How much power does Starlink use on solar?

Starlink Mini often averages roughly 15–40W with short peaks toward ~60W depending on firmware and snow-melt modes. A standard rectangular user terminal commonly sits around roughly 50–75W when active and lower when idle — your hardware generation and settings change the curve. We measure at commissioning where possible.

How much solar do I need for PoE CCTV and Starlink?

Rule of thumb: add continuous loads (NVR, switches, dish, cameras), multiply by 24 hours for watt-hours per day, then add 20–30 percent margin for cloudy days and winter sun hours in your valley. East Gippsland sites often land around 1–2+ kWh/day for modest 24/7 stacks before margins — always confirmed after survey.

East Gippsland · Off-grid · Bushfire season

Solar + Starlink + CCTV — one resilience story

Bundle panels, LiFePO4 storage, MPPT charging, PoE security and Starlink backhaul for farms, bush blocks and coastal weekenders where the grid drops first in bad fire weather.

Figures on this page are planning estimates — hardware generations, IR heaters, router choices and winter sun at your ridge all move the numbers. Mains/solar AC work stays with appropriately licensed electricians where required; we coordinate security, networking and dish scope end-to-end.

Load	Typical planning range	Notes
Starlink Mini	~15–40W average; short peaks toward ~60W	Lower overnight draw possible with firmware/scheduling — still budget peaks for snow/heat modes.
Standard Starlink	~50–75W active; lower idle	Often ~1.2–1.8 kWh/day for 24/7 online use — confirm on site.
Battery / solar Wi‑Fi cameras	Often under ~10W when charging/active	Reolink Argus-style kits vary; panel size drives winter reliability.
PoE camera (each)	~10–40W depending on IR, heater, resolution	4K + motorised PTZ sits high; fixed 4 MP turret lower.
NVR + switch	~20–50W combined	Hikvision / Dahua / VIP Vision recorders — PoE budget from datasheet.

Combined example: Starlink Mini + modest PoE NVR + four efficient turrets might sit in a ~50–100W continuous band before margins — your as-built will differ. For 24/7 monitoring with headroom, many bushfire-minded quotes target ~1–2+ kWh/day at the battery, then add 20–30% for cloudy weeks, dust derating and inverter losses.

Recommended solar building blocks

Entry (Mini + 2–4 cameras)

200–400W PV (roof or ground rack)
500–1000Wh LiFePO₄ bank (safer chemistry for enclosed sheds)
MPPT controller (Victron and similar classes)
Regulated 48 V / 12 V / PoE paths for dish, router and cameras — fused and labelled

Popular in East Gippsland

Robust rural / bushfire-minded

400–600W+ PV (bifacial or split arrays where shading splits)
1–2 kWh+ LiFePO₄ for 24–72 h autonomy targets (example range)
Hybrid inverter / charger with low-voltage disconnect set conservatively
Surge protection, IP-rated enclosures, ember-aware cable routing with metal conduit on exposed runs where quoted

Plug-and-play DC distribution kits for Starlink + PoE exist; we can source, customise and commission with the same crew that aligns dishes and tunes CCTV / mesh.

Rough daily energy planner

Adjust values to match your recorder datasheets. Result adds a 25% margin for inverter/cable losses and dull days — not a substitute for a full electrical design.

Starlink type PoE cameras (count) Watts per camera (planning) NVR + switch (W)

Camera options we commonly pair with solar + Starlink

Reolink Argus / TrackMix-style — battery + dedicated solar panel, wireless backhaul to house Wi‑Fi or bridge; good for gates when trenching is costly.
Hikvision / Dahua / VIP Vision PoE — hardwired for evidence-grade sites; powered from the same solar-backed DC bus as the NVR.
Tower / skid builds — temporary high-visibility sites (construction, seasonal accommodation) with integrated power and optional Starlink pole mount — quoted as bespoke.

Placement & best practices (Australia)

Solar PV: in Australia, fixed arrays usually face true north (with tilt for latitude) for annual yield — not south. We work with your electrician on roof or ground mount.
Starlink: needs a clear sky view toward the constellation — often northerly arc from East Gippsland; avoid heat plumes from shed roofs where possible.
Cameras: elevate for driveways, machinery lines and ember-prone fence runs; tune motion to reduce wind false trips.
Power management: schedule non-critical loads; keep UPS handover on router/NVR where seconds of uptime matter for clean shutdowns.
Data: Starlink can carry 4K streams — prefer motion-triggered high-res plus sub-streams for live view to save data.