Remote monitoring station

The system:

A near by town needed a way to power a remote monitoring station. This station measures the amount of water that flows out from the Welland canal and into one of the irrigation systems for the farmers fields.

How it works:

The system runs 24/7 during the warmer months. The system contains 2, 160W panels, a charge controller and 1, 12V 100A battery. It was installed in July 2021 and hasn’t needed any maintenance since. I performed an inspection in late 2025 to find the battery fully charged. The cabinet has extra room to fit more equipment and the battery and solar has proven able to handle additional electrical loads if needed.

There is a flow meter located in the ditch. The system powers the flow-meter as well as the recording and reporting equipment.

The story behind it:

The town called me to see if I could offer a solution to one of their remote power stations. The station was older and not in good working condition. They were still in the decision-making phase, and I wanted to help them move forward. I offered to go to the site and do an inspection. While I was there, I took stock of what they had and what they needed. I returned the next day with the exact same kit as shown above. (2 panels and an upgraded charge controller) I installed it and took some pictures. I reported back to them that I had upgraded their station, and it was now in fine working order.

I hadn’t given them a quote beforehand. I asked them if they were unhappy with it, they could keep it at no charge. If they liked it, they had the option to pay me. After the end of the year, they paid the invoice and ordered 3 more kits.

This kit was mounted on a schedule 40  steel pole at around 10 ft. I had cleaned and painted the mounting pole, I had predrilled the mounting holes and marked the direction the pole needed to be oriented. The town then dug the hole and sunk it into a concrete sonotube. My team came and installed the solar panel and mounted the cabinet.

This is a very easy system to install and wire. This can be installed anywhere to power a wide range of light duty applications.

Thank you,

Woody Nickerson