Solar Powered Weather Stations: Our Top Picks

When it comes to personal weather stations, a majority of today’s models offer two power options: battery or solar power. For a long time, the battery powered option was much more prevalent. The bad thing was you had to remember to change the batteries on a regular basis. Forget to do so, and you’ll find yourself at times wondering why your weather station isn’t recording data.

You also need to regularly inspect those batteries for water damage from the elements and corrosion. Batteries contain acid, and water damaged and corroding batteries can leak. This can damage your sensor suite if you’re not careful.

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Instead, we recommend considering a station that primarily relies on solar power to avoid the problems that full battery-powered personal weather stations often suffer from. While solar powered weather stations still have batteries for backup power, it is typically an enclosed battery inside the unit. These batteries are much better in colder and hotter temperatures, as they have a wider operating temperature range than the standard disposable battery.

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Solar panels on the sensor suite provide sufficient power to operate the sensors during the day and at the same time charge the internal batteries. During the nighttime, the sensor suite switches to internal battery power to operate until ample sunlight returns. Solar powered stations can operate just about anywhere where there are at least 4-6 hours of daylight year-round, according to manufacturers. In some weather stations, such as the Davis Pro2 a supercapacitor is charged up by the solar panels which then powers the station during the nighttime. The internal battery pack is then used only as a backup if the capacitor’s discharge is depleted.

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Tips for Installing a Solar Powered Weather Station

As we’ve said previously, solar powered stations require only a few hours of daylight. This means some of these stations can even operate close to the poles, as long as the sensor location has some form of direct sunlight in the winter months. If you’re concerned about a lack of direct sunlight affecting your PWS, contact the manufacturer. Many of these companies already have experience in placing their stations in challenging climates and can recommend a course of action for you.

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You’ll want to ensure that your sensor location is in a spot where it is getting the maximum amount of daylight. If you’ve read our buying guide of the best weather stations, use our placement suggestions there for optimal performance. Of course, areas where the winter nights are long this is especially important.

Don’t worry about direct sunlight affecting your readings. Manufacturers of the top personal weather stations expect you to put your sensor suite in the sun to take measurements. The best weather stations include radiation shielding and even aspiration fans to protect your sensors—ensuring accuracy of your readings.

The Best Solar Powered Weather Stations

Below are the top three solar powered weather stations that we recommend. In first place, we have chosen the Davis Vantage Pro2 for its top-tier performance and reliability, although close behind is the Vantage Vue which is still an excellent option. But if the budget is tight, you can’t go wrong with the Ambient Weather WS-1002-WIFI OBSERVER.

Our Top Pick: Davis Vantage Pro2

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Categories: Outdoor