POWER DOWN

Solar Security Cameras for Power Outages

After a hurricane, the power’s out, the streetlights are dark and half the neighborhood has left. That’s exactly when you want eyes on your property, and exactly when most plug-in cameras go dead.

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Why most cameras fail in an outage

  • Plug-in cameras die the moment the grid goes down.
  • Cloud-only cameras need internet to save footage. No internet, no recording.
  • Battery cameras keep going, but only until the battery runs flat.

What you want is a camera that charges itself from the sun and saves footage locally, so it doesn’t depend on the grid or the internet to keep recording.

Our picks

2K CAMS, 2/4/6 KITS

aosu SolarCam System (aosuBase 2.0)

Solar-powered cameras that record to a base station with 32GB built in (expandable to 1TB). Keeps recording to the base during Wi-Fi outages. No monthly subscription required.

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4K, 360° PAN

aosu SolarCam D1 Max System

4K solar cameras with a detached panel you can aim at the sun. Local storage, no subscription, IP65 weatherproof. Sold in 2, 4 and 6-camera kits.

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4K, BUILT-IN SOLAR

aosu SolarCam P1 Max

4K camera with an integrated solar panel. One unit, nothing to run but the mount.

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The weak link: the base station

Solar cameras power themselves, but most systems record to a base station that plugs into the wall. In an outage, that base station needs power too. The fix is simple: run the base station and your router off a portable power station or a UPS. They draw very little, so even a small unit keeps them running a long time.

Without internet, the aosu SolarCam System keeps recording to its base station during Wi-Fi outages, but you won’t get phone alerts until the internet comes back. Check the footage on the base when you can.

Before hurricane season

  • Mount cameras where they can’t be reached from the ground, and aim the solar panels south for full sun.
  • Put a memory card in the base station so you have room to store footage.
  • Test it: unplug the router and confirm the cameras keep recording.
  • Charge your power station and keep it next to the base station.