Size an Off-Grid Solar Power System for CCTV in Malaysia

An off-grid solar power system for CCTV cameras must be sized from the site’s total daily energy use—not simply by counting cameras. Add the wattage of every camera, PoE switch, wireless bridge, router and accessory; multiply by operating hours; then allow for charging losses, solar variation and the number of cloudy days the site must ride through.

For Malaysian outdoor sites, the main sizing challenge is not usually the camera alone. Continuous network equipment, shaded panels, wet-season cloud cover, high enclosure temperatures and long cable runs can all change the real energy requirement. Start with watt-hours per day, then use the solar resource and battery autonomy target to select a suitable system.

Inventory the full site load

List every device that will draw power from the solar system. A camera’s advertised maximum power is only part of the calculation. The system also needs to power the network path that carries video back to the recorder or monitoring centre.

A typical remote CCTV site may include:

Fixed or PTZ IP cameras
Infrared illuminators or built-in IR LEDs
A PoE switch, PoE injector or DC distribution device
Wireless CPE bridge or point-to-point radio
4G/5G router, modem or gateway
Network video recorder, if installed locally
Access-control equipment, sensors or alarms
Cooling fans, cabinet lights or other enclosure accessories
DC-DC converters, if devices require a different voltage

Use the actual operating power where possible. A camera may consume little power in daylight but draw more at night when infrared LEDs, heaters or a PTZ motor operate. A PoE switch’s own consumption must also be included separately from the power it supplies to cameras.

Make a load schedule

Build a simple table before selecting any panel or battery.

Device	Quantity	Operating power	Hours per day	Daily energy
Fixed IP camera	2	6W each	24	288Wh
PTZ camera	1	12W average	24	288Wh
PoE switch	1	8W	24	192Wh
Wireless bridge	1	6W	24	144Wh
Estimated total				912Wh/day

The calculation is:

Daily energy (Wh) = Power (W) × Operating hours (h)

For equipment operating around the clock, multiply by 24. For example, a 7W camera running continuously uses:

7W × 24 hours = 168Wh per day

Where the real load changes over the day, use separate figures. For example, calculate a camera’s daytime consumption for 12 hours and its higher night-time consumption for another 12 hours.

Measure where practical

For an existing installation, measure DC load with a suitable meter or read the actual consumption from the equipment specification. Do not assume all cameras with the same PoE class consume the same amount of energy.

For a new design, use the highest credible operating load for critical equipment. This is particularly important for:

PTZ cameras moving frequently
Cameras with IR illumination enabled overnight
Multi-sensor or AI cameras with higher processing demand
Wireless links transmitting over long distances
PoE switches carrying several ports at high load

Also consider voltage. A 12V DC device is not automatically compatible with every 12.8V battery-based solar setup. Confirm the allowed input-voltage range, connector type, polarity, fuse arrangement and any DC conversion requirement.

Convert load into daily energy

Once every load is listed, total the watt-hours needed per day. This number is the foundation for both panel and battery sizing.

Use this basic formula:

Total daily load = sum of all device watt-hours per day

If the surveillance site consumes 912Wh per day, the battery and panel arrangement must support more than 912Wh because energy is lost during charging, battery cycling, voltage conversion and distribution.

A useful early-stage planning equation is:

Required solar energy = Daily load ÷ overall system efficiency

For example, if a 912Wh daily load is planned with an assumed 70% overall efficiency:

912Wh ÷ 0.70 = 1,303Wh of solar energy required per day

The 70% figure is an illustrative planning allowance, not a fixed value for every installation. Actual results depend on the controller, wiring, battery behaviour, DC conversion, temperature, panel orientation, soiling and load profile.

Do not overlook night-time consumption

CCTV systems often use the most energy when there is no solar generation. Cameras may switch on IR LEDs at dusk, while the wireless link and PoE equipment continue operating throughout the night.

This means the battery is not merely backup storage. It is the primary source of power every evening and early morning. A design that only matches average daytime solar generation can still fail overnight if the battery is too small.

Account for solar resource and losses

Solar panel wattage is not the same as daily solar energy production. A 100W panel does not deliver 100W continuously for a full day. Its output changes with sunlight, panel angle, shading, temperature, cloud cover and contamination on the module surface.

For a preliminary calculation, use:

Panel size (W) = Required solar energy per day (Wh) ÷ Peak sun hours

Peak sun hours are an equivalent measure of usable daily sunlight. They vary by location, season, weather and installation details. In Malaysia, designers should avoid relying on a single optimistic annual-average figure, especially for security sites that cannot tolerate outages during extended rain.

Include a loss allowance

Common system losses may come from:

Battery charging and discharging
MPPT controller operation
DC cable resistance and connectors
DC-DC converters or PoE conversion
Reduced panel output in heat
Dust, leaves, bird droppings and surface staining
Partial shading from trees, poles, parapets or nearby structures
Lower solar input during rainy periods
Battery capacity reduction as equipment ages

For critical CCTV applications, select conservative solar assumptions and include design margin. A camera system in an open, unshaded compound can perform very differently from one mounted below a tree canopy or beside a tall building.

Example panel calculation

Assume a site requires 912Wh/day and a conservative design target calls for 1,303Wh/day from the panel after allowing for losses. If the location and mounting arrangement are designed around 3.5 peak sun hours:

1,303Wh ÷ 3.5h = 372W

This indicates an approximate 372W panel requirement under those planning assumptions. It does not mean a smaller system will never operate, nor does it prove a particular 200W system is unsuitable. It shows why panel sizing must be based on the actual load, site solar conditions and acceptable downtime risk.

A site with lower daily consumption, better sun exposure and a different autonomy requirement may need substantially less capacity. Conversely, a site with several cameras and networking equipment may require a larger custom arrangement than a compact kit.

Choose battery autonomy

Battery autonomy is the period a system can continue powering the CCTV load when solar input is poor or unavailable. It is commonly expressed in days.

For many surveillance projects, consider whether the site needs to operate through:

One normal night only
One cloudy day plus the following night
Several low-sun days during prolonged rainy weather
A maintenance visit delay or temporary panel obstruction

Use this planning formula:

Battery energy required (Wh) = Daily load (Wh) × Autonomy days ÷ usable battery fraction

The usable battery fraction should be selected according to the battery management settings, required service life, temperature conditions and the manufacturer’s documented operating guidance. Do not assume that the full nominal battery capacity should be routinely used.

Autonomy example

A 912Wh/day CCTV site requiring 1.5 days of autonomy needs:

912Wh × 1.5 = 1,368Wh

If the design also retains a battery reserve rather than using all nominal capacity, the required installed battery capacity will be higher than 1,368Wh. This is why a 1,280Wh battery may not provide 1.5 days of autonomy for a 912Wh/day load, even before accounting for conversion losses.

For a smaller 200Wh/day camera-and-radio load, however, the same battery capacity represents a very different autonomy outcome. Always divide the battery energy by the total site load, not by the camera load alone.

Plan for heat and battery location

Malaysia’s ambient heat can affect battery and electronics performance, particularly inside sealed outdoor cabinets exposed to direct afternoon sun. Position the battery and controller in a suitable protected enclosure, provide the installation conditions required by the equipment documentation, and avoid designing with no thermal margin.

The battery should also be matched to the operating voltage and peak-current demand. A modest average load may still have high instantaneous demand when IR turns on, a PTZ moves or a wireless radio starts.

Compare approved 192Wh to 1280Wh kits

The following Maxsol systems are documented capacity examples for comparing solar panel and battery scale. They are not runtime guarantees for an unspecified CCTV load, solar resource or installation environment.

System example	Documented panel	Documented battery	What to assess before selection
CS3015	30W monocrystalline panel	12.8V 15Ah, 192Wh LiFePO4	Very low daily load, short cable runs, realistic solar exposure and overnight energy need
CS6030	60W panel	12.8V 30Ah, 384Wh battery	Small camera or networking load, expected cloudy-day reserve and actual charging time
CS12060	120W panel	12.8V 60Ah, 768Wh battery	Higher daily watt-hours, longer night operation and expansion allowance
CS200100	200W system configuration	12.8V 100Ah, 1280Wh battery	Larger site load, desired autonomy, solar margin and suitability of the full power architecture

The CS3015 30W 192Wh solar system combines a 30W monocrystalline panel, a 12.8V 15Ah 192Wh LiFePO4 battery, an MPPT controller and three DC12V output ports. Its documented capacity can be a starting point for very small DC loads, but a 192Wh nominal battery should not be treated as 192Wh of guaranteed delivered runtime.

For a larger energy budget, review the CS6030 60W 384Wh solar system. Compare its 384Wh battery capacity against the site’s total daily watt-hours, rather than assuming that the 60W panel or 30Ah battery suits a fixed number of cameras.

The CS12060 120W 768Wh solar system provides a documented 120W panel and 12.8V 60Ah 768Wh battery. It may offer more room for a multi-device CCTV node, but the required autonomy and local solar conditions still determine whether that capacity is adequate.

For projects with a greater storage target, the CS200100 200W 1280Wh solar system documents a 200W system configuration with a 12.8V 100Ah 1280Wh battery. It should be evaluated against the complete demand profile, including cameras, networking equipment, conversion losses and reserve requirements.

Use capacity as a comparison, not a camera count

Avoid statements such as “one system supports four cameras” unless the complete load calculation is known. Four low-power fixed cameras may consume less energy than one PTZ camera with strong infrared illumination and a radio backhaul. The panel’s exposure and desired rainy-day reserve may matter more than the number of camera housings.

Validate before purchase

A proper pre-purchase check prevents under-sizing and avoids compatibility issues after installation. Confirm the following points with the equipment documentation and site design.

Electrical compatibility

Camera input voltage and permitted voltage range
PoE standard, voltage and total PoE power budget where PoE is used
DC connector type, polarity and cable size
Peak starting current and night-time IR load
Required fuse, surge protection and earthing arrangement
Whether a DC-DC converter, injector or separate PoE switch is needed

Solar installation conditions

Panel mounting direction, tilt and unshaded exposure
Shading at different times of day, including tree growth
Cable distance between panel, controller, battery and loads
Mounting structure strength and weather exposure
Access for panel cleaning and routine inspection
Risks from theft, impact, animals or vegetation

Site resilience requirements

Minimum autonomy target in days
Acceptable service interruption, if any
Seasonal cloud cover and wet-weather design margin
Future camera, radio or sensor additions
Remote monitoring needs for battery voltage, charging state and load health
Maintenance plan for terminals, seals, wiring and panel cleanliness

Common sizing mistakes

The most common error is sizing only the battery and forgetting whether the panel can recharge it after a cloudy period. The opposite error is fitting a large panel but too little battery to carry the night load.

Other avoidable mistakes include:

Using a camera’s typical daytime wattage for a 24-hour design
Leaving out PoE switch and wireless-link consumption
Treating nominal battery Wh as fully usable energy
Ignoring voltage conversion and cable losses
Mounting panels where partial shade occurs every morning or afternoon
Adding new devices later without revising the energy budget
Choosing battery capacity before defining the required autonomy period

A well-sized off-grid CCTV power system is a balance: enough panel capacity to replenish the battery, enough storage for night and poor weather, and enough margin to handle real-world losses and future load changes.

Practical selection checklist

Before choosing a system, prepare these six figures:

Total continuous load in watts
Total daily energy use in watt-hours
Higher night-time load in watt-hours
Conservative peak sun hours for the actual site
Required battery autonomy in days
Expected future expansion in watts and watt-hours

Then compare the resulting panel and battery requirements with the documented capacity of each system. If the calculation is close to a system’s nominal capacity, do not assume it has sufficient reserve; revisit solar assumptions, losses and autonomy first.

For a practical next step, compare the linked Maxsol models against your camera port count, total load, cable distance, power architecture, site environment and management requirements before making a final specification.