Solar Powered Security Cameras from LVT

We use solar powered cameras to support your security needs no matter where you are.

Last Updated:
January 24, 2024
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4
min Read
By
Noelle Baldwin
,
Marketing Content Manager
,
LiveView Technologies

Everyone who has spent some time at a planetarium on their fifth-grade field trip can remember the scaled model of the solar system. Earth is represented by a small sphere, Jupiter and Saturn are represented with large balls, and Pluto (sorry when I grew up Pluto was a planet) was a tiny speck. When you get to the sun, it is not modeled by a sphere or a ball, instead it is a massive circle that takes up the entire wall of the three-story building.

The sun is massive. In fact, according to National Geographic the sun is about 864,000 miles wide, 109 times wider than Earth. It releases the equivalent of 384.6 septillion watts per second. (In case you’re wondering, a septillion has 24 zeros.) I’m not a physicist, but that’s a lot of energy.

Solar power is possible because of photovoltaics (PV). PV is the process of converting light into electricity using semiconducting materials. When the light hits the solar panel, it is absorbed by the PV cells inside which creates electrical charges that move in response to an internal electrical field. This causes electricity to flow. I can honestly say that I have no idea what I just wrote. However, thanks to Google and someone smarter than me I found this simple description: Photons hit the solar cell and knock electrons loose from atoms. Or even simpler: light hits the panel and is converted into electricity. Once electricity is produced, it can be captured in a power grid or battery and then used.

The biggest con to relying on solar power happens every night. Obviously, for solar power and panels to work, you need sunlight. Furthermore, the panels can be blocked by bad weather or other obstructions, even during the day. Rain, snow, and even just plain clouds prevent a sufficient amount of light from reaching the panels. Trees, buildings, overpasses, and more can also block the needed sunlight.

Solar power is a great energy source because it is fairly reliable, available daily, and easy to harness with the correct equipment. That’s why at LiveView Technologies (LVT) we use solar powered security cameras. With them we can provide 24/7 surveillance to customers in retail, construction, emergency services, and more.

LVT solar surveillance trailers

Each of our CCTV trailers is equipped with solar panels. The panels rotate so they can always point south (the direction that maximizes sunlight coverage) no matter where you deploy them. Furthermore, our panels fold so they can safely stow during transportation.

Solar power gives us the advantage of mobility. Our trailers can literally go in any environment. However, they don’t rely on solar energy alone. Instead, we engineered them to run off of multiple batteries inside the trailer. The solar panels charge the batteries, not the actual cameras, lights, or speaker. This way the trailers have a reliable power source even when it’s dark outside. This also helps your security run even when the weather is poor or when a snow plow pushes a pile of snow onto the solar panel.  

We make sure your security doesn’t lose power

We know security is important. You can’t afford for it to go dark every night or during every storm. We also know that most LVT Units are deployed miles away from their end user. Sometimes this means they are on the other side of the country. In short, most of our users can’t walk outside during their lunch break to check on the unit. So, to avoid costly and time-consuming trips for you, our units create health reports and are self-healing. The health reports include analytics on the unit’s power. If a unit is regularly low on power, you can see it in a clear, easy to read report. If a unit’s power slowly drifts down until it can no longer run, also known as low voltage disconnect, an alert will be sent to you and to us. Sometimes this means the panel is positioned wrong or that it is damaged. Maybe there is a building or tree blocking the unit. Either way, we will work with you to repair or reposition the unit.

Furthermore, there are situations where there just isn’t enough sunlight. Cities in the northern United States regularly struggle with this. Also, sometimes to get the best visual coverage, we have to put the unit in the shadow of a large building or overpass. In these cases, we deploy units equipped with smart generators. These generators help the unit stay fully charged and require minimal maintenance.

We want your security live 24/7. Your property and security is important to us. That’s why we’ve done our best to create a ruggedized and reliable security option. To learn more, contact us for a free demo.

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