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Sliding or swing gates are a great way to protect your property from intruders and unauthorized persons. However, manually operating a sliding gate is hard work, tedious, and can lead to accidents and injuries.
Using an automatic gate opener for your gate, such as the ones designed by Apollo, can increase the overall security of your property and eliminate the hassle and dangers associated with operating gates manually.
But what happens when there’s a power outage? A blackout will mean your gate can’t function at all, which can cause all kinds of issues as you won’t be able to open or close it yourself.
Solar power is the perfect solution for powering gate openers during outages.
At All Security Equipment, we stock a variety of Apollo solar gate openers—truly the best choice—as well as all the accessories you need to make your regular gate opener solar-powered, which we will tell you more about later in this article.
For now, let’s unpack the basics of solar gate openers and what you need to consider before purchasing one.
What Is a Gate Opener?
A gate opener is an electronic device that automatically opens and closes sliding or swing gates without the need for manual operation.
Automatic gate openers provide both convenience and security for homes, businesses, and any other properties with gates.
These gate openers come in various sizes, maximum weight capacities, and design finishes.
Automatic gate openers can be powered by electricity, batteries, or solar energy.
What Is a Solar Gate Opener?
A solar gate opener is the exact device we’ve described above, except it is powered by solar energy, not electricity.
Solar gate openers are designed to automate the process of opening and closing a gate, using solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity, which powers the opener.
A solar-powered gate opener is a sustainable and eco-friendly solution for properties that require privacy and security. They’re especially useful in rural areas where there may not be easy access to grid electricity or when facing high electricity costs.
Typically, solar gate openers consist of a solar panel mounted on top of the gate or nearby, a rechargeable battery to store the solar energy, and a motor that drives the gate opener.
Additionally, Apollo solar gate openers have extra features like loop detectors that sense the presence of vehicles or pedestrians, stop the gate from closing, and prevent accidents.
What are the benefits of installing a solar gate opener?
Using a solar panel setup provided by Apollo has various benefits if you want to secure your driveway gates with an automatic gate opener. Some of these advantages include:
- Energy efficient: As they are powered by renewable energy from the sun, solar gate openers reduce your carbon footprint and help to conserve the environment.
- Affordability: You can save on electricity bills in the long run by installing a solar gate opener, especially in regions where electricity is expensive or not readily available.
- Easy to install: A solar gate opener is typically quite easy to install and can be placed anywhere where there is adequate sunlight exposure.
- Low maintenance: As there are no batteries or electrical components that must be replaced regularly, solar gate openers require minimal maintenance.
- Security: As well as being cost-effective, solar-powered gates enhance the security of your property around the clock, even if there is an outage.
- Convenience: With solar-powered gate openers, there’s no need to manually open and close a gate, which can be time-consuming, dangerous, and demanding.
- Safety: The process of manually opening and closing a gate can cause harm to vehicles and pedestrians. Automatic gate openers have sensors that detect if there is an obstruction in the pathway of the gate—such as a person or vehicle—which will stop the gate from closing on them, eliminating accidents and injuries.
How do solar gate openers work?
A solar gate opener is equipped with a solar panel that absorbs sunlight and turns it into direct current (DC) electricity. The DC electricity is sent to a charge controller, which regulates the amount of power sent to the battery.
The charge controller also prevents overcharging or undercharging of the battery, ensuring it’s always at an optimal charge level.
The battery stores the solar energy, and when the gate is activated, it provides the required power to operate the motor.
The motor is the main component of the gate opener, as it’s responsible for opening and closing the gate. It is powered by the battery and is activated by a device such as a remote control, keypad, or even voice control.
The gate opener system will include a control board that manages the mechanism's operation.The control board, for example, will receive a signal from a remote control and send the signal to the motor to open or close the gate.
Sensors and safety mechanisms
In addition to all the components described above, solar-powered automatic gate openers often include sensors that detect obstacles in the path of the gate and prevent it from closing if there’s an obstruction. These sensors ensure that the gate doesn’t accidentally close on a person or object.
Also, solar gate openers will sometimes have safety mechanisms for emergency situations. For example, some models include emergency manual release mechanisms to ensure the gate can be opened and closed manually in an emergency.
How do I install solar gates?
The first thing to take into consideration when installing a solar gate opener is that there are two installation modes:
Stand-alone
This is when your gate opener relies solely on solar power and doesn’t use any other power source.
The solar panel charges the battery during the day, and the battery provides power to the gate opener at night.
Stand-alone mode is suitable for gates situated in areas with plenty of sunlight that don’t need to be operated frequently.
Hybrid
A hybrid gate opener combines solar power with an alternative power source, such as AC power or a backup battery.
The solar panel charges the battery during the day, and the gate opener can switch to the alternative power source when the battery is low due to a lack of sunlight, or when the gate is operated frequently.
DIY installation
The great thing about solar gate openers is that they are relatively easy to install if you have an existing gate.
Typically, the product comes with detailed instructions for installation, and you can even watch a few online how-to videos before you get started.
However, if you lack the tools or the knowledge to install the opener yourself, it’s a good idea to call on a specialist who can carry out the installation for you.
Owning an Apollo Solar Gate Opener
Now that you know more about solar gate openers and how they operate, we’d like to share some insight on choosing the best opener for your specific needs.
Here’s everything you should consider before purchasing solar panels and a gate opener.
The weight and size of your gate
If you have an existing gate onto which you want to install a solar gate opener, you must consider its weight and size.
These important factors will determine the type of gate opener you require, as the model needs to be able to handle the weight and length of your gate.
If your gate is too heavy or too large for your chosen model, you could strain the motor and cause damage to the opener.
Location and sunlight exposure
Of course, if you want to use solar panels to power your gate opener, you’ll need a decent amount of sunlight exposure so the battery can charge adequately.
The gate opener should be able to receive enough sunlight to power the solar panel and charge the battery.
Battery capacity
The battery capacity included in the automatic gate opener kit you purchase is important to consider.
The battery’s capacity will affect how long the opener can operate without direct sunlight.
A larger battery capacity allows the gate opener to operate for longer periods without sunlight.
Security features
If the purpose of your gate is to secure a property or area, it’s important to consider the security features included in the gate opener.
Features such as obstacle sensors, gate locks, and emergency release mechanisms are all important to consider when purchasing a gate opener.
Control options
A gate opener can be controlled by various methods, including remote controls, keypads, a smartphone app, and even voice commands.
You’ll want to choose a gate opener kit that comes with the control option that suits you best.
However, if your kit doesn’t include the controls you’d prefer, you can always shop our range of gate opener accessories.
Your budget
Solar gate openers can vary in price depending on their features and capacity. It’s important to balance the cost with your requirements.
We recommend investing in a solar gate opener from the start, as it will save you electricity costs down the line and is better for the planet.
Type of gate
You need to purchase a solar gate opener that is compatible with the type of gate you have. For example, you may have a swing gate that requires special features in the opener you choose.
Solar gate openers are extremely versatile because they can be used on most gates. Some types of gates that you can use openers on, include:
- Dual swing gates.
- Single swing gates.
- Slide gates.
- Barrier gates.
Solar gate openers also include designs that can be mounted on tube gates. The opener will be mounted on tube gate brackets—also known as tube brackets—providing safe and reliable operation.
Solar panel wattage
A solar panel's wattage directly affects how much power the solar gate opener can generate and how efficiently it will work.
A higher wattage will produce more power, meaning the battery is charged faster and more efficiently.
You’d want to choose a five to 30-watt solar panel for optimal operation of most gate openers.
What Are the Best Solar Gate Openers?
We stock a massive variety of automatic gate openers, both solar and electric-powered, as well as all the accessories you’d need to install your device.
However, there is one brand we can truly recommend to anyone looking for a solar gate opener: Apollo.
Our selection of Apollo solar panels for gate openers includes:
- Apollo 10
- Apollo 20
- Apollo 30
- Apollo 40
- Apollo 50
- Apollo 60
- Apollo 210
- 212 models
Swing gate operators
The Apollo swing gate operator fits a variety of applications and settings. The range includes gate openers containing a Smart CNX controller compatible with its S.T.A.R.T. CNS app and continuous-duty gate openers.
Slide gate opener
Apollo’s slide gate openers offer a collection of pad mount and post mount models in addition to the Smart CNX brand.
Sizing ranges from small to large, and is suitable for both residential and commercial gates.
Barrier arm automatic gate openers
Apollo combines functionality and style in their barrier opener arm automatic gate openers. L-Bar and M-Bar models will secure and protect any area with built-in control, making usage a breeze.
The Solar Solution for All Gates
If you’re looking for a way to secure your property and save on energy bills, an Apollo solar gate opener is an ideal solution.
Provided you’re in an area with plenty of sunlight, you can reap the benefits of solar energy, which is better for both the planet and your pocket in the long run.
Whether you have dual swing gates, a small single gate, or a seriously heavy-duty gate, you can find the perfect solar gate opener at All Security Equipment.
Looking for a comprehensive automatic gate opener kit or specific accessories? You can find them all in our online store.
With transparent shipping and award-winning support, there’s no better place to shop for your solar gate opener than All Security Equipment.
