Charging Your Arlo Camera With A Solar Panel
If you have an Arlo camera either inside or outdoors, I recommend using a solar panel to recharge it. A solar panel will extend the battery life of the Arlo camera.
Arlo sells several solar panels for their different camera models.
Arlo Pro, Pro 2, Go
This solar panel by Arlo operates in temperatures between 32 to 113 degrees, so it won’t be as functional in the wintertime or in freezing temperatures. It includes a 6 ft (1.8 meters) long power cable that plugs into your camera.
You can tilt the panel to be angled towards the sun after you’ve mounted it on your wall. It comes with a screw kit that makes it easy to install.
It’s a 2W/6V solar panel, which isn’t very much, and this is the reason that you would still have to take the camera down to recharge it with heavy use. I have a solution down below if you want to leave it up and not worry about the battery running low.
If you have the rechargeable battery (click to view on Amazon) which has a 17.56 watt-hour battery, it would take about 18 hours of sun to recharge it with the 2W solar panel.
Arlo 2nd Gen Cameras
They also make one for the Essential 2K Outdoor (2nd gen), Essential XL (2nd gen) and Essential Spotlight.
This is a weatherproof 6W panel with a 9.8 ft charging cable.
Arlo Pro Ultra, Ultra 2, Pro 3, Pro 4, Pro 5S
This is a newer model than the old one from 2018.
This is a 4.5W panel with a 9.8 ft charging cable.
Third-Party Option If You Have An Arlo Ultra
There are third-party panels that are directly compatible with a camera like the Arlo Ultra, for example. The Uogw Arlo Ultra Solar Panel has a long 11.5 ft charging cable and an adjustable mount.
DIY Third-Party Panels That Will Keep The Arlo Camera Going Forever
What I recommend doing is getting a solar panel that can recharge the Arlo camera battery fully, and not just extend the battery life.
Here is what you would need (it’s not complicated at all), the links below will take you to Amazon.com.
Newpowa 20W solar panel – A 20W panel like this will output between 5-15 watts, and would recharge the rechargeable battery within a couple of hours. It has pre-drilled mounting holes so you mount it however you would like. The wires are bare so you have a positive and a negative wire, which you’ll connect to the 12V to 5V converter below.
DROK 12V to 5V Converter – This will take the 12V solar panel electricity and convert it into 5V and output it via a QC supported USB port. Just like the solar panel above, it has a positive and negative wire. You can wire them together with a wire nut and/or electrical tape. If it comes with a 1A fuse, I recommend changing it to a 2A.
Wassterstein Weatherproof 16ft Outdoor Cable – This USB extension cable is compatible with the Arlo Pro and Arlo Pro 2. This is the cable that will go from the converter to the camera. It’s 16ft/5m so you can put the solar panel far from the camera if you would like.
Note that you won’t be able to use an extension cable like the Wassterstein if you have the Arlo Pro 3 or Arlo Ultra since they use a magnetic connection. Arlo sells a proprietary USB extension cable that you would have to use (click to view on Amazon).
This DIY solution will create a much more powerful way to keep your Arlo camera charged.
What Way Should My Solar Panel Face To Charge The Arlo Camera The Best?
You should angle the solar panel so it faces the sun straight on around noon. This is when the sun is the strongest and when you’ll generate the most electricity.
Note that you might have to change the angle of the panel during the year since the sun will sit lower on the horizon in the wintertime.
How Does Arlo Solar Panel Work?
It generates electricity which is output through a cable that plugs into the Arlo camera. Solar panels can power all from small electronics like a camera to power entire homes.
Arlo’s solar panel is a weather-resistant panel that has an adjustable mount so you can tilt it towards the sun.
It has to be mounted near the Arlo camera for the 6 ft charging cable to reach.
Let me know down below if you have any questions.
Can I charge two nearby arlo cameras with the same solar panel?
Hey Efren,
Not with the official Arlo solar panels, no.
I have two solar panels, that can be linked together. I am thinking on getting the ario cameras, but want to skip out on their branded panels. Can my current panels be used to power more then one ario camera?
Hi,
I would need some more information about the solar panels. Do you have the specifications, as in amps and volts on them?
I have the 2nd generation cameras. What solar panel works with them?
Hi,
What you need is this model for the 2nd gen cameras.