Short answer
For a solar 4G camera, the panel and battery are chosen according to the camera's daily energy use and the month of the year with the least sunshine; for Şanlıurfa this month is December. For example, a camera that draws 5 watts on average uses about 120 Wh a day, and to cover that in winter you need a panel of around 100 watts and a battery that gives three days of autonomy. For the SIM card, operator coverage is tested at the spot where the camera will be placed, and the data plan is set according to whether recording will be continuous or motion-triggered.
Why is the calculation made for winter?
The panel must be able to charge the battery even in the month with the least sun; a system that is enough in summer can shut down at midnight in December. The Solar Energy Potential Atlas (GEPA) of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources shows the daily global radiation for Şanlıurfa as 6.58 kWh/m² in July and 1.80 kWh/m² in December. In winter the same panel gives roughly less than a third of its summer output.
In the General Directorate of Meteorology's long-term statistics, the average sunshine duration in Şanlıurfa is 12.3 hours a day in July and 4.1 hours in January. The average number of rainy days in January is also above 11. In other words, back-to-back cloudy days can come in winter, and the battery has to get through these days without help from the panel.
Some of the ready-made solar cameras on the market wait in sleep mode and wake up and record only when the motion sensor detects something. They use very little energy and make do with a small panel. On the other hand, they do not record continuously and may miss the first seconds of an event. A camera that runs continuously is powered by a separate panel and battery sized as in the calculation below.
How many watts should the panel be and how many Ah the battery? Sample calculation
The first step of the calculation is to find the daily consumption of the camera, the infrared light and the 4G modem. The figures below are examples; use the power value from your own device's datasheet. Consumption goes up when the night infrared light is on, so to find the average rather than the peak value, add up daytime and nighttime consumption separately.
Panel power is found by dividing daily consumption by the radiation value of that month. The 1.80 kWh/m² value corresponds to the panel running at its rated power for about 1.8 hours a day. A system efficiency of about 0.7 is assumed to cover losses in the charger, cables, dirt and temperature.
Battery capacity is found by multiplying daily consumption by the desired number of days and dividing by the share of the battery that can be safely discharged. For lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries this share is usually high; for lead-acid (gel or AGM) batteries, more than half of the capacity is not used, to preserve life.
- Sample consumption: average 5 W × 24 hours = 120 Wh/day
- Panel: 120 Wh ÷ 1.8 hours ÷ 0.7 ≈ 95 W, so a panel of 100 W or more
- Autonomy: 120 Wh × 3 days = 360 Wh
- LiFePO4 battery (80 percent usable): 360 ÷ 0.8 ÷ 12.8 V ≈ 35 Ah
- Lead-acid battery (50 percent usable): 360 ÷ 0.5 ÷ 12 V = 60 Ah
Expert note: If a ready-made kit states panel and battery values, do this calculation with the camera's consumption. The words “solar powered” on the box do not tell you how many days it will last in December.
Which battery is better in heat and cold?
In the Şanlıurfa summer, a LiFePO4 battery tolerates heat better than a lead-acid battery, but both overheat more than they should in a closed box in the sun. According to MGM data, the average highest temperature in July is 38.8 °C and the highest measured value is 46.8 °C. The inside of a metal box standing in the sun gets even hotter than that. In a lead-acid battery, high temperature shortens life noticeably.
In winter there is the opposite problem. Most lithium battery manufacturers do not allow charging below freezing and leave this protection to the management board (BMS) inside the battery. In Şanlıurfa the average lowest temperature in January is 2.2 °C, but the records also include days that fall below minus 10. Check the charge and discharge temperature range in the battery's datasheet; ask the seller whether the BMS cuts off charging at low temperature.
In practice, the best result comes from putting the battery in a box in the shade that has ventilation holes and does not get direct sun. Placing the box on the north side of the pole or in the shade of the panel makes a difference of a few degrees in summer.
Which direction and at what tilt should the panel be installed?
The panel should face south and be installed fairly steep to catch the winter sun better. Şanlıurfa is at about 37 degrees north latitude. Roof systems that want balanced production all year are usually installed at an angle close to the latitude; a camera panel sized for the winter month can be installed a little steeper than the latitude, for example between 45 and 55 degrees.
A steep angle also gives a second benefit: dust and bird droppings build up on a flat panel, while on a steep panel they wash off more easily with rain. On the Harran Plain, during harvest and dust storm season, it is still necessary to check the panel surface. There should be no tree, pole or the camera's own bracket casting shade in front of the panel; because the winter sun comes in low, shadows grow longer in that season.
How much data does a 4G camera use per month?
Data use depends on the recording method. If the camera records to its own memory card, that recording uses no data; data is used only when watching live, uploading clips to the cloud and sending notifications. The calculation below is an example made with a 2 Mbps stream rate. The real value changes with resolution, compression setting and movement in the scene.
A camera that is triggered by motion and uploads a 20-second clip per event uses about 5 MB per event. With 30 events a day, daily use is 150 MB and monthly use is around 4.5 GB. If the same camera sends video to the cloud without a break, it uses about 900 MB an hour and more than 20 GB a day. This finishes most mobile plans in a few days and also raises energy use because the 4G modem runs all the time.
The most balanced setting for a field or construction site is usually this: recording on the memory card, a notification and short clip when motion is detected, and live viewing only when needed. Watch the line's use in the operator's app for the first month and choose the plan accordingly.
How do you check the SIM card and operator coverage?
Coverage is tested with a phone at the height and spot where the camera will be mounted. A line that works well inside the village can weaken in the middle of the plain or behind a hill. If possible, try different operators' lines at the same spot and run speed tests at different times of day. When the base station gets busy in the evening, upload speed can drop.
Seeing the 4G icon on the phone is not enough; upload speed is what matters, because the camera sends the image up. If the signal is weak, it helps to choose a camera that can connect an external directional 4G antenna. Having the line be a billed or business line prevents the camera from silently dropping off because the credit ran out.
What should you watch for in mounting so the camera and panel are not stolen?
In the field, the panel and battery are targets for thieves as much as the camera. Plan the mounting accordingly. For land without electricity or internet, we described other options such as a wireless bridge and local recording in our field camera article.
- Mount the camera and panel on a pole at a height that cannot be reached without a ladder.
- Use special-head or break-away security bolts on the panel and bracket connections.
- Put the battery in a locked, ventilated box and fix the box to the pole.
- Run the cables through the inside of the pole or through a metal spiral conduit.
- Make sure the memory card slot is covered and screwed shut so it cannot be reached easily.
- Set it up so a notification comes to your phone if the camera shuts down or loses connection.
What should you look at in the first week after installation?
The first week shows whether the calculation holds up in the field. Check the battery's morning charge level in the app; if it starts a little lower each morning, the panel or battery is too small. Watch a night recording from start to finish and check that the infrared image is clear and the recording is not interrupted.
If you do the installation in autumn, repeat this check several times until December. Desa Bilişim inspects solar camera points on land, vineyards and construction sites in and around Şanlıurfa on site and chooses the panel, battery and connection based on this calculation.
Frequently asked
Does a solar camera work in cloudy winter weather?
It works if the battery is sized correctly. On cloudy days the panel charges little and the camera runs from the battery. The three days of autonomy in the sample calculation are included for this reason; if it shuts down often in winter, the panel or battery is too small.
Which operator is better for a camera with a SIM card?
There is no general answer; it depends on the spot where the camera will be installed. Run an upload speed test from a phone with different operators' lines at the same spot and choose the line that gives the most consistent result.
Can a solar camera record continuously?
Ready-made sleep-mode cameras usually record only when there is motion. For continuous recording the camera has to stay on all day, which needs a larger panel and battery. Recording to the memory card and sending only the events to the cloud keeps data use low.
Resources
Camera calculation for a remote spot
Tell us where the camera will go and what it needs to see; we will inspect the panel, battery and connection on site and prepare a written quote.
