Solar Security Cameras: A Sourcing Guide for Importers and Wholesale Distributors

What a solar camera is, and what you are actually buying

"Solar camera" is trade shorthand for a security camera powered by a solar panel and connected over a 4G LTE SIM: the panel charges a lithium battery inside the housing, and the unit runs on its own — no mains wiring, no WiFi. For a wholesale buyer the entire category reduces to five numbers that set your landed cost: battery capacity (8000mAh–20000mAh), panel output (8W or 15W), resolution (1080p–2K is the market standard; 4K only on custom/OEM orders), storage (microSD up to 128GB), and weatherproofing (IP66). SolaGuard's 150-SKU catalogue includes 49 AOV models, with wholesale prices quoted per order. Each unit goes up in 5–10 minutes, for the simple reason that there is no power cable to route.

The rest of this article is what a distributor needs in order to read a spec sheet properly, compare quotes across factories, and work out the margin before wiring a deposit.

Why this category sells in Vietnam and Latin America

Demand is not coming from suburban houses. It comes from the sites wired cameras never reach: farms and fish ponds a few hundred metres from the nearest transformer, construction sites whose footprint changes every month, open-air storage yards, parking lots, field gates, pump stations, quarries. At those locations the cost of trenching power and running conduit routinely exceeds the price of the camera itself — and if the site relocates in six months, that spend is written off entirely.

Latin America presents the same engineering problem with a different buying motive: perimeter coverage on fincas, watching pens and herds, deterring cattle theft where there is no fixed telecom infrastructure. The commercial consequence for a distributor is the important part: end customers buy in clusters of several units per property, not one at a time as in the consumer market. Reorders are steadier and average order value sits well above indoor WiFi cameras.

Read the spec sheet like a buyer, not like a brochure

Battery and panel always come as a pair

This is where quotations mislead people. A bigger battery means nothing if the panel cannot replace what the camera consumes each day. That is why real factory configurations are always paired: 8000mAh models ship with an 8W panel, 20000mAh models ship with a 15W panel. When a supplier advertises a very large battery behind a small panel, ask for the panel rating before you compare prices at all — the gap between those two power packages is most of the distance between the bottom and the top of the catalogue range.

The 20000mAh/15W pairing is the choice for long rainy seasons, positions that sit in partial shade for part of the day, or customers running heavy continuous recording. The 8000mAh/8W pairing covers most installations with direct sun and is the volume line.

Resolution: 1080p–2K is the reality, 4K is a custom order

The entire current AOV range is 2K (2.0MP). The category standard is 1080p–2K, and there is a physical reason for it: a higher sensor means a higher bitrate, which means more battery drain and a bigger monthly 4G SIM bill for the end user. We do build 4K, but only against custom/OEM orders, not from stock. If a supplier offers you 4K at 2K pricing on an ordinary commercial order, ask for sample footage before you place it.

Single, dual and triple lens: what changes is coverage

A single-lens unit gives you one field of view. A dual-lens unit combines two 2.0MP sensors, typically for a position that needs both a wide overview and a close view of an entrance. A triple-lens unit combines three 2.0MP sensors to cover a much wider arc from a single pole — a strong selling point for farm gates and loading yards, because it replaces two or three separate mounting positions.

Storage and ingress rating: two numbers not to inflate

Standard storage is microSD up to 128GB. Higher-capacity cards can be handled on a custom order, but do not print a larger number on your own sales material if the goods you receive will not support it — that is the single most common source of complaints in this category.

The housing is rated IP66. We state IP66 and only IP66. A higher ingress rating exists in the market as an engineering standard, but it does not describe this product line, and putting the wrong protection class in your catalogue is a warranty liability the distributor creates for itself.

What AOV means, and why it is worth explaining to your customers

AOV — Always-On Video — is continuous 24/7 recording at low standby power, made possible by AI scene analysis. It is a generic industry term, not a SolaGuard label, so you are free to use it in your own sales material.

The contrast with PIR-triggered cameras is easy to put in front of a customer:

For agricultural and construction customers, those missing first seconds are usually the part of the incident they need to see. That is why the 49 AOV models occupy the upper price band of the catalogue — and why they are also the easiest segment to sell at a healthy distributor margin.

The four AOV series and ex-factory pricing

Three part numbers are the usual choice for a sample order:

• SG-C41G-10T66-V1: single lens, 2K, 8000mAh/8W, IP66. The entry model, suited to high-count orders for smallholders and retail shops.
• SG-D42G-10F66-V1: dual lens 2K, 8000mAh/8W, IP66. The volume seller, because it widens coverage without changing the power package.
• SG-D42G-15F66-V1: dual lens 2K, 20000mAh/15W, IP66. For harsh positions and customers running heavy continuous recording.

Every version and full specifications are in the product catalogue.

Import terms: MOQ, discounts, lead times

The lowest-risk way into the category for a new distributor: order 10 units split across two configurations — one 8000mAh/8W model and one 20000mAh/15W model — install them on exactly the kind of terrain your customers have, and only then decide which line you run in volume. The 30% tier starts at around 50 units and OEM starts at 100, so many partners take the 30% step first and add their own branding on a later order. Tier pricing is set out on the wholesale page.

OEM and private label

OEM/private label is available across the entire catalogue, including all 49 AOV models, at an MOQ of 100 units. The scope covers your logo on the housing, branded packaging and manuals, a white-label app, and hardware changes on request such as higher resolution, a larger battery/panel package, or non-standard storage. Quantity, price and timing on a custom order always come from a person — there is no automated price list for OEM, because every hardware change implies a different production schedule.

Vetting a supplier before you pay a deposit

Three things worth doing with any factory, including us:

1. Match certificates to specific model numbers, not just to a company name. SolaGuard products are manufactured by Shenzhen Leksell, established in 2012, certified by TÜV Rheinland along with CE, FCC and RoHS.
2. Ask for raw footage from the exact part number you intend to order, shot at night, unprocessed. Catalogue screenshots tell you nothing.
3. Get the spare-parts policy in writing: panels, mounting brackets, weatherproof gaskets. In outdoor hardware, after-sales cost sits in the accessories, rarely in the mainboard.

Our Vietnam office is in Ho Chi Minh City and handles quotations, samples and domestic delivery. We do not operate a warehouse in Hanoi or Bangkok — domestic shipments go out of HCMC.

For volume-tier pricing, samples or an OEM proposal, message us on WhatsApp at +86 188 1869 9870, call +86 188 1869 9870, or email info@solaguard.net. If you are considering taking on regional distribution, the partnership terms are on the dealer page.