Solar Powered Electric Fencing

Solar Panels

Use solar powered electric fencing to safe time and be good to the environment – get the low down on solar power for electric fencing.

What does a solar panel do?

Basically a solar panel takes sunlight and converts it into power that can be used by an electric fencing energiser.  It does not power the energiser directly – the solar panel feeds

solar powered electric fencing Use a solar panel to trickle feed 12v battery

power to a 12v battery and the energiser converts this power to what it needs to send a zap down the fence line.

Sometimes the best way to explain things is to use an example… so, an energiser during a sunny day of 12 hours will we say consume 100 units of electricity from a battery.  In the meantime the solar panel depending on its size will put back roughly 75% of this energy into the battery.  The 12v battery is being trickle fed by the solar panel and therefore the battery will keep its charge longer before it needs a big boost charge on a conventional charger.

If it is a cloudy day then the solar panel will only replace possibly 40% of the units consumed by the energiser.  So if the weather is particularly bad and overcast attention must be paid to the battery to ensure it is still capable of giving the power that is required of it.

The out come is that the solar panel is an assisting power unit by feeding power into the battery and that efficiency is entirely up to the weather.

What options are available?

Solar Panel Energisers: There are energiser units that have the solar panel that is an integral part of the energiser. They are great units and easy to handle.

The Fire Drake Solar Energiser Range is an example of this type of energiser.  Many solar energisers are relatively low in power and/or utilise solar panels which are inadequate to keep the battery charged.  So to combat these problems Hotline have designed the Fire Drake range of energisers to operate at popular power levels, suitable for a range of applications, with panels carefully matched to replace the energy used while operating.  Bonus!! a battery charger is also included to help keep the battery charged during the winter months.

The Fire Drake 18 Solar Energiser has: solar powered electric fencing - fire drake

  • 7amp/hr 12v internal battery is included
  • 2.5 watt solar panel
  • on/off switch
  • high and low settings
  • low battery/pulse indicator
  • battery charger

Technical Info:

  • Stored Joules - 0.18j
  • Output Joules - 0.15j
  • 2.5 watt solar panel
  • 7 amp/hr 12v battery included
  • Can power up to 1.5km of wire in ideal conditions or 2 sheep nets
  • 3 year warranty.

Solar Assist Energisers: Many battery powered energisers can be paired with a solar panel and stand – creating a ‘solar assist’ system.  There are 5 watt, 10 watt and 20 watt solar panels available. The level at which the panel will extend the life of a battery is dependent on the power of the energiser and available sunlight.  The stronger the energiser the more quickly it will draw power from the battery and the less time the panel has to replace the charge.  The ability of the panel to produce and replace the energy used by your energiser is indicated by the watt capacity of the panel, so a 10 watt panel will replace the charge quicker than a 5 watt panel.  However, please do not be misled by size; a 20 watt panel will not benefit a small energiser.

Many of Hotline’s 12v battery energisers can be matched to solar panels which creates the ‘solar assist’ system:

Last thoughts:

  • solar panels are time saving
  • they are effective at replacing power in to a 12v battery
  • the battery must not be ignored – it will still need to be charged if the weather has been overcast
  • check your fence on a regular basis with a tester
  • attaching a solar panel system on an old battery is not advisable
  • ALL Hotline energisers have a 3 year warranty

We always say it … but we really mean it – we love talking electric fencing!  Please contact us if you have any questions about solar powered electric fencing or are not sure what you need:

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