Important Solar Power Technical Information

Solar panels are  only able to generate electricity during the daylight hours.  This means that for at least half of each day, the solar panel is not producing energy for the camera.  Excess energy generated during the day is stored in the battery.  This enables the camera to be used on cloudy days and at night.

The solar panel must have a clear “view” of the sun for most or all of the day—unobstructed by trees, roof gables, chimneys, buildings, and other features of your home and the surrounding landscape. Some potential sites for your solar system may be bright and sunny during certain times of the day, but shaded during other times. Such shading may substantially reduce the amount of electricity that your system will produce and the amount stored in the battery.

The orientation of your solar panel also affects its performance.  In the United States, the sun is always in the southern half of the sky, higher in the summer and lower in the winter.  Usually the best location for the solar panel is a south-facing direction.

Solar panels should be tilted for optimum performance.  A tilt angle (relative to the ground) of 45⁰ is adequate for most US locations.

How Many Sun Hours a Day Do You Get?