May 19, 2016 | ProgressTH To make a smart farm, of course, you need a way to power your sensors and automated systems. If you have an indoor system, it's easy enough to use a plug. On a rooftop or in a field you'll have no such luck.

Solar power affords a cheap way to power senors and automated systems and because solar is cheap and getting cheaper still, you can now afford to set up a few systems scattered around your farm or rooftop.

This small 5W solar panel with a 12V sealed lead acid rechargeable battery and USB adapter will be the first attempt we make to power an Arduino project 24/7 off-grid. We plan on using this Instructable here to make another system using a common power bank.

Our current system was purchased from a local school that includes alternative energy in the curriculum. They sell kits students make as part of fundraising. When we got the kit we decided to alter it for our own use. This included new 3D printed handles (with the school's name on it) and 3D printed stands angled at 26° for the panel to sit whenever and wherever we are testing it.

We'll be developing a suitable first project to use, perhaps our real time clock using WiFi. Our WiFi does reach the rooftop, so it would be a perfect way to test this system in a variety of ways.

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