Mobile Surveillance Anywhere: A Tycon Systems® Case Study
Mobile Surveillance Anywhere: A Tycon Systems® Case Study
Mobile surveillance systems need to do more than move from one location to another. Cameras, communications equipment, networking hardware, and the supporting power system all need to operate together at sites where utility power may not be available.
San Diego CCTV Pros faced exactly that challenge with mobile surveillance trailers designed for traffic monitoring, construction oversight, public safety, and other temporary deployments. The trailers needed to support IP cameras and cellular connectivity while remaining completely independent of grid power.
The Challenge: Surveillance Wherever It Is Needed
Temporary surveillance often has to be deployed before electrical infrastructure is available. A construction project may change from month to month. Traffic-monitoring equipment may need to move between locations. Public-safety applications may require cameras to be positioned wherever additional coverage is needed.
San Diego CCTV Pros needed its surveillance trailers to operate independently in those environments. Each deployment had to support multiple pieces of equipment while remaining portable and self-contained.
The documented system needed to support:
- Two IP surveillance cameras
- Cellular modem connectivity
- 24-hour operation
- Off-grid solar generation
- Battery energy storage
- A trailer-based platform that could move between sites
The Camera Is Only Part of the Load
A mobile security system may also need a cellular modem, router, wireless equipment, PoE hardware, recording equipment, heaters, illuminators, or other electronics. Reliable solar sizing should always be based on the complete system load rather than the cameras alone.
The Solution: RemotePro® Off-Grid Solar Power
San Diego CCTV Pros equipped the trailers with Tycon Systems® RemotePro® RPST24-100-280 solar power systems.
The RemotePro® systems supplied the solar generation, battery storage, charging, and power infrastructure needed for the surveillance equipment to operate without an external utility connection.
In the documented configuration, the system powered two IP cameras and a cellular modem, allowing video and communications equipment to remain active while the trailer was deployed.
Why Solar Works Well for Mobile Surveillance
Mobile surveillance creates an unusual infrastructure problem: the equipment needs dependable power, but installing permanent electrical service can undermine the very reason for using a movable platform.
Solar generation allows the energy source to move with the surveillance equipment. Battery storage then supports the load overnight and during periods when solar production is insufficient.
This architecture can be useful for projects where the monitoring location changes over time or where extending utility service to a temporary site would be impractical.
Battery Storage Makes 24-Hour Operation Possible
Solar panels generate energy during daylight, but surveillance equipment may need to operate around the clock. Battery storage is therefore a critical part of the system rather than an optional accessory.
Battery capacity needs to account for the complete daily equipment load, nighttime operation, periods of reduced sunlight, battery chemistry, temperature, system losses, and the amount of autonomy required by the application.
For any new deployment, those requirements should be recalculated rather than assuming the battery and solar configuration used in this case study will automatically fit a different camera system.
Cellular Connectivity Completes the Remote System
Generating electrical power solves only one part of a remote surveillance deployment. The cameras also need a way to communicate with operators away from the site.
The San Diego CCTV Pros configuration included a cellular modem along with the IP cameras. That allowed the mobile platform to combine local off-grid power with remote communications instead of depending on wired network infrastructure at the deployment location.
Cellular routers, modems, wireless radios, switches, and PoE equipment should all be included when calculating the total energy requirement for a remote surveillance system.
Designed Around the Deployment — Not Just the Trailer
The trailer provides mobility, but the power system still needs to be designed around what is mounted on it.
Important design inputs include:
- Number and type of cameras
- Camera power consumption
- IR illuminators, heaters, or other accessories
- Cellular or wireless equipment
- PoE voltage and power requirements
- Operating location and available sunlight
- Required battery autonomy
- Seasonal and environmental conditions
Size a New System for Its Own Equipment
The RPST24-100-280 configuration documented here was selected for this particular surveillance deployment. Adding cameras, communications equipment, lighting, or other loads changes the energy requirement and should trigger a new solar and battery sizing calculation.
The Result: Deployable Off-Grid Surveillance
With the RemotePro® systems installed, San Diego CCTV Pros deployed self-contained surveillance trailers capable of supporting continuous monitoring without requiring external grid connections.
The trailers have been used for transportation and infrastructure monitoring applications, including deployments associated with Departments of Transportation.
The project demonstrates how off-grid solar can solve a specific mobile-security problem: providing electrical power and communications support at locations where the surveillance requirement may be temporary but the equipment still needs to operate around the clock.
Where This Approach Can Be Useful
The same general architecture can be considered for other temporary or movable surveillance applications where permanent utility infrastructure is not practical.
Transportation and Traffic Monitoring
Cameras can be positioned at changing transportation projects, intersections, work zones, or infrastructure sites without waiting for permanent electrical service.
Construction Sites
Surveillance requirements can move as a construction project progresses. A self-contained power platform can move with the area that needs monitoring.
Public Safety
Temporary monitoring may be useful for events, changing public spaces, emergency operations, or other locations where cameras need to be deployed without permanent infrastructure.
Industrial and Utility Sites
Temporary equipment yards, remote infrastructure, utilities, and industrial projects may require surveillance before permanent communications and electrical systems are available.
Parking and Property Monitoring
Mobile systems can also provide additional coverage in parking areas, storage yards, commercial properties, or other sites where monitoring requirements change over time.
RemotePro® or a Complete MobileSolarPro® Platform?
This case study is an important example of the distinction between the two product approaches.
San Diego CCTV Pros already had its own trailer platform and integrated a RemotePro® solar power system into that equipment. For customers who already have the mechanical platform or enclosure, a RemotePro® solution can provide the off-grid solar and battery architecture.
Customers who need the mobile platform itself — including trailer or skid, solar generation, battery storage, mast, power electronics, and equipment integration — can instead begin with MobileSolarPro®.
Explore RemotePro® off-grid solar power systems or explore MobileSolarPro® trailers and skids .
Already Have the Trailer, or Need the Complete Platform?
Already have a trailer, pole, structure, or equipment platform? Start with RemotePro® and design the off-grid power system around the surveillance load.
Need the trailer or skid as part of the solution? Start with MobileSolarPro® for an integrated mobile power platform.
Mobile Surveillance Power FAQs
What equipment did this surveillance trailer power?
The documented San Diego CCTV Pros configuration powered two IP cameras and a cellular modem using a Tycon Systems® RemotePro® RPST24-100-280 solar power system.
Can solar surveillance equipment operate at night?
Yes, when the system includes sufficient battery storage. Solar energy collected during daylight charges the battery bank, and stored energy supports the equipment when solar generation is unavailable.
Can additional cameras be added?
Additional equipment may be possible, but the complete load should be recalculated before changing the configuration. More cameras or communications equipment can require additional solar generation, battery capacity, or power-conversion hardware.
How does a mobile surveillance trailer connect to the internet?
This deployment used a cellular modem. Other projects may use cellular routers, wireless bridges, point-to-point links, or other communications methods depending on the site.
Does RemotePro® include the surveillance trailer?
No. In this case, RemotePro® supplied the off-grid power solution integrated with San Diego CCTV Pros' own trailer platform. Customers needing a complete Tycon® mobile trailer or skid should explore MobileSolarPro®.
How should a new mobile surveillance system be sized?
Begin with every powered device, its voltage and wattage, daily operating time, installation location, available sunlight, required battery autonomy, communications equipment, and environmental conditions.
Start With the Cameras, Communications Equipment and Site
Tycon Systems® can help match surveillance equipment, PoE requirements, communications hardware, solar generation, battery storage, mounting, and environmental conditions to a remote or mobile deployment.
Request a System Design → Explore MobileSolarPro®