« Back to Glossary Index
Solar harvesting in IoT means fitting a small photovoltaic panel to an asset tracker or sensor so it recharges continuously from ambient sunlight. A container tracker on the roof of a shipping container charges during daylight hours and draws from battery at night. If the panel output exceeds daily consumption, the battery stays topped up indefinitely.
Effective solar deployment depends on panel size, installation angle, and how often the device transmits. A device reporting once per day needs far less panel area than one reporting every minute.
- Best applications – outdoor asset trackers on containers, trailers, rail wagons, and construction plant
- Energy balance – device adjusts reporting frequency based on battery state when solar input is insufficient
- Panel angle – flat horizontal mounting on a container roof is common; angled mounting increases output in northern latitudes
- Operating life – correctly specified solar trackers run without battery replacement for 10+ years in normal conditions