How do you start sizing solar power for a remote monitoring station?
Measure the average and peak consumption of the final probe, logger and modem configuration at the planned duty cycle. Use daily energy, local seasonal sunlight, conversion losses and required no-sun duration to size the battery and charging system.
- Equipment load
Probe, logger, modem and accessories
- Available charging
Seasonal sunlight and site shading
- Usable reserve
Battery limits and the no-charge period
Freeze the equipment before sizing the power supply
Check the final probe, logger and cellular unit together. A display, cleaning mechanism or extra sensor changes the load even when the monitoring interval stays the same. Measure startup and transmit loads separately from the average. Keep the power calculation with the equipment version so a later substitution triggers another review.
A transparent starting calculation
Daily load energy in Wh equals average watts multiplied by 24 hours. For an illustrative 5 W average load, that is 120 Wh per day. Three days requires 360 Wh of usable battery energy before additional design margins. Nameplate battery capacity must be higher when discharge limits, temperature, ageing and conversion losses are included. Replace the example load and reserve period with measured values for your station.
Design for the site and service plan
Local seasonal solar resource, shading, installation conditions and maintenance affect the result. Confirm charging compatibility and peak current separately from daily energy. If a battery is sourced locally, specify voltage, chemistry, usable capacity and charger compatibility instead of supplying an unverified part number.
- Measure normal, transmit, startup and cleaning loads.
- State the required no-sun period and recovery after it.
- Verify low-voltage behaviour and restart without losing configuration.
- Record who supplies the battery, mounting and electrical protection.
Keep a normal day and a poor-weather day in the calculation
Normal operation and recovery after several low-charge days impose different demands. Include the energy needed to refill the battery while the station continues measuring. Review seasonal shading and the access needed to clean or inspect the panel. A larger battery can delay an energy shortfall without fixing an undersized charging system. Keep assumptions visible so the local site team can confirm them.
Agree what the operator sees as the battery runs low
Check which power values the selected device can report and how often they arrive. If the system reduces uploads or stops measurements at low voltage, document that behaviour and its effect on the data. Test the restart after charging and confirm that the original configuration remains. The station should return with an understandable record of the gap rather than silently joining two periods.
| Question | Review item |
|---|---|
| How long can the station run? | Daily energy and usable battery reserve |
| Will it restart during a transmit burst? | Peak load, voltage and supply path |
| Will winter charging keep up? | Seasonal solar conditions and losses |
| Who supplies the battery? | Local sourcing, compatibility and commissioning scope |
Common questions
Can the same solar kit be used at every site?
Only after checking equipment load, sunlight, shading, temperature and autonomy requirements at each site.
Can we buy the battery locally?
Yes, this can be part of the agreed supply arrangement. We can review minimum specifications and interfaces; the actual locally supplied component still needs verification.
