camera Pole Power Design
A solar CCTV system price is driven by two things people usually forget: the cameras run 24 hours a day, and the infrared illuminators run all night. A four-camera pole with 6 W IP cameras, a PoE switch and a 4G router draws 24–40 W continuously — 0.6–1.0 kWh a day — which is small in absolute terms but relentless, and it has to be delivered at the top of a pole with no grid and no trench.
Typical pole load
24–40 W continuous
Array
150–400 W
Autonomy
2–3 nights
This page covers how we size solar for camera poles on farms, construction sites, mines and highway verges in South Africa, Nigeria and the Philippines: the load table including IR and PoE losses, three pole kits from a single camera to a four-camera ANPR pole, indicative EXW cost bands, the local climate and certification differences, and the installation details — tilt, battery placement, lightning — that decide whether the camera is still online at 02:00 in the rainy season.
Why solar camera poles go offline
The first cause is PoE budgeting. A camera rated 6 W draws 12.9 W at the port once PoE conversion losses and cable resistance are counted, and an IR-cut camera with eight LEDs draws 12–18 W after dark. Four cameras that "need 24 W" actually pull 45–55 W at night, which is double the design load and empties a correctly sized battery by 03:00.
The second is battery temperature. A sealed box on a pole in Lagos reaches 55 °C at midday, and LFP calendar life roughly halves every 10 °C above 25 °C. Poles that fail in year two almost always have the pack bolted behind the camera, in the sun, with no ventilation.
The third is lightning and surge. A camera pole is the tallest metal object on a farm or a construction site, and the PoE cable is a direct path from the camera to the switch. Without a grounded pole and a surge arrester on both the DC and the PoE side, one storm takes out the camera, the switch and the recorder together.
- ✓PoE conversion and cable losses omitted, so the real night load is double the nameplate
- ✓IR illuminators not counted as a night-only load
- ✓Battery bolted behind the camera in full sun at 55 °C
- ✓No surge protection on the PoE run, so one storm kills camera and switch
- ✓Panel mounted above the cameras, shading the lenses at exactly the wrong hour
Typical camera pole load values
Count the port power, not the camera datasheet. PoE conversion is 85–90% efficient and a 30 m Cat6 run loses another 5–8%, so a 6 W camera is a 7.5–8 W load at the switch, and the switch itself draws 3–5 W.
| Item | Power | Hours | Daily energy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 6 W IP cameras (day) | 24 W | 12 h | 0.29 kWh |
| 4 × cameras with IR on (night) | 48 W | 12 h | 0.58 kWh |
| PoE switch, 8-port | 8 W | 24 h | 0.19 kWh |
| NVR or edge recorder | 15 W | 24 h | 0.36 kWh |
| 4G router and antenna | 10 W | 24 h | 0.24 kWh |
Reference pole: 1.66 kWh a day, 81 W peak at night when all four IR arrays are on. The night peak, not the daily average, is what sets the battery and the DC cable: at 12 V that is 6.8 A, at 25.6 V it is 3.2 A, which is why 25.6 V is worth the extra cost on a 4-camera pole.
Recommended configurations
Three kits covering the poles we ship most. All include an MPPT controller, a 25.6 V or 12.8 V LFP pack and a PoE injector rail; the camera and recorder are customer-supplied in most projects.
| Tier | PV array | Battery | Power electronics | Serves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V1 — 1 camera, 3 m post | 80–100 W | 12.8 V 60 Ah (0.77 kWh) | 12 V MPPT 10 A + PoE injector | 0.35 kWh/day, 2 nights autonomy |
| V2 — 2 cameras, 4 m post | 150 W | 12.8 V 100 Ah (1.28 kWh) | 12 V MPPT 20 A + 4-port PoE | 0.8 kWh/day, 2 nights autonomy |
| V3 — 4 cameras + NVR, 6 m pole | 300–400 W | 25.6 V 200 Ah (5.12 kWh) | 25.6 V MPPT 30 A + 8-port PoE | 1.66 kWh/day, 3 nights autonomy |
Size the array for the worst month, not for the annual average: a 4-camera pole in the Philippine wet season needs 400 W where the same pole in Gauteng needs 300 W. Oversizing the panel by one step is cheaper than discovering the shortfall in the third week of rain.
Indicative cost ranges (USD, EXW Ningbo)
Bands cover the solar side only: modules, pole brackets, MPPT controller, LFP pack, PoE injector and enclosure. Cameras, recorder, pole and installation are excluded and usually procured locally.
| Item | Specification | Indicative range |
|---|---|---|
| V1 kit — 1 camera | 100 W module · 0.77 kWh LFP · 10 A MPPT | USD 260 – 350 |
| V2 kit — 2 cameras | 150 W module · 1.28 kWh LFP · 20 A MPPT | USD 420 – 540 |
| V3 kit — 4 cameras + NVR | 400 W module · 5.12 kWh LFP · 30 A MPPT | USD 1,180 – 1,480 |
| Pole bracket set | Hot-dip galvanised, 60–90 mm pole, 150 km/h | USD 45 – 95 |
| DC + PoE surge arresters | Type 2, 40 kA, IP67 | USD 38 – 70 |
- Indicative EXW ranges for the solar kit; final price depends on module wattage, pack tier and port. Cameras and NVR are usually bought locally to match the client's VMS.
- A 4-camera pole kit at USD 1,180–1,480 replaces a 200 m trench and grid connection that typically costs USD 2,500–6,000 in a rural area.
- Adding a 4G router, SIM and backhaul is USD 120–260 and is often the difference between a camera that records and a camera nobody watches.
All prices on this page are indicative EXW ranges compiled from current container quotations. They are not a binding offer: freight, duties, installation and exchange rates move, and the final price is issued after we receive your load list and delivery port.
Local adaptation: voltage, climate and certification
Camera poles are usually part of a security contract, so the specification follows the client's VMS and the local code rather than a generic export datasheet. These are the four markets we ship to most.
| Market | Grid & code | Climate | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 230 V / 50 Hz; SANS 10142-1 if the pole also carries mains equipment | −5 to 38 °C, hail, Highveld lightning, coastal salt | SANS 10142-1, SANS 60598 if luminaires share the pole |
| Nigeria | 230 V / 50 Hz; NEMSA for public installations | 35–40 °C, harmattan dust on lenses, high lightning | SONCAP, NEMSA for public CCTV contracts |
| Ghana | 230 V / 50 Hz; Energy Commission registration | Humid, 1,800 mm rain, salt spray on the coast | EC registration, IP66 housings |
| Philippines | 220 V / 60 Hz — matters only if the pole carries an AC load | Typhoon 250 km/h, 2,000 mm rain, 85% RH | DOE compliance, IP66/IK10 for public sites |
Installation points that keep the camera online
Budget PoE at the port
Add 15% for PoE conversion and 5–8% for a 30 m cable run, then add the IR load separately. A camera that draws 6 W by day draws 12–18 W with IR on, and that night figure is what sizes the pack.
Use 25.6 V above two cameras
At 12 V a 4-camera night load is 6.8 A, which needs 6 mm² cable up a 6 m pole to stay under 3% drop. At 25.6 V it is 3.2 A and 2.5 mm² is enough — the same copper, half the loss.
Mount the panel below the camera arms
A panel above the cameras shades the lenses at exactly the hour the sun is low and the security risk is highest. Put the array on the south side (north in the southern hemisphere) and below the arms.
Keep the battery out of the sun
A ventilated box at the base of the pole, or a shaded enclosure on the north face. A pack at 55 °C loses half its calendar life; at 35 °C it lasts the eight years the datasheet claims.
Ground the pole and arrest both sides
16 mm² copper to a 1.5 m rod, a Type 2 DC arrester at the controller and a PoE arrester at the switch. A camera pole is the tallest metal object on site and the PoE cable is a direct path to the recorder.
Set a low-bandwidth recording profile
Record at 1080p/12 fps with H.265 and motion triggers, not 4K continuous. The difference is 8 W versus 25 W at the NVR, which is 0.4 kWh a day — a fifth of the pole's entire budget.
Hardware for this scenario
Modules and packs for camera poles. Send the camera count, the PoE budget and the pole height, and we will return a kit with the array, pack and DC cable sized for the night peak.
DLXN-M10-150W module
The panel that fits a 4-camera pole: 150 W at 18 V, 1.0 m², clamped to the pole below the camera arms so it does not shade the lenses.
View specifications →
DLXN-M10-100W module
For single-camera or 2-camera poles on a 3 m post, where 150 W is more sail area than the post can take in a typhoon zone.
View specifications →
DLXN-F2200 25.6 V 200 Ah
5.12 kWh at 25.6 V gives a 4-camera pole three nights of autonomy, and the 25.6 V bus keeps DC cable losses low over the 6–10 m run up the pole.
View specifications →
DLXN-M10-80W module
The right size for a 24 W single-camera pole in a 5.0 peak-sun-hour climate, where a bigger panel only adds wind load.
View specifications →
Market pages and next steps
Frequently asked questions
How much does a solar CCTV system cost?
The solar side of a 4-camera pole with an NVR — 400 W of PV, a 5.12 kWh LFP pack and a 30 A MPPT — is USD 1,180–1,480 EXW. A single-camera 3 m post kit is USD 260–350. Cameras, recorder, pole and installation are usually local: budget another USD 600–1,500 for four cameras and an NVR.
How many watts of solar does a CCTV camera need?
About 80–100 W per camera in a 5.0 peak-sun-hour climate, including the PoE and IR load. A 4-camera pole is 300–400 W. The number that surprises people is the night load: four cameras with IR on draw 48 W, not the 24 W on the datasheet, and that is what the battery must carry for 12 hours.
Can a solar CCTV pole run 24 hours a day?
Yes, if it is sized on the night load and the worst month. A 4-camera pole needs 1.66 kWh a day, a 5.12 kWh pack for three nights of autonomy and 400 W of PV in the wet season. Systems that fail are almost always sized on camera nameplate watts with no IR, PoE or autonomy allowance.
What battery do I need for a solar camera pole?
LiFePO4, sized on the night peak and 2–3 nights of autonomy: 0.77 kWh for one camera, 1.28 kWh for two, 5.12 kWh for four cameras plus an NVR. Do not use lead-acid — a 55 °C pole box destroys it in 18 months, and its usable capacity at that temperature is less than half of nameplate.
How do I stop lightning from destroying the camera?
Ground the pole with 16 mm² copper to a 1.5 m rod, fit a Type 2 DC surge arrester at the controller and a PoE arrester at the switch, and keep the DC and PoE runs separated by 100 mm. A camera pole is the tallest metal object on a farm or site, and the PoE cable is a direct path from the camera to the recorder.
Send the camera and PoE budget
Tell us the camera count, the PoE budget per port, the pole height and the nearest port. We will return a kit sized on the night peak with an autonomy calculation for your worst month.
- Email:
- dlxn@dlxnsolar.com
- Delivery ports:
- Durban · Lagos · Tema · Manila
- Basis:
- EXW Ningbo / CIF
Request a Quote
Share your requirements — our team replies within one business day.