Solar powered Unifi network setup - including full cost overview

I explain how my solar powered Unifi SolarPoint setup works with a G3 Flex camera, Mesh access point and NanoStation connection.
SolarPoint - Solar Controller: store.ui.com/collections/oper...
Solar Panel: au.renogy.com/renogy-100-watt...
G3 Pro Camera: store.ui.com/collections/unif...
NanoStation AC x2: www.ui.com/airmax/nanostation...
12v battery x2: www.ebay.com.au/itm/Giantz-75...
Blog post: larsklint.com/farm-wifi-off-t...
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:59 Solution Overview
5:30 Architecture and setup
6:05 SolarPoint Firmware
8:50 Cost Overview

[@tylermyers6920]

Great video. I use many different UniFi products, but had NO idea about the SunMax. Glad I can still learn something everyday!

[@LarsKlintTech]

Thanks Tyler. It is a great device, but is starting to show its age. It only supports 24V passive PoE, and supports up to 200W of input. While it isn't officially discontinued from Unifi, it is becoming more and more difficult to find one for sale. I will keep using mine though until it gives up 😁

[@tylermyers6920]

@@LarsKlintTech Yeah, I'm seeing that they're hard to get. I'm already planning another option if I can't get one soon. 24v would be fine, as all my nodes will be UniFi-PoE or WiFi/solar. Best of luck! Thanks again!

[@LarsKlintTech]

@@tylermyers6920 Just make sure your Unifi PoE devices support 24V passive. The newer ones don't.

[@tylermyers6920]

@@LarsKlintTech For sure! My P2P is 24v Passive and I can get a WAP that is as well. Thanks again!

[@ceeling]

This and your website have been so helpful, thank you !

[@LarsKlintTech]

You are so very welcome. Thrilled to hear you got some knowledge out of it 😊

[@aidanbrennan7389]

Interesting walk through of the kit....Good video....Greetings from Ireland 🇮🇪

[@ITB_News]

And a second greeting to you sir from Ireland 😀

[@ramonbs6075]

Awesome explanation! Thanks!

[@MactelecomNetworks]

Older video but this is awesome. I have a client wanting some cameras done in a farm field , this would be a perfect solution. Now only if Ubiquiti continued with the solar lineup

[@LarsKlintTech]

Oh yes, I am with you. I really want a second Solar Point, but can't get one anywhere. It is still going strong btw, I have just added two more panels, as I plugged in the G4 Doorbell too.

[@jonathandilin5301]

Wow this is awesome

[@jonathanthorpe3444]

Thanks Lars, I found this really helpful - including your remarks in your blog regarding the lack of 802.3af support on the SolarPoint device. It's unfortunate because the G3 cameras are on the way out (already difficult to find) and the G4s are all 802.3af only which means it's quite difficult to find a solution as elegant as you've put together. I hope Ubiquiti come out with a new SolarPoint controller, but given it fits bit of a niche, I'm not holding my breath. I did manage to find an alternative to the SolarPoint which does do 802.3af, Passive PoE and has the solar/battery controller (Wi-Tek WI-PS306GF). These are unmanaged, so you don't get the detail and integration of the Ubiquiti, but would serve the same purpose. Unfortunately they aren't in stock anywhere, so my search continues.

[@LarsKlintTech]

Hi Jonathan. Thanks for the kind words 😊 You can use a converter to convert the 24V passive into 802.3af. I am not sure if Unifi makes one, but there are others around. I agree, it isn't as elegant, but it might be the fix you need.

[@paultech9385]

Beautiful! You could also go with the LOCO if you don't need the 2nd port.

[@LarsKlintTech]

Definitely. I use two locos for a different connection on the farm.

[@a-teamIL]

MSFT MVP and Azure Geek, eh? Love it. Nice setup, too. Very informative.

[@LarsKlintTech]

Thanks mate. Yep, still Azure geek and MVP. Also, llamas. 🦙

[@Nick11625]

Hi Lars! To get 802.3af you could use an AF-Instant adapter :)

[@LarsKlintTech]

Yes, I have since discovered this as well. Tempted to give it a go.

[@rehanmahmood]

You’re incredible. It’s very rare to find a network engineer that has built a solution for a non-commercial farm. I’m doing a case study on this for a small farm in the U.S. and have the same requirements that you built for (more weather situations to design for though). Curious why you chose the 75Ah batteries and not the 100Ah considering the rest of your investment? I see a lot more promotion of 100Ah batteries for most DIY solar projects and they seem almost the same price in the U.S. market versus the Australian market. Thanks for any pointers!

[@LarsKlintTech]

Hi Rehan. Thanks for the kind words. Really happy you can get some value out of this. I chose 75Ah for a few reasons. Main reason was price vs. use. I did a bunch of calculations on usage, and the 75Ah setup was more than I needed, and the 100Ah was much more expensive at the time of purchase. I have maybe 2-3 days a year where the battery depletes its charge during the evening, so I was pretty close. Having said that I am about to add a Unifi G4 doorbell to it, as well as an automatic gate opener, so I will probably add another 2x75Ah batteries in a parallel setup, or upgrade to 100Ah.

[@henrye718]

don't think it matters since the charge rate is only 7amps max. this only designed to run a system with smaller batteries.

[@JamesMeikleAustralia]

Just discovered your site and video (also from Australia) regarding your v2 comment (and I agree!), it's a bit of a hack but you could always use that interface you were going to use for the gate for something that converts to the POE you want.

[@LarsKlintTech]

Thanks James 😊 I am not sure I am following. What am I converting to what?

[@JamesMeikleAustralia]

​@@LarsKlintTech no worries, we have a solar cctv cam that i am looking to convert to unifi at some stage. I want to use more modern devices. On paper the TP-xx-48DX2 from Digikey or similar injector can take from SunMax 24VDC and run two POE 802.3af devices with data in. If two isn't enough (is for me) a Unifi Flex will run on 802.3af PoE in. The injector doesn't seem to be waterproof so there's that - might need a box unfortunately. So I'm sort of wondering if in the interim i can hack this up and get what i want - as I don't have contacts in Unifi to ask if there is a SunMax V2 coming anytime soon. But as I was thinking of this thought I would mention it as you may just need the one device to do the same.

[@LarsKlintTech]

@@JamesMeikleAustralia Ah right. I see what you mean. First of all, I doubt there is a SunMax V2 coming any time soon if at all. There just doesn't seem to be the market for it, although it is a brilliant device. It could be interesting trying out some of the other PoE injectors though, although I am dubious of getting 48v to run for any length of time without beefing up the batteries. I do use a Unifi Flex switch as well in a different place, but it does require a 50W 1.2A PoE adaptor. That is a lot of power to suck out of the SunMax 24V DC port.

[@JamesMeikleAustralia]

@@LarsKlintTech I setup that Solarpoint last weekend with that 802.3af connected for the g4 pro everything works but I do have large batteries and will probably get to upgrading the panel!

[@LarsKlintTech]

@@JamesMeikleAustralia You did? How? How did you get 24V from the SolarPoint to work with 48V needed in the G4 Pro?

[@oxylus7223]

Hey mate, I have a very similar situation with a gate about 150m away from the house (regional NSW). I think this can be adapted to use a G4 Doorbell off the passive PoE. Will be giving it a go soon. I was planning to use a bog standard MPPT charge controller and Inverter, but using the Ubiquiti charge controller seems to give a lot more control. Thanks for the pointers!

[@LarsKlintTech]

Interesting. I am a couple of months away from doing the G4 doorbell install too. I was planning on using the 24V DC output from the SolarPoint and converting to AC somehow.

[@oxylus7223]

@@LarsKlintTech you don’t actually need to convert to AC, it can run off 24v DC off the passive PoE or the 24v DC out. Check around the forums or KZbin, there are a couple of guides.

[@LarsKlintTech]

@@oxylus7223 Awesome! Thanks for the heads up mate. That is really useful and much easier to install then.

[@jk55.]

👍

[@seansalmon6811]

Lars this is great thank you! I have a solar powered gate and was thinking of putting in a SolarPoint + Nano bridge to put a camera and access point down there too. I didn’t realize the SolarPoint has a 24 V dc output already. I am thinking I could run the PV wires into the SolarPoint and then connect the 24 v DC to the gate controller. Probably need back up batteries for both so I don’t lock my self out. Have you connected up your gate yet?

[@LarsKlintTech]

Yes, that could work I reckon. That is similar to what I am doing, but no, I haven't finished yet. The hold up has been material shortages and getting certain parts fabricated. I am on the home stretch though. A video of the whole setup and system is in the works too 😊

[@tjmfs1981]

Great video. Where in Australia are you? Im guessing Victoria? Where do you get your Ubiquiti gear from?

[@LarsKlintTech]

Thanks for watching Tristan. Yep, I am in the Victorian High Country. I get it from various places. Ebay, Kogan, UBWH, and Ubiquiti send devices too.

[@hoosierwifiguy7001]

Hi Lars, I'm working with a client now that needs a camera far away from their existing UniFi setup. I feel confident with the network setup (already setup about 100 Nanostation PTP bridges) but I am apprehensive about the PV Panel Terminals as I am not familiar with that kind of cabling (learning about it now). Do you have any advice to give on the PV Panel connectors and if Male or Female MC4 or H4 connectors are needed to plug into the Ubiquiti Solar Charge Controller? I just subscribed and am glad I found your channel as it is very well done! Much thanks, John

[@LarsKlintTech]

Hi John. Welcome and thanks for joining my little community 😊 The SolarPoint takes H4 connectors on both sides. The panel I bought to plug into it has already the H4 connectors attached. It should come with one side being female and one side male, so it just plugs into the SolarPoint and you can't really go wrong.

[@frommidlandstomudgee175]

Hi Lars, thanks for all the great videos and the tour of your property. I am trying to set up something similar to this but am having trouble working out what cables I need to run between the batteries and the SolarPoint from the video. I assume they cannot be wider than the notch in the case which rules out things like AWG 10 size cables. Would you have any details on what you used please, thanks again

[@LarsKlintTech]

Thanks for the watch and kind comment 😊 Because it is 24V with low amperage, you don't need very heavy duty cables. We used some standard low voltage electrical wire, which you can see at 3:20 as well. The roll has a label on it that says "T1-3 CAM1-3-30 16G 16/0-32" I hope that helps.

[@frommidlandstomudgee175]

@@LarsKlintTech thank you

[@PatrickLinley1]

Great video! I don't see a link to which mesh AP you used in your list, or at the end of the video? Also, why are you using the NanoStation AC instead of the Loco which uses a little less power? Did you need the second port? I am in the process of setting up the SolarPoint, but with it being only 24v Passive, I can't find a simple list of all Unifi products that are compatible. I'm going from a house, to a pole around 200m away with the panel, controller, etc. I was hoping to broadcast Wi-Fi as far as possible from there with an AP, but 24v passive devices are going to be fairly limited, aren't they? I'd also like to have the option to shoot it another 200m to a second pole with an AP there as well. The second pole MAY be able to receive a signal from the house as well, but not sure if it will have line-of-sight... so may need to link it from the 1st pole with another set of NanoStations.... would the NanoStation AC (or Loco) at the house work to go to both poles (point to multipoint) if it has line-of-sight? Does the SolarPoint require 24v, or will a single 12v battery work? Thanks!

[@LarsKlintTech]

Hi Patrick. Thanks so much for your feedback and ideas. I use the NanoStation AC mainly because that was what I got before I knew about the Loco, and also because UBNT sent a couple to me to test out. The AP I am using is the store.ui.com/products/unifi-ac-mesh-ap which is older, but super reliable and 24V compatible. I get at least 100 meter range in a straight line to my nearby creek, so that is not terrible. Point-to-multipoint should be possible, but I tried and couldn't get it to work. I messed it all up and had to reset my 8 NanoStations to get back to PtP setup. I might try again, but not sure. The distance is no problem though, and a few trees in the way hasn't made a difference in my setup. The SolarPoint is 24V only. Two serialised 12V batteries do it easily though.

[@ITB_News]

Great stuff Lars as usual....I wonder if I could power my home office.....2 laptops, 50" TV and Xbox Series X.....then again its Ireland....not much sun

[@LarsKlintTech]

Of course you can. This video is more aimed at how to power your network and extend wifi reange, but you can set up a system to power almost any device.

[@ITB_News]

@@LarsKlintTech Yeah that's true...bigger or more panels for countries with less sun I guess....perhaps something for the new house

[@t3l3c0mman1]

@@ITB_News Does Ireland have plenty of wind power? If so, you could do a hybrid system (wind & solar) - just a thought.

[@chrismb0684]

I thought the UAP-AC-M that you have mounted there supports mesh? Why didn’t you use the mesh technology to connect to your other ones at the house instead of the nano? Did it just not reach?

[@LarsKlintTech]

Yes, and it is indeed part of my farm mesh Wifi network. Are you referring to the wireless uplink? In that case, it is just a bit too far away (~90 meters) to get a constant stable signal.

[@x7ltda198]

hello, great video, I have the solar switch, which is very similar, but I have the doubt of how many amps I could install at most... greetings

[@LarsKlintTech]

Thanks 😊 What are you wanting to do? The solar switch only does passive 24V PoE, so if your device support this, you should be okay.

[@x7ltda198]

@@LarsKlintTech dear i want to install 4 rocket m5, i am working with them, the problem is that i need to store more energy, put higher amperage batteries, i see that you put 2 batteries of 75 amp, how has it worked??? i do not want to damage the equipment, I would like to install 2 batteries of 12 volts 175 amp, greetings

[@LarsKlintTech]

@@x7ltda198 There is a difference between "amps" and "amp hours". The first is used to measure how much current, the second is to measure energy volume. My batteries are 12 volts each with 75 amp hours of capacity. The amps being used depends on the devices you connect. The Rocket M5 uses 24V at 8 Watts, which is 0.333 amps, and the Solar Point can handle up to 10 amps. So you will be just fine connecting them. I hope that make sense. Electrical specifications and calculations can be confusing 😊

[@x7ltda198]

@@LarsKlintTech estimated I have the 4 rockets connected and my current consumption does not exceed 16 watts, and I wanted to increase the storage capacity, how has it worked with 75 amps?

[@LarsKlintTech]

@@x7ltda198 75 amp hours at 16 watts will last you around 60 hours from full. The real question is how fast you can charge them. I suspect you will need more amp hours, such as 120 or 140 to have a stable system.

[@tylerlee7624]

Where can I find the cables and adapter used for the battery to ubiquiti controller?

[@LarsKlintTech]

They are standard MC4 connectors and cables used for solar panels. I am not sure what adapter you are referring to.

[@ramonbs6075]

How did you calculate that 2x75ah are enough? why not 2x55ah for example or 2x100ha? Thanks

[@LarsKlintTech]

I looked up the wattage of each device (camera, access point, nano station) and did a rough calculation on how much they would draw. I then converted that to amp hours, and scaled up to 3-4 days usage with no charging.

[@alec4672]

Do you need the cloud key to use the solar point? Or do you just need one on the network to use the access points?

[@LarsKlintTech]

Hi Alec. The SolarPoint is part of the UNMS/UISP family, not Unifi, so you can use any other networking equipment with it, including Unifi.

[@alec4672]

@@LarsKlintTech awesome, I've been wanting to install a WiFi repeater on top of a small mountain on my property to relay the internet signal to the back side of my property and this seems like just the ticket. The 24v output that's switchable from the web interface is perfect for me cause I'll need to run a heater on the solar panel during winter every so often I'm thinking. Thanks for the quick reply and great video!!

[@LarsKlintTech]

​@@alec4672 Just bear in mind that you need to get the signal to the SolarPoint as well. I use the NanoStation for this, as it is also a UISP device, but I suspect you can use another point to point connection too. I have a hill I was wanting to put an access point on too, and was considering getting a second setup like this. There are other hurdles though, such as protecting it from the llamas.

[@alec4672]

@@LarsKlintTech I was hoping to use a Bullet M2 in client mode to pick up the current WiFi in the house and have the SolarPoint rebroadcast it on it's built in radio, then in the shed on the other side of the property have another Bullet M2 to pick up the signal broadcasted by the SolarPoint. I believe if I use high enough gain yagis I should be able to receive the signal pretty good.

[@LarsKlintTech]

@@alec4672 I had never even heard of the Bullet M2. Very cool devices. That could work I reckon. NanoStations are directional too, so you could go down that route too? Either way should work afaik 🤔

[@cyberbogan944]

the solar point devices max rating for temp is 50c where I'm moving to it gets almost 50c in the shade in summer shouldn't be any real reason you can make a shroud or a shelter for the solar point device? it doesn't transmit any wireless signal does it the nano-station does all of the transmitting?

[@LarsKlintTech]

At first to set it up it does transmit an "admin wifi", but after you have got it on your network, you can switch it off. In my case, the NanoStation is the sole connection to my main network.

[@cyberbogan944]

​@@LarsKlintTech ok gotcha. cheers for the info

[@LarsKlintTech]

@@cyberbogan944 No worries mate. Any time.

[@reallyMello]

Is the sunmax supported still?

[@LarsKlintTech]

As far as I know, yes. There are still two products listed on the Unifi website, and I haven't heard that it has been discontinued. Having said that I would love to see an upgraded version that can support PoE++ for example.

[@reallyMello]

@@LarsKlintTech I was going to attempt the usw-flex in the outdoor enclosure with their included PoE++ adapter, but need to figure out how best to power the adapter without overcomplicating the setup. I guess I’d need an inverter with a low voltage cut off to protect from overdraining unless I can find an inverter charge controller combined.

[@LarsKlintTech]

@@reallyMello As you might have figured out, it gets complicated really quickly. You definitely need a good solar controller that can manage the panel -> batteries flow. As you say, then it is a matter of knowing when to switch devices off based on voltage. The SolarPoint does all that for you, which is why I went that route.

[@raydzek]

The 24v/48v thing is a major pain in the ___. Having to cobble DC-DC converters together to get things to work cross platform and even within Unifi adds costs and unneeded complexity.

[@LarsKlintTech]

Yes, you are absolutely right. I can see why they do it for the SolarPoint, as it removes complexity for the device, when providing 24V passive PoE.