Solar CCTV vs mains-wired CCTV: cost and reliability compared

In the solar CCTV vs wired CCTV choice, wired is usually cheaper near a building, but it can cost more once you add cable, trenching and electrical work. The right answer depends mainly on distance from a power supply. Close to a building, wired CCTV is usually cheaper. Far from the mains, solar often wins on cost and on reliability.

This guide compares solar CCTV vs wired CCTV on price, running costs, power cuts, security and fit. We use published 2026 UK price guides for wired systems. We do not quote prices for our own work here, because we quote after a survey.

Solar CCTV vs wired CCTV: how each one is powered

A wired camera takes power from the mains, usually through a cable from a building. Many modern systems use power over Ethernet, which carries data and power along one network cable. A recorder then stores the footage, and you view it on a phone or monitor.

A solar camera makes its own power. A panel charges a battery during the day, and the battery runs the camera at night. The camera sends footage over a mobile signal or WiFi, so no cable is needed at all.

Each approach has a clear strength. Wired systems have a steady supply and suit sites close to a building. Solar systems suit places where running a cable is hard, costly or both. Our solar CCTV cameras cover that second case.

What wired CCTV costs in the UK

Published guides give a useful baseline for wired systems. The Fantastic Services 2026 guide puts home CCTV supplied and installed at £400 to £1,500 including VAT. It lists a four-camera recorder system at £600 to £1,500. London and the South East run about 20 to 30% higher.

Trade2base gives similar ranges. Its 2026 guide shows a four-camera home system at £600 to £1,500 and an eight-camera business system at £1,500 to £4,000. It adds that maintenance contracts cost £100 to £300 a year. Checkatrade, meanwhile, says a basic four-camera wired system starts from about £800 plus VAT.

These are other firms’ prices, not ours. They also assume a normal building with power close by. They do not cover a field gate 300 metres from the farmhouse.

For a full look at budgets, see our guide to solar CCTV installation cost in the UK.

The hidden cost of cable on a rural site

Distance changes the sum. Every metre between the supply and the camera adds cable, ducting and labour. If the route crosses a track or a field, it may need a trench. If the supply is in a different building, it may need a new circuit.

The Planning Portal states that a new electrical circuit for CCTV is notifiable work under the building regulations. It should be checked by building control or done by a competent person. That adds both cost and time.

Cable is also a weak point. A buried cable can be cut by a digger. An overhead run can be pulled down by wind or by a thief. Rodents chew through ducting on farms. Therefore the cheapest quote on paper is not always the cheapest system over ten years.

Reliability: power cuts, winter and tampering

A mains-wired camera stops when the power does. Storms and local faults can take out supply for hours. A battery backup or UPS fixes this, but it adds cost and another item to maintain. In contrast, a solar camera carries on because it never relied on the grid.

Winter is where solar needs care. Sunlight is far weaker in December than in June, and cold limits battery charging. Sizing the panel and battery for December prevents most failures. A system designed for December is reliable. A system designed for July is not.

Tampering is another factor. A thief can cut the mains feed to a wired camera, and the camera goes dark. A solar camera has no external power cable to cut. However, a thief can still target the panel, so mounting height and fixings matter.

Running costs and upkeep

Wired cameras draw a small amount of mains power all year. That adds to your electricity bill, although a few cameras use little. Solar cameras have no power bill at all. Both types may need a mobile data plan if they send footage over 4G.

Upkeep differs as well. Wired systems need occasional checks of cables, connectors and recorders. Solar systems need a wipe of the panel and a look at the battery reading. In both cases, a maintenance contract is optional but worth pricing, since Trade2base puts them at £100 to £300 a year.

Replacement parts matter over a longer horizon. A recorder hard drive wears out, and so does a battery. Therefore ask any supplier how long each part should last and what a replacement costs. Compare those figures, not only the first invoice.

Where each system fits

Wired CCTV fits best where power is close. It suits houses, shops, offices and units with a spare circuit. It also suits sites that need many cameras recording at high resolution all day. A wired network handles that load easily.

Solar CCTV fits best where power is far away or absent. Examples include field gates, barn ends, paddocks, lay-bys and open yards. It also suits temporary needs, because a solar unit can move when the job ends. Our guide to off-grid farm security shows how this works on a real holding.

A mixed system is common. For instance, a farm may wire the cameras around the main yard and use solar units at the far gates. Meanwhile a livery owner may choose solar for the field and wired cameras for the tack room. Our guide to solar CCTV for stables and livery yards covers that case.

Connectivity: the other half of the decision

Power is only one half of the choice. The camera also needs a way to send footage. Wired systems usually rely on a broadband line. Remote solar cameras usually use 4G.

For solar units, Ofcom measured single-network 4G over 96% of the UK’s geography in 2025. Coverage from all four operators is lower, at 81% across the UK. A survey should therefore test the signal at the exact camera position. Our explainer on off-grid security cameras with no WiFi covers how 4G cameras work.

If the signal is weak, a camera can still record to a card on site. It then loses live viewing and alerts. Local recording is a useful fallback, but alerts are what let you act in time.

Which one should you choose?

Use a simple rule. If a safe power supply sits within a short, easy cable run, price a wired system first. If the camera position is far from power, or cannot be trenched, price a solar system first. Always compare both on total cost over several years, not the day-one quote.

Business sites follow the same rule, with a few extras. Yards often have power at the gatehouse but none at the perimeter. A mix of wired and solar can cover the whole boundary. See our commercial and industrial yard security page for more, and our off-grid alarm monitoring for sites that also need a siren.

Location can also steer the choice. Dense city streets favour wired systems with easy power. Open edges and rural fringes favour solar. Our pages on solar CCTV installation in Leeds, solar CCTV installation in Bristol and solar CCTV installation in York explain how we cover each area.

Questions to ask before you decide

• How far is the camera position from a safe power supply?
• Would the cable need a trench, a new circuit or both?
• What happens to the camera in a power cut?
• Does the position get a 4G signal from at least one network?
• What is the total cost over five years, including upkeep?

Answers to these questions usually point to one system. If they point to both, a mixed design is the sensible answer.

Get a survey and a fixed quote

We supply and install solar CCTV, lighting and alarms across England, Scotland and Wales. We survey the site first, then give a fixed quote. Request a site survey and tell us where the cameras need to go.