Solar-powered security cameras offer several advantages over conventional systems.

Unlike wired security systems, which need to be professionally connected to your home’s wiring, solar-powered systems are significantly easier to install – no hard wiring. Drawing power from solar panels, these systems work virtually anywhere with access to sunlight. And, while they’re a smart choice for homes and businesses, solar systems also offer a solution for more remote locations or construction sites; anywhere where access to power is tricky.

Currently, solar-powered security camera systems are providing continuous, live, 360-degree footage and clear night vision to numerous farms, construction sites, event venues, homes, and businesses across Australia. They’re equally as reliable as any traditional set-up.

Unlike their wired counterparts, Solar security cameras are a truly wireless solution. They connect to your central home security system via Wi-Fi and are far simpler to install. And, while wired cameras typically require placement near power supply, a solar option can be installed anywhere making them more convenient, especially for remote locations.

What’s the lifespan of a solar powered security system?
Quality solar-powered security systems – like the MaxRanger4K by Swann – are made to last. On average a well-maintained system should have between a 5 and 10 year lifespan. The systems are robust, waterproof and made to withstand the elements. They also require very little maintenance, which also adds value to the investment.

Solar-powered security cameras offer unparalleled convenience, allowing for self-installation even in areas without access to power outlets, making them particularly suitable for remote locations. While they may entail a higher initial cost due to the inclusion of solar panel components, the reduced maintenance requirements and absence of ongoing electricity bills contribute to their long-term cost-effectiveness. Moreover, the environmental benefits of harnessing renewable solar energy add another advantage to the list. It is, however, essential to acknowledge their dependency on sunlight for charging, which remains their primary limitation. Otherwise, the numerous benefits make these camera systems a smart choice for just about anybody.

Visit Swann Security for more information.

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Most burglars look for the easiest, most inauspicious points of entry when targeting a home. That often means the front door, where thieves will try to enter swiftly without drawing attention to themselves. The best deterrent: front gate camera security systems.

These systems not only reduce the chance of burglars approaching your home, but also allow you to monitor all of the activity around your gate, porch and front yard. From package deliveries to visits from friends and family to unwanted guests, your front gate camera will capture it all — offering practicality and peace of mind.

Need even more reason to look into these systems? A good security system can actually increase the resale value of your home. It’s an investment in your safety and your property.
Here’s what to look for in a front gate security system:

Key Features of an Ideal Front Gate Security System

Your front gate security is only as effective as your surveillance equipment. That’s why it’s essential to get a high-resolution front gate security camera, allowing you to capture important details such as faces, identifying features and license plates. Swann offers a variety of high-resolution cameras, from 1080p HD standalone cameras to multi-camera 4K HD security kits.

Capturing important details is a great start, but today’s cameras have many additional features worth considering. Swann’s CoreCam 2K Wireless Spotlight Camera has a built-in spotlight and siren, allowing you to scare away intruders and prevent unwanted activity. This innovative camera also features a microphone and speaker, making it possible to communicate with guests, strangers, delivery drivers and more.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a massive, expensive surveillance system for effective security coverage. Depending on your situation, you may want something as simple as a video doorbell, or you may want a network of several products. No matter what equipment you get, make sure it’s got a weatherproof design — capable of withstanding tough outdoor conditions.

Some home security brands allow you to integrate different products together, such as floodlights, door and window alarms and sirens, allowing you to customise your front gate security system to suit your needs. Swann makes it easy to link products together through the Swann Security App, allowing you to easily monitor and control your entire security system from one place.

No matter what security brand you turn to, look out for ongoing subscription fees. Some providers require subscriptions to use their products, locking customers into expensive contracts. Although Swann offers professional monitoring services, this is 100% optional and features no long-term contracts.

Setting Up Your Front Gate Camera: Best Practices

Wireless security cameras can be installed practically anywhere — just as long as there’s a strong Wi-Fi signal in the area. Wired cameras may also work on front gates, albeit with a more challenging installation process.

It’s also important to consider your Wi-Fi connection — ensuring that wireless cameras have the signal strength they need to function properly. If this presents an issue, there are two possible solutions: getting a Wi-Fi booster or buying wired cameras. Wi-Fi boosters work to extend the range of your wireless network, giving you a stronger signal further from the router.

Wired cameras require a recorder to function, meaning that you’ll need to invest in an entire DVR or NVR system if you choose this route. To set up wired front gate cameras, you’ll need to take on a more extensive installation process, or pay for professional installation.

Get Started Today

Front gate camera systems are an important part of securing your home. By arming yourself with a high-definition surveillance camera or two — and possibly other security measures like floodlights, door and window alarms, and sirens — you can protect your home and family for the ultimate peace of mind.

Ready to get started? Turn to Swann Security as your home’s first line of defense.

The post Why Every Homeowner Should Consider a Front Gate Security System appeared first on Completehome.

Helicol has a variety of options available for those looking to heat their pool. One of these options is the SunX Solar Pool Heating which is the next generation in solar pool heating. With SunX Solar, you can extend your swim season even further than before!

By extruding the collector tubes right inside a special glazing material SunX Solar significantly increases the performance of the solar collector. At the same time, the solar radiation refraction during the colder months is decreased. The result is more warmth in your pool when you need it most.

SunX collectors are manufactured from 100% UV stabilised polypropylene using a unique over-moulding process. During this process the headers and the individual tubes are moulded into one piece, eliminating hundreds of individual joins. The multiwall Glazing of a SunX collector, produces a greenhouse effect for each of these individual tubes.

This high standard of innovation, technology and manufacturing is backed up by Helicol’s 12 year warranty.
For more information:

Heliocol

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According to Aquavic, the synergy of its “New Millennium” ionisers and its DC pumps makes the company’s products eminently suitable for solar power. So effective is this combination that Aquavic’s own demonstration pool has been converted to an OTG (off-the-grid) solar-powered system. Two roof-mounted PV panels now supply all of the power required to drive both the pool’s filtration and ionising system as well as the solar pool heating. Both pumps are, of course, the whisper-quiet variable speed pump sets with their Australian-made highly efficient brushless DC motors.

The pool now runs year-round – winter or summer, rain, hail or shine – completely divorced from the whims and fancies of the family’s local energy provider’s billing system. To find out how you can also divorce your pool – and your wallet – from your local energy provider’s complex and often perplexing billing systems, contact John at Aquavic’s head office.

For more information

Aquavic

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If there is one thing that Australia is not short of it is sunshine. As the “sunburnt” country, Australia receives more solar radiation per square foot than anywhere else on the planet, a distinct advantage where our renewable energy sector is concerned — as well as our thriving pool industry.

No wonder, then, that solar energy is a popular attraction for the environmentally savvy and cost-conscious home and pool owner. Independent and free, solar energy is relieving thousands of Australian households of high living costs.

Peter Haddon, managing director of solar pool heating company Heliocol Solar, presents three questions pool owners must ask themselves this summer if they want to invest wisely and save.

What gives the best bang for your buck?

For Peter, there is no better cost saving than the right equipment. Companies like Heliocol Solar, part of the Magen ecoEnergy Group, are always bringing innovative products to market that work efficiently to increase pool temperatures at reduced costs. Their solar heating systems, for instance, are perfect for heating pools during spring and autumn without breaking the proverbial bank. Such systems minimise reliance on gas and electrical heating and reduce any other common maintenance woes that keep homeowners from enjoying their pool throughout the year.

Subject to location, seasonal variations and individual needs, solar pool heating systems can extend the swimming season by up to four months per year. In most parts of Australia this could provide you with up to eight or even nine months of comfortable swimming. In northern Australia, your season could even extend to year-round swimming.

In recent times some people have been enquiring about purchasing a PV system and an electric heat pump to heat their pool, the theory being that PV power can run the heat pump for free. “If you already own a solar (PV) system, your electric pool heating will consume a large percentage of the savings the PV system makes. Why allow that when a dedicated solar pool heating system will do it for you much more economically. At the same time, it will free up your PV system to provide power for other appliances or earn you income if you receive feed-in tariffs from sending power back into the grid,” says Peter.

So even if upfront costs prohibit you from purchasing those fancy rooftop solar panels from your energy provider, solar pool heating systems like those from Heliocol are a step in the right direction when it comes to reducing your carbon footprint and those everyday costs that come with owning a pool.

How do you use your pool?

This is the most important question, suggests Peter. “Most pools in Australia are under-utilised, with pool owners often only using their pools during the three months of summer,” says Peter. “During periods in spring and autumn, daytime temperatures will still encourage swimming, however pool owners often find their pools are too cold. This is because cooler evening air temperatures often drag heat from the pool during the night.”

Solar systems are flexible, able to work in conjunction with existing gas or heat pump systems to provide consumers with the best of both worlds: solar heating which heats your pool for free, while gas or heat pump systems can back this up and maintain constant temperatures throughout the year.

However, pool owners need to ask themselves, do they really want to swim in the middle of winter and, if they do, are they prepared to foot the bill? “Don’t be fooled by claims you can swim all year at 28 degrees with a heat pump or gas heater for a few hundred dollars,” cautions Peter. “Solar pool heating systems offer swimming when people normally want to swim — spring, summer, autumn, and at a fraction of the cost.”

It seems using Australia’s largest natural resource is the way to go if you are looking to reduce those lifetime costs.

What exactly are the costs?

When designing a pool, it is important for those cost-conscious homeowners to consider the life expense of their pool heating system. “A Heliocol system, for instance, has low running costs, is generally maintenance-free, and has a much longer lifespan than a typical heat pump or gas heater,” says Peter.

The only running cost is the power to run the circulating pump that pushes water through the system where it is substantially heated as it travels through hundreds of tiny tubes.

“And unlike other solar systems, Heliocol systems can provide 137m of tubing per square metre of surface area, which is much greater than any other comparable product on the market,” informs Peter. For the homeowner, this means greater heating efficiency and thus reduced living costs over the long lifetime of the system.

For Peter, it’s a matter of thinking smart and investing wisely in your home and your family life. “I love to hear comments from happy customers, such as ‘that’s the best thing we’ve ever done to our house and our lifestyle’. It’s nice to be a part of a team that has become the largest of its type in the world — and for very good reason.”

For more information on Heliocol innovations, visit heliocol.com.au

Originally from Poolside Showcase, Volume 24

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The principles involved in solar pool heating are very simple. Imagine a garden hose that has been lying in the sun for several hours. When you turn on the tap, out comes hot water. The sun’s energy has been absorbed by the hose and transmitted as heat to the water inside it. Basically the hose acts as a solar collector, which is the process of solar heating.

Zane has developed a similar system that absorbs the sun’s heat and transfers it to your swimming pool. The water in your pool is heated as it flows through a series of solar absorbers – also known as the collector – strategically installed in the contours of your roof. Heated water is then returned to the pool to increase its overall temperature and extend your swimming season.

To capture the maximum amount of energy produced by the sun, the solar collector is usually installed on a north-facing surface such as the roof of the house or garage, on a patio cover, or specially built structure. This way, a typical daily temperature of 20-25°C (68-77°F) can achieve a roof material temperature of around 50°C (122°F).

Benefits and Expectations

Just because the air temperature might be cooling down, it doesn’t mean you should stop enjoying your pool.

The ideal temperature for leisure swimming is around 25 to 26 degrees Celsius, but this temperature is rarely achieved naturally. For most of the swimming season, temperature is usually around 18 to 20 degrees, with most of the warmth gained during the day then lost overnight.

Fortunately, there’s a range of effective, energy-efficient heating solutions designed to increase the amount of time you spend in your pool from three or four months up to nine months of the year.

The Zane Difference

Every thing that comes with the Zane name on it has been designed, tested and manufactured with the utmost care and attention to detail. The result is a superior solar system, which enjoys an expected service life of over 20 years.

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