With the advent of Ring’s proprietary solar panels, you can keep all compatible Ring devices juiced indefinitely, all while saving money on the energy bill — sounds pretty great, right?So, in this article, I’ll be guiding you through the installation process of Ring Solar Panels. Stick with me, and we’ll have your new smart home gadget soaking up sun in no time!
Where Can I Buy A Ring Solar Panel?
Before we dive into the installation guide, if you’re wondering where you can pick one of these little beauties up, you can find…
- The best deals on V1 the Spotlight Cam and Stick Cam Solar Panel, here (2nd & 3rd Gen only)
- The best deals on the V2, here (2nd & 3rd Gen only)
- The best deals on the Ring Doorbell 2, 3, 3+, and 4 Solar Panel, here
- The best deals on the Ring Doorbell 2nd Gen Solar Panel, here.
Installing The Ring Solar Panel: A Step-By-Step Guide
I’ll be guiding you through installing a solar panel for a Ring Doorbell, a Ring Spotlight Cam, and a Ring Stick Up Cam, but first, I’ll run through the installation steps that are the same regardless of device.
Installing A Ring Solar Panel: Universal Steps
Step 1. Finding A Sweet Spot For Your Solar Panel
As I’m sure you’re aware, solar panels work best when exposed to direct sunlight, but bear in mind that your Ring panel will also need to be relatively close to your Ring device.
- Ring Doorbell Solar Panels arrive with a 20-foot cable.
- Ring Spotlight Cam and Ring Stick Up Cam Solar Panels arrive with a 13-foot cable.
That said, Ring Solar Panels only need roughly 2–4 hours of sunlight a day to power your device continuously, so it’s not the end of the word if you can’t find a perfect location.
Step 2. Lining Up Your Solar Panel
Once you’ve found your sweet spot, take the solar panel mounting arm, hold it against your chosen surface, and use it as a marker guide.Take a pencil or a bit of chalk, and poke it through the screw holes in the mounting arm to mark your drill/screw points on the mounting surface.
Step 3. Drilling/Screwing
If you’re mounting your solar panel on brick, stucco, or concrete, you’ll be drilling holes through the marked points of your mounting surface.
Once that’s taken care of, insert the included wall anchors into the holes (this may require a few light taps with a hammer)Should you not own a drill, I’d recommend investing in one, as they’re a handy bit of kit to have around, and they’re not all that expensive either — just like at this Black+Decker beauty!If you’re mounting on a softer surface, such as wood or vinyl, you can screw directly into the material without compromising the stability of the mount.
Step 4. Installing The Mounting Arm
With the holes drilled (or the screws ready for action), you can hold the mounting arm in place as you screw it to the surface (it may be easier if you can rope a friend into holding the mounting arm for you).
Step 5. Fit The Solar Panel To The Mounting Arm
Here’s the easy part — the solar panel simply slides into the bracket of the mounting arm.
When it’s securely in place, loosen the screw in the joint of the arm to adjust the angle of the panel, then tighten it up again to fix it in place.
Connecting Your Ring Solar Panel And Ring Doorbell (Fork Connections Only)
Step 1. Fitting the Forks
On the back of your Ring Doorbell, you’ll notice two screws. Loosen them slightly, but don’t remove them.
Next, take the fork connector cable of your solar panel, thread it through the wire spacer, fit the forks to the shanks of the doorbell screws, then re-tighten them, locking the fork connectors in place.
Step 2. Mounting Your Doorbell And Wire Spacer
All that’s left to do is to remount your Ring Doorbell where it was, fit the wire spacer to the wall, and boom… job done!
Connecting Your Ring Solar Panel And Ring Doorbell (USB Connections Only)
Step 1. Making The USB Connection
Grab the free end of the USB charging cable, pass it through the wire spacer, and plug the head into the Micro USB charging port on the back of your Ring Doorbell Gen 2.
Step 2. Mounting Your Doorbell and Wire Spacer
Fit your doorbell back to the wall along with the wall spacer, and you’re sorted!
Connecting Your Ring Solar Panel And Ring Spotlight Cam
Step 1. Opening A Path For Your Solar Cable
You’ll find a button on the base of your Spotlight Cam. Push it to release the battery compartment.
Now, push the button on the back of the camera to release the mounting plate.Next, remove the weather-proofing plug from the second hole down on the mounting plate — this is where the solar charging cable will enter the camera.Replace the mounting plate, close the battery compartment, and you’re ready to move on to the next step.
Step 2. Making The Solar Connection
With the solar port on the camera opened, simply take the free end of the solar charging cable, and insert it into the port.
Use the included screws to secure the charging cable in place.
Connecting Your Ring Solar Panel And Stick Up Cam
Step 1. Opening A Path For Your Solar Cable
Unlike the Spotlight Cam, you won’t need to remove the mounting plate to find the solar port on your Stick Up Cam — You’ll find the weatherproofing plug on the back of the unit.
Step 2. Making The Solar Connection
Now, all you have to do is insert the free end of the solar charging cable into the charging port you’ve just cleared, and voilà; you’re done!If your charging cable has space for two screws, you should remove the screws on either side of the camera’s charging port, insert the charging cable, then use said screws to secure the cable.
Final Thoughts
That’s really all there is to it! Solar panel technology can be intimidating, but Ring has done a fantastic job of making the installation process a total doddle.
As long as you own a drill, you can get the job done in a matter of minutes.