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One of the options for powering a Zone Anchor is using solar power. Solar power is particularly useful if the Zone Anchor is located far away from an outlet and running wires is impractical. It is also non-invasive to a property owner’s power supply, but it is expensive, tricky for some to configure, and may not be sufficient in certain weather or seasons based on the location. The Foamspace team has successfully tested powering Zone Anchors in the NYC area with easily accessible solar components. This guide will describe how to replicate that setup.
We recommend solar equipment from Renogy, which we have tested.
⚠️ Note that no additional battery is needed, as the standard Zone Anchor design already has the PB120B1 Lithium Ion battery inside of it.
| Item # | Description | Zone Anchor Qty | Zone Qty (if running all anchors off solar) | Purchase Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renogy 100W 12V Monocrystalline Solar Panel w/ Black frame RSP100D-BK-US* | 1 | 4 | https://a.co/ioQf3eG |
| 2 | Renogy Voyager Weatherproof 20A Charge Controller | 1 | 4 | https://a.co/d/3eHDRYA |
| 3 | Renogy Solar Panel to Charge Controller Adaptor Cables Kit | 1 | 4 | https://a.co/7E8473U |
| 4 | Renogy Waterproof 15A In-Line Fuse | 1 | 4 | https://a.co/d/gZrfrtj |
| 5 | Renogy Panel Flat Surface Mount (optional) | 1 | 4 | https://a.co/brKBF7M |
| 6 | Renogy Panel Pole Mount (optional) | 1 | 4 | https://a.co/d/frLAoT0 |
| 7 | 5A Replaceable Fuses | 1 | Order 1 pack | https://a.co/d/81qPat5 |
| 8 | Custom Controller-to-Anchor power cable | 1 | 4 | (Supplied by Foamspace on request) |
⚠️ *200W of solar panels may be required in winter, depending on location day length and weather.
The solar panel comes [1] comes with cables included, but they are only 2 feet in length. Since this might not be enough to reach your charge controller [2] we will attach the cables from the cable kit [3] to extend their reach. Follow the steps below to configure:
👀 Firstly, take note of which lead coming out of the panel is female and which one is male. The female connector is the *negative *****lead and the male is the positive. This will matter when we connect them to the charge controller [2].
âž–Â Find the female (negative) connector coming out of panel [1] and attach the corresponding extension cable from the kit [3].
âž•Â Take the 20A fuse [4] and attach it to the male (positive) connector and plug the fuse into the panel.
🎛️ The opposite ends of the extension cables are stripped. Those ends will crimp to terminals on the charge controller when we are installing the full setup.
The power cable that connects the charge controller [2] to the Zone Anchor is a custom cable that is provided by the Foamspace team, as long as you notify them that you are planning on using solar power. (It’s the same part as #17 - Cable Assembly, AC-DC 12V Power Cable - in the Assembly Manual and also listed in the Installation Guides; however, the ends are stripped rather than having an electrical adapter and plug.)
⚡ The only setup for this custom power cable [8] is to insert a replaceable fuse [7] into it [8].
As with any solar power installation, pick a spot that gets the most amount of sun per day. Use panel mounts (the Renogy mounts [5] or [6] for example) to tilt your solar panel to angle as close to perpendicular to solar rays as possible. If you have a solar power meter handy you can make sure that your panel’s angle towards the sun is optimal.