Primary design constraint
Design for the smoke event, not the clear-sky average
The event a fire camera exists to detect can also reduce its energy supply. Dense smoke behaves like a persistent regional overcast, while ash and dust add a longer-lasting loss until the module is cleaned or washed by rain. A platform sized only from seasonal peak-sun-hours can therefore fail during the most important week of the year.
Start with the required no-charge autonomy and work back to the array size. Ordinary remote monitoring may tolerate one to three days without meaningful charge; a critical fire camera should normally be evaluated for at least five days, with a longer reserve where smoke, winter weather, or emergency road closures can persist.
The sizing model should include smoke and soiling derates, charge-controller and cable losses, battery temperature limits, ageing margin, and the minimum acceptable state of charge at the end of the design event. These assumptions should be documented instead of hidden inside a generic safety factor.
