As its name suggests, the solar panel power source in the Swann EVO Wireless Solar is its key point of interest.
Swann
Ahead of the upcoming IFA tech show, Swann, the Australian security camera maker, has released details of its new device, the EVO Wireless Solar. So far, so unexceptional. However, the reason this caught my eye is the word solar in the title — and the solar panel integrated into the top.
Billed as a truly “wirefree” device, the supplied solar power means that this is a security camera that doesn’t require a wired power supply or batteries to operate, requiring just 45 minutes of solar charging to run for all day.
Power to the People’s Devices
Powering our devices is always a challenge. Wired is the most headache-free but requires either planning or a considerable amount of retroactive work, which can be time-consuming, inconvenient and costly.
Built-in or replacement batteries are common, but while they only need to be charged every few months, there’s still effort involved, which increases the chance of them going offline for some time.
Some devices feature Power Over Ethernet (PoE), which is great, but only if you have Ethernet already in place. You might have if you’ve planned it into a build, but if you’re adding it afterwards, it’s the same amount of work as running a regular power cable.
An intriguing solution could be Wi-Charge, which offers true wireless charging via transmitters from the mains that have line of sight to the device. However, that transmitter still needs to be connected to the mains, so for a device attached to the front of a house might not be more convenient than a fully wired solution, and as Wi-Charge integration has yet to hit many consumer devices, it’s still only theoretical.
This is why a solar panel is appealing. For a device with relatively low power requirements, it brings full wireless capabilities, even in countries with less sunlight in the winter months.
Another benefit of Swann’s EVO Wireless Solar and its ilk is that they are truly all-in-one solutions as they use an SD card to store all footage on the device, which you can then review via an app, so you’re not relying on expensive monthly cloud solutions, and Swann says it will supply a 16GB card EVO Wireless Solar. The camera also offers a 2K image sensor, a 120⁰ viewing angle and two-way audio capabilities, so you can hear what’s going on a talk to people.
Power efficiency progress
From a technology perspective the EVO Wireless Solar is not ground-breaking, but for me – that’s the point. Solar-powered devices of this nature aren’t new, the EVO Wireless Solar is a good bellwether of the trend towards sustainable, energy-efficient, and convenient consumer electronics and, as such, should be celebrated.
The steady progress in the development of power-efficient and performant chips and efficient solar panels means that what would have once been an expensive option is now available to all, so consumers have more flexibility and choice to create their own smart home solutions, and that has to be a good thing.
The Swann EVO Wireless Solar is available now from Swann.com for £99.99, USD$129.99, AUD$179.95, and will also soon be available from leading retailers across Britain and Ireland.
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