How Fast Does Ring Solar Panel Charge Batteries?

In 2020, the U.S recorded its worst year in terms of electricity outages. Consumers experienced up to 8 hours of power interruptions. Powering security systems with solar panels is a cheap and simple way to ensure personal safety even in the event of a blackout.

Charging devices like motion sensors and outdoor lighting with solar panels can take under six hours. This ensures surveillance equipment stays up even in an outage that lasts for days.

Ring solar panels are a popular option for keeping security devices like doorbells and video cameras charged up. But how quickly will they charge?

In today’s guide, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about one of the most commonly recommended mini solar panels.  

How Long Does Ring Solar Panel Take To Charge?

A Ring solar panel should take between three to four hours to charge a device. This is however dependent on the use of the device and how much sunlight the solar panel receives.

Ring is a company that mainly manufactures audio and video surveillance equipment like security cameras. Ring solar panels are used to charge the batteries in video doorbells, spotlights, and stick-up cameras. The solar panels are designed to be compatible with the Spotlight Cam and Stick Up Cam battery also made by Ring.

MODEL	WATT POWER OUTPUT (W)	DC VOLTAGE OUTPUT (V)	RESISTANT TO
Ring Solar Panel	2	5,2	Weather resistant
Ring Super Solar Panel	5	5,5	Weather resistant

The number of hours it will take a solar panel to charge depends on its power output and the capacity of the device’s battery.

Let’s look at both of these factors using the Ring Spotlight Cam as an example.

The Ring Solar Panel produces 2 watts at a voltage of 5,2 volts.  To find how much power it produces in amps:

2W / 5,2V = 0.38 Amps.

The Super Solar Panel produces 5 watts at a voltage of 5,5 volts. Using the same formula as above that means it produces 0,90 amps. Converting to amps makes it easier to work out the charge time as the battery’s capacity is in amps.

The Ring Spotlight Cam battery has a capacity of 6 amps. To work out the battery charge time you would simply divide the battery’s capacity by the output of the solar panel.

The Ring Solar Panel produces 0.38 amps. The formula would therefore be as follows:

6A / 0.38A = 15 hours.

The Super Solar Panel has a higher output so it would take a shorter time to charge. It would take around 6 hours. While these are longer times compared to those given by the manufacturer, it is highly unlikely that the battery would get completely drained and need to charge for that long. According to Ring, the solar panels produce a continuous trickle charge to keep the batteries topped up. Source

The more you use the device, the longer it will take to charge. For example, if your doorbell rings between 5 to 10 times it will use up more energy than if it was ringing between 15 to 20 times in a day.

How Many Hours Of Sun Does Ring Solar Panel Need?

A Ring solar panel functions best on a minimum of at least three hours of sunshine. In some cases, it may require longer hours. The main determining factor on how many hours a solar panel requires is location.

A solar panel produces the most energy depending on how many peak sun hours of sunshine it receives. Peak sun hours are the hours when the sun is producing 1,000 watts of energy per square meter. These are the hours when the sun is highest in the sky.

Non-peak sun hours are when the sun is producing less energy. These are the early morning and late afternoon hours. At these hours there is less available energy, so the output from the solar panels is less.

To maximize the amount of solar power produced and reduce the number of hours needed, you need peak sun hours. The more peak sun hours you have, the fewer total hours a solar panel needs to produce energy.

Peak sun hours vary according to location. Some states receive more than others. For example, the further north you go, the colder it gets and the fewer peak sun hours there are. Source

How Do I Know If My Ring Solar Is Charging?

The device the solar panel is charging will have a light. While the device is charging the lights will blink. When the device is fully charged the lights should be a solid green or blue. An alternative is to test the current from the solar panel with a multimeter.

The multimeter will give tell you whether the solar panel is producing any current. To test with a multimeter:

1. Place the solar panel out in the sun.
2. Set the multimeter to measure amps.
3. Touch the negative and positive probes to the respective terminals.
4. The current should be similar to the stated current on the specifications of the solar panel.

Why Is Ring Solar Panel Not Charging?

There are several reasons why a solar panel might not function. The most common reason is it is not receiving enough sunlight. This is usually because of shading.

Shading is frequently the chief culprit behind solar panel malfunction. Shading might be caused by a tree branch for example. Solar panels work best when in direct sunlight. This is why the most important thing to do when installing solar panels is to choose the right place to install them.

Ideally, a solar panel should be installed in direct sunlight, facing south or southwest, and tilted at an angle of between 45 to 60 degrees.

For more on this, check out our post “Will Ring Solar Panel Work In Shade? Where You Should Place It!“

Dirt can also reduce the efficiency of a solar panel by up to 4% so it is also important to keep it free of dust. If shading or dust is not the problem, then it might be:

1. The device is already charged up. Ring devices only charge once the battery goes below 90%.
2. The connection between the solar panel and the device is faulty.
3. The solar panel and the device are not compatible.