Solar CCTV lets you watch a remote gateway, yard or field with no mains power and no trenching. A small solar panel charges a battery, the battery runs a low-power camera, and a mobile data connection sends footage and alerts to your phone.

Why farms are using it

Rural crime is still a real cost. NFU Mutual’s 2026 Rural Crime Report put the UK cost at £41.5 million in 2025, with £6.2 million in the South West. Theft of agricultural vehicles, quads and livestock all rose. The NFU recommends CCTV with night vision and remote monitoring, alongside visible signs, motion-sensor lighting and locked gates.

How it works

  1. Solar panel charges the battery during the day.
  2. Battery runs the camera day and night, with enough in reserve for dull spells.
  3. Camera records on motion, with night vision.
  4. 4G connection sends alerts and lets you watch live on your phone.

Size it for winter, not summer

This is where cheap kits fail. In Devon, a solar panel makes only about a quarter as much power in December as in June. Two simple fixes:

  • Angle the panel steeply. Tilting it to around 60° instead of 35° gives roughly 20% more power in December.
  • Size the battery for dull weeks, not just one sunny day.

We size every system so it keeps working through the winter.

Check your signal

Remote viewing needs mobile data. Use Ofcom’s Map Your Mobile to check 4G coverage at your postcode for each network before choosing a SIM.

The rules: data protection

A farm is a business, so if your cameras record people (on a footpath, a road or a neighbour’s land), UK data protection law applies. The ICO says you should:

  • put up clear signs saying who runs the cameras and why, visible before people are recorded,
  • aim cameras at your own property and limit what you capture beyond it,
  • keep footage only as long as you need it for its purpose,
  • think through the risks first (the ICO calls this a DPIA).

Businesses using CCTV to prevent crime usually need to pay the ICO’s annual data protection fee. The ICO has a short checklist for small systems.

Planning permission

A camera fixed to a building usually doesn’t need planning permission, within size limits (and not on listed buildings or in conservation areas). A freestanding pole in a field isn’t covered by the same rules, so check with your council first. We can help with this.

What we do

We design and install solar CCTV for farms across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, sized for winter and set up so you can see everything from your phone. Get a quote → · Farm and off-grid →

Sources

Correct at the time of writing (1 October 2026). This is general guidance, not legal advice.