Allflex Livestock Intelligence today announced the launch of a solar power station, which provides off-grid energy to its SenseHubTM monitoring system, thereby making it possible to capture data transmitted from the company’s cSenseTM Flex Tag neck collars or eSenseTM Flex Tag ear tags anywhere on the farm.
The Solar Power Station uses an efficient photovoltaic (PV) panel to convert natural daylight into energy, which is used to power a SenseHub antenna in remote locations with no fixed power supply. This makes it possible to monitor groups of cows or heifers, even when they are kept away from the main farm holding or grazing in distant fields. Excess energy is stored in a battery for later use, enabling the system to operate overnight and in low light conditions. The system is easy to erect and dismantle and can be moved from location to location, according to the herd’s grazing regime or when animals are moved from one holding to another.
The Allflex Solar Power Station has been developed using technology proven in remote and harsh conditions: It is capable of capturing data from cows at a distance of up to 500m and uses a 3G/4G router to relay information back to the farm over the internet or via a virtual private network (VPN). Alternatively, the data can be monitored remotely via the SenseHub app on a compatible smartphone or internet enabled tablet.
The plug-and-play Allflex Solar Power Station is easy to assemble and is supported by the Allflex Technical Support team and comes with a two-year warranty. It is supplied with the following components:
- 285W solar panel and base
- Solar charge controller (30Amp)
- 12V TP link 3G/4G router
- Tycon DC POE/converter 12V to 48V
- 3-section aluminium mast/pole
- Assorted cables and connectors
The Solar Power Station has been proven to fully charge a 12V AGM Deep Cycle Leisure Battery 85AH in four hours of daylight – enough to provide 24 hours of standby. When equipped with two such batteries, the standby time extends to 48hrs.
For more information go to https://youtu.be/BidYNARp4bI
