Hybrid power is generally used in areas with unstable power, using electricity when there is electricity, and using solar energy when there is no electricity. But Edgeware doesn’t think that’s necessarily a good idea for small scale outdoor sites like video surveillance or Wifi hotspots.

First of all, hybrid power for video surveillance site must consider solar system + solar panel. Usually, small scale outdoor sites such as video surveillance or wifi hotspot have unstable power and must be built in remote areas. The cost of transporting heavy solar panels to these areas is then very high. We can’t just look at the investment in the solar system itself, but also the cost of transportation and installation when the site is in a rural area can have a big impact on the installation cost.

Second, the hybrid power for video surveillance site must consider that the battery system should be able to be charged by both mains electricity and solar energy. Although this system is not expensive, the investment ratio is still high compared to small scale outdoor sites such as video surveillance or wifi hotspot.

Third, when we carefully calculate the comparison of investment, we will find that in areas with unstable power, we configure the UPS with a larger capacity than we need, and then configure a larger battery. In this way, the instability of the power network is absorbed by fast charging. The investment and installation and transportation cost of this method are far less than the hybrid power for video surveillance site.

Therefore, we must pay special attention. In many cases, the hybrid power solution suitable for large sites is not necessarily suitable for small scale outdoor sites such as video surveillance or Wifi hotspot.