Small Solar Projects With No Wiring: Floodlights, Fans and Security Cameras

The easiest way to start with solar at home is a self-contained gadget: a floodlight, fan or security camera with its own small panel and built-in battery, so there’s no wiring to your house at all. Good options on Lazada include the Ecolum solar floodlight (1,200 lumens, despite being sold as “100W”), the Firefly FEL6116 solar desk fan (up to 10 hours on low), the eufy C37 solar camera and the Tapo A201 solar panel for Tapo battery cameras. The most important buying tip: ignore the “watts” on solar floodlights and compare lumens.

These gadgets are useful during brownouts, for lighting a gate or garage without running a cable, and for watching a property where there’s no outlet. Below, we go through what each product’s specs actually tell you, where the listings are unreliable, and how to place them for Philippine sun and the rainy season.

Why solar floodlight “watts” are misleading

Walk through any hardware store or browse Lazada and you’ll see solar floodlights labelled 100W, 200W, 300W or more. On solar floodlights, that number is usually a marketing class, not the actual power the LEDs use.

A quick sense check shows why. A light that really used 200W would drain a 200Wh battery in one hour. The small panels on these lights can only collect a fraction of that in a day. Here’s how it plays out on the two floodlights we cover:

• The Firefly “200W” floodlight has a 20W solar panel and a 20Ah LiFePO4 battery (the voltage isn’t stated). A 20W panel and a battery of that size can’t run a real 200W lamp for any useful time.
• The Ecolum “100W” floodlight is rated at 1,200 lumens. That brightness works out to roughly 8–12W of actual LED power, not 100W.

Lumens measure how much light comes out. That’s the number to compare. If a listing gives watts but no lumens, ask the seller for the lumen rating, or pick a model that publishes one.

Solar floodlights: Firefly and Ecolum

Ecolum Solar Floodlight (CFL52100DL): the one with a verified lumen rating

The specs come from FELCO (Firefly Electric’s official store) and Firefly Electric’s own site. This is the CFL52 series; don’t confuse it with the Ecolum CFL53 series, which is a different product.

The battery maths is simple: 15Ah × 3.2V = 48Wh. Neither Firefly nor FELCO publishes how many hours it runs per night, so test it yourself: charge it for two sunny days, then note how long it stays bright. Use the remote to lower brightness or set a mode if you need it to last until morning.

Firefly Solar Floodlight “200W” Warm White (EFL51200WW): check the lumens

The warm-white version linked here comes from a Lazada listing. FELCO’s own store doesn’t list a warm-white variant. Firefly’s daylight version of this light (EFL51200DL) is published at 1,500 lumens on FELCO’s store and 1,800 lumens on Firefly’s site, but that’s a different model with a different panel and battery. Don’t assume the warm-white one matches.

Warm white or daylight? Warm white (3000K) has a yellowish glow that’s easier on the eyes for a porch or garden. Daylight (cooler white) usually looks brighter and suits security lighting for a gate or driveway. If brightness matters most, ask the seller for the warm-white model’s lumen figure before buying.

Solar fans: Firefly and Bosca

A solar fan is really a rechargeable fan that you can charge from a small solar panel. During long brownouts in the hot months, even a few hours of moving air helps, especially for children and older family members.

Firefly Rechargeable Desk Fan with Solar Panel (FEL6116)

These figures come from FELCO, Firefly’s official store. A few things are worth understanding:

• The 18W rating is probably the AC figure. The battery holds about 27Wh (6V × 4.5Ah). Lasting 3 hours on high means it draws roughly 9W on battery. So expect a bit less airflow on battery than when plugged in.
• Charging is slow. Firefly gives 12–15 hours for a full charge. In practice, charge it from the wall whenever you have power, and treat the solar panel as a top-up during long brownouts.
• It has a lead-acid battery. Lead-acid batteries last longer if you don’t leave them flat for long. Recharge it soon after use, and top it up every so often even when you aren’t using it.
• The extras are useful in a brownout. The USB port can charge a phone, and the LED bulbs and night lamp give basic light.

Bosca 16” Solar Stand Fan (BSF-888): the listing contradicts itself

Every figure here is a seller claim, and they don’t add up:

• Charging: a 1A charger can’t fill an 18,000mAh battery in 4–6 hours. At 1A, it would take at least 18 hours, even with zero losses.
• Battery size: running 25W for 6 hours needs 150Wh. That only works if the battery is a true 12V pack. The listing doesn’t give the voltage, so the 18,000mAh figure can’t be checked.
• Oscillation: the title says it oscillates, but the specification says it doesn’t.

That doesn’t mean it’s a bad fan. It means you can’t plan around the listing’s numbers. If you’re interested, ask the seller: What is the battery voltage? What charger comes with it? Does it oscillate? Then time its runtime yourself after the first full charge. The 5m panel wire is handy, because it lets you keep the fan indoors while the panel sits in the sun.

Which fan to choose?

If you want figures you can trust, choose the Firefly FEL6116. If you need a taller stand fan and you’re comfortable testing it yourself, the Bosca BSF-888 is an option, but confirm the details with the seller first.

Solar security cameras: eufy C37 and Tapo A201

A battery-powered camera with a solar panel can watch a gate, a garage or a sari-sari store with no outlet nearby. The camera still needs a Wi-Fi signal where you mount it.

eufy Cam C37 (T814X)

Points to know before buying:

• 2.4GHz Wi-Fi only. Many home routers broadcast both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. Make sure the 2.4GHz network reaches the spot. Test with your phone’s Wi-Fi signal at the mounting point first.
• No continuous recording. It records events (such as motion), not 24/7 footage.
• Buy a microSD card separately (up to 256GB).
• The “45 days” figure is eufy’s claim at 75 motion events a day. A busy street-facing gate may trigger far more events, which drains the battery faster. The 3W panel then has to keep up.
• The split panel is the advantage. Because the panel detaches, you can mount the camera under the eaves where it’s sheltered, and put the panel where it gets direct sun.
• The Lazada seller is listed as “Anker”, but it isn’t flagged as an official store in our product list. Check the seller details on the listing.

Tapo A201 solar panel (for Tapo battery cameras)

The Tapo A201 is a solar panel accessory, not a camera. It keeps a Tapo battery camera topped up so you don’t have to take it down to recharge.

Compatibility: TP-Link’s spec page lists Type-C cameras (Tapo C460 v1.0, C410 v1.0/1.20/2.0, C425 v2.0) and, through the included Micro-USB adapter, the C400S2 v1.0, C420 v1.0/1.20 and C425 v1.0/1.20. The Tapo Philippines page says it’s “Compatible with all Tapo Battery Cameras”. Check your camera’s model and hardware version (on the label) against the list.

The listing is from the TP-Link Official Store on Lazada. A v2 hardware version of the A201 also exists; these figures are for v1, so check the box for any differences.

Watch the heat limit. The A201’s operating range tops out at 45°C. Don’t fix it flat against a sun-baked metal roof or wall. Mount it on its bracket with air around it.

Placement tips for Philippine sun and the rainy season

These apply to every gadget above:

1. Full sun, no shade. Even partial shade from a tree branch, a neighbour’s wall or a power line can cut a small panel’s output sharply. Watch the spot for a full day before drilling.
2. Face the open sky to the south where you can. The Philippines is north of the equator, so the sun sits a little to the south for much of the year. An east or west aspect still works but gives less.
3. Tilt the panel. A small tilt lets rain wash dust and leaves off. A panel lying flat collects dirt and bird droppings.
4. Keep the battery part in the shade. Floodlight lamps, fans and cameras have batteries inside. Mount the lamp or camera under eaves and run the panel cable to the sunny spot. Heat shortens battery life.
5. Point cable entries downward and add a small drip loop so rain runs off before reaching a plug. An IP65 rating doesn’t make a plug safe to sit in pooled water.
6. Clean the panels. Wipe the panel with a damp cloth every few weeks in the dry season, when dust builds up fastest.
7. Expect less in the rainy season. After several cloudy days, a solar light may not last the whole night, and a camera may need a USB recharge. That’s normal for small panels.
8. Secure everything before a typhoon. Tighten brackets and take portable panels and fans indoors when PAGASA raises a wind signal. A small panel on a loose bracket becomes a projectile.
9. Check your Wi-Fi first for cameras: walk to the spot with your phone and test the 2.4GHz signal.

Safety: what counts as DIY here

Everything in this guide is self-contained: the panel, battery and device come together, and nothing connects to your house wiring. You can set these up yourself by following the manual. Use a stable ladder and a helper for anything above head height. Anything wired to the house, a breaker panel or the grid needs a licensed electrician and an LGU electrical permit.

If you want backup power for more than a fan and a light, a portable power station is the next step up; see our guide to backup power during brownouts. For the small battery basics behind these gadgets, read our LiFePO4 batteries guide.

What to buy

Floodlights (compare by lumens):

• Ecolum solar floodlight (CFL52100DL) on Lazada: 1,200 lumens, 15W panel, 48Wh LiFePO4, remote. Runtime not published; test it.
• Firefly “200W” warm-white floodlight (EFL51200WW) on Lazada: 20W panel, 20Ah LiFePO4. Ask the seller for the lumen rating before buying.

Fans:

• Firefly FEL6116 solar desk fan on Lazada: verified runtimes; 12–15 hour charge.
• Bosca BSF-888 16” solar stand fan on Lazada: seller claims only; ask about battery voltage, charger and oscillation.

Security cameras:

• eufy C37 2K solar camera on Lazada: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi only; buy a microSD card.
• Tapo A201 solar panel on Lazada (TP-Link Official Store): only if you already have a compatible Tapo battery camera.

Prices change daily, so check today’s price on each listing.

Bottom line

Self-contained solar gadgets are the simplest, safest way to use solar at home, with no wiring and no permits. Buy floodlights by lumens, not “watts”: the Ecolum’s 1,200-lumen rating is a real number you can compare. For fans, the Firefly FEL6116 publishes runtimes you can plan around, while the Bosca listing needs checking. For cameras, the eufy C37 suits a spot with good 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, and the Tapo A201 keeps compatible Tapo cameras charged. Put every panel in full sun, keep batteries in the shade, and expect less during the rainy season.