Editorial owner: MCL Solar Knowledge Center. Technical scope: Final sizing must be verified against the selected model, site coordinates, climate data, and contract documents. Last updated: July 16, 2026.
Key takeaways:
- A camera system adds continuous energy, communications, storage, cybersecurity, and privacy requirements.
- Size lighting and surveillance loads separately before combining them into the daily energy budget.
- Specify image quality, retention, network availability, and environmental ratings with verifiable model data.
- Do not assume an AI feature, Wi-Fi link, or 100 percent uptime without a defined service architecture and evidence.
Define the operating scenario
Start with the road or public-space lighting requirement, then define the surveillance purpose: live monitoring, event recording, license-plate capture, public Wi-Fi, environmental sensing, or emergency communications. Each function changes energy use and data architecture.
Energy sizing
Calculate the LED load from each dimming period. Add the camera, infrared illumination, modem, switch, storage, sensor, and standby loads according to their actual duty cycles. Use the combined daily load in the battery and photovoltaic formulas, with usable depth of discharge, efficiency, temperature, worst-month solar resource, and recovery charging stated explicitly.
Camera and network specification
| Area | Items to specify |
|---|---|
| Imaging | Resolution, frame rate, lens, field of view, low-light mode, and night illumination |
| Recording | Edge or central storage, codec, retention period, event rules, and overwrite policy |
| Connectivity | 4G/5G, Ethernet, fiber, or Wi-Fi; bandwidth, signal survey, antenna, and data plan |
| Cybersecurity | Unique credentials, encryption, firmware policy, network segmentation, logging, and access control |
| Privacy | Lawful purpose, signage, access authority, retention limits, and masking where required |
| Environment | Operating temperature, surge protection, enclosure rating, corrosion protection, and mounting method |
Ingress protection and installation
Specify the IP rating separately for the luminaire, camera, controller, battery enclosure, connectors, and any junction box. If IP68 is proposed, the report and manufacturer documentation must state the tested immersion depth and duration. IP68 is not a universal requirement for every pole-mounted installation.
Acceptance evidence
- Model-specific datasheets and wiring diagram
- Battery capacity and discharge test method
- Controller charging profile and protection settings
- Camera image samples under the agreed day and night conditions
- Network test at the installation location
- Cybersecurity and account-handover checklist
- Lighting IES or LDT file and project DIALux report
Limitations
Network coverage, privacy law, cybersecurity controls, and recording retention vary by location. Final system architecture must be approved by the project owner and the responsible communications or security team.
Camera integration requires a separate power and responsibility scope
A camera, radio, storage device and night-time infrared illumination can materially change the energy model. Record average and peak power, operating schedule, network availability, data retention, privacy responsibility, cybersecurity maintenance and the behavior during low battery state.
The lighting and surveillance acceptance tests should be separate. A functioning lamp does not prove camera coverage or network performance, and camera operation should not be allowed to consume the battery reserve required for the agreed lighting function unless that priority is explicitly approved.