Controlled Products Systems Group SLIDESMART DC 10F - Manual (Page 48)

Using A Solar Powered Operator
2-10 SlideSmart DC Installation and Reference Manual Revision D
For example, the Smart DC Controller has specific connections for photo eyes. When you attach photo eyes
for entrapment protection, you have the option to wire the photo eyes to the EYE COM and +24VDC. When
wired to these connections, the photo eyes only draw power when the motor engages, thereby extending
battery life. The same can be said for HY-5A vehicle detectors which draw a minimal 0.005A per detector;
compared to box detectors which usually draw, at minimum, 0.009A. For more information on photo eyes,
refer to the section titled
Installing Photoelectric Sensors For Secondary Entrapment Protection Only . To review
information about vehicle detectors, refer to Vehicle Detector Installation Options .
Understanding Gate Activity based on Solar Zones
Use the solar maps to determine the number of solar hours per day that can be reasonably expected in a
particular zone. The number of solar hours per day affects the amount of gate travel for a free-rolling gate
powered by the SlideSmart solar operator.
NOTE
Remember, the sun is the only source of energy. If you need to increase the amount of gate
travel per day (i.e. feet of gate travel), additional solar panels may be required. Also, the greater
the battery capacity, the longer the operator can cycle the gate on cloudy days without the
recharge provided by the solar panels. Sites requiring more than 1, 500 feet of gate travel per
day or those sites located in less sunny climes, need larger capacity batteries. HySecurity offers a
50Ah battery option which provides six times the storage capacity of the standard 8Ah batteries.
Four Week Average, December 7 - January 4
2.5
2.5
3.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
4.0
5.0
5.0
0.0 For up-to-date
solar isolaƟon maps, refer to
hƩp://www.nrel.gov/gis/solar.html
1.7
ArƟc Circle
3.5
3.5
4.0
This solar isolaƟon map recreated courtesy DOE.
5.0 3,020 (20W panel)
4.5 1,800 (20W panel)
4.0 1,440 (20W panel)
3.5 1,020 (20W panel)
3.0 600 (20W panel)
Sun Feet of gate travel/day
hrs/day using 8Ah baƩeries
2.5 180 (20W panel)
Map Legend
The chart is based on a 20 Watt (24VDC) solar panel system
with SlideSmart powering a 30 foot (9m), 1000 lbs, 1ft/s gate
with the following peripherals attached:
• One low current multi-code radio receiver
• Two HY-5A vehicle detectors
The number of amps that the peripherals draw coupled with the gate travel
occurring throughout the night determines the battery capacity required.
The number of amps that the peripherals draw coupled with the gate travel during
the day, determines the solar panel size needed.
NOTE: HySecurity provides a 50Ah battery option for sites where high gate travel and
inclement weather are an issue. For sites of this nature, consider a 40W system. A
40W system doubles the feet of gate trave/day that is shown in the chart above.
Figure 2-7.