DFRobot
DFRobot 10W Outdoor Solar Power Kit with 12V/5V Outputs
· MPN: KIT0210
This compact outdoor solar power kit is made for off-grid monitoring and IoT installations where mains power is not available. It pairs a 10W monocrystalline...
This compact outdoor solar power kit is made for off-grid monitoring and IoT installations where mains power is not available. It pairs a 10W monocrystalline solar panel with a solar power controller to charge lithium batteries and provide regulated 12V and 5V outputs for devices such as Raspberry Pi, Arduino and industrial sensor nodes.
The controller electronics are housed in a sealed waterproof enclosure with mounting lugs, making it suitable for pole, wall or fixture mounting in outdoor projects. The system supports platforms and deployments such as LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, 4G/5G gateways, environmental monitoring, precision agriculture and unattended sensing.
The kit includes the solar power controller, controller mounting lugs, a 10W monocrystalline solar panel, two PG7 waterproof cable glands, a 1m 22AWG 2-conductor cable and a 1m 22AWG 4-conductor cable. DFRobot also provides a product wiki for setup documentation.
Features:
- Dual output voltages: Provides regulated 12V/1A and 5V/1A DC outputs.
- Broad device compatibility: Supports common 5V electronics and higher-powered 12V devices without extra converters.
- Waterproof enclosure: Electronics are housed in a sealed waterproof enclosure with IP-grade protection.
- Plug-and-play setup: Users only need to install three 18650 lithium batteries to begin operation.
- Mountable design: Pre-drilled mounting lugs support installation on poles, walls or outdoor fixtures.
- Efficient solar charging: 10W solar panel can fully charge the batteries in approximately 8 hours under strong sunlight.
- Extended runtime: Solar controller supports the installation of three 18650 lithium batteries for cloudy days or overnight operation.
- Overcharge protection: Integrated charging controller includes overcharge protection.
- Over-discharge prevention: Integrated charging controller includes over-discharge prevention.
- Cell balancing: Integrated charging controller includes cell balancing.
Specifications:
- Solar Power Controller PV Input Voltage: 17–20V
- Solar Power Controller USB Type-C Input: 5V 2A
- Solar Power Controller Charging Current: Up to 0.5A
- Solar Power Controller Charging Cut-Off Voltage: 12.6V
- Solar Power Controller Output Voltage: 12V/1A and 5V/1A
- Solar Power Controller Enclosure Dimensions: 115 × 90 × 35 mm (not including mounting tabs)
- Solar Panel Maximum Output: 10W
- Solar Panel Peak Voltage: 18V
- Solar Panel Peak Current: 0.55A
- Solar Panel Open-Circuit Voltage: 21.6V
- Solar Panel Short-Circuit Current: 0.6A
- Solar Panel Panel Dimensions: 210 × 310 × 17 mm
Ideal for compact weather stations, soil moisture monitoring, outdoor water quality sensing, smart gardens and remote infrastructure projects. Visual variations in the solar cells may occur between production runs, but panels are rated to deliver the specified power output.
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- 5G
- A mobile network standard used for high-speed wireless data links. If a project uses a 5G gateway, its power system must be able to supply enough current reliably for outdoor or remote operation.
- cell balancing
- A charging feature that keeps multiple battery cells at similar voltages. This matters in battery packs because unbalanced cells can reduce runtime, shorten battery life, or create safety problems.
- IoT
- Short for Internet of Things, meaning physical devices that connect to networks or the internet to send data or be controlled remotely. It matters if you want projects such as connected sensors, remote controls or classroom data-logging activities.
- monocrystalline solar panel
- A solar panel made from single-crystal silicon cells, commonly used where good efficiency is needed in a compact panel. This matters when estimating how much sunlight and panel area are needed to keep batteries charged.
- NB-IoT
- NB-IoT is a low-power cellular network standard designed for small amounts of data from remote devices. It matters for projects where the controller may need to send sensor readings from places without Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
- open-circuit voltage
- The voltage a solar panel produces when nothing is connected to it. It is important because the controller must be rated to handle this maximum no-load voltage.
- over-discharge prevention
- A battery protection feature that disconnects or limits the load when the battery voltage gets too low. It helps prevent lithium batteries from being damaged during cloudy weather or overnight use.
- overcharge protection
- A battery safety feature that stops charging when the cells reach their safe maximum voltage. This matters for solar kits because batteries may be connected to a charger for long periods in changing sunlight.
- PV input voltage
- PV stands for photovoltaic, meaning the voltage coming from a solar panel. Matching the panel’s PV voltage range to the controller is important so the charger can operate safely and efficiently.
- short-circuit current
- The maximum current a solar panel can deliver if its output is directly shorted. This rating helps with choosing safe wiring, protection, and a compatible solar charge controller.
- USB Type-C
- A reversible USB connector used for power and data on many modern devices. On this kit it indicates an alternate 5V power input, which may be useful for setup or charging without the solar panel.
