How Much Power Does a CCTV System Use? 1

Having a CCTV system in your business or home gives you protection and security. However, a CCTV system is a long-term investment and there’s a lot to consider when planning out your budget. Many people already realize that a new system will take up more bandwidth, but they tend to forget to factor in how much power will be consumed. CCTV systems usually operate 24/7 or at least for most of the day, so it’s important to figure out exactly how much more you’ll be paying on your electric bill. This guide will help you estimate how much power a CCTV system consumes.

Calculating CCTV System Power Consumption

When you are looking at a camera’s specifications, they will usually list out the power supply and sometimes, the power consumption. If there’s no power consumption listed, then you can easily calculate it using the power supply information.

Let’s do an example. Let’s say that you are considering a camera that has a power supply listed as 12VDC/500mA. 12VDC is the camera’s voltage (V) and 500mA is the amperage (A). In order to find out the power consumption (P) in wattage (W), you’d have to multiply the voltage (V) by the amperage (A). However, keep in mind that you need to convert 500mA to A first. 1000mA is equal to 1A. So the complete calculation will look something like:

• 500mA/1000mA=0.5A
• P=V x A
• P=12VDC x 0.5A
• P=6W

You can then plug the wattage into this calculator to help you determine about how much you’ll be paying to power your CCTV system. Security cameras that have extra functions (IR night vision, IP cameras, PTZ, etc.) will consume more power, about 2-4W more.

Security cameras typically don’t consume that much energy as compared to other household electronics, like a computer or microwave. A DVR or NVR will use up more power than a security camera, especially if they are set to record 24/7. But in general, you shouldn’t expect your CCTV system to consume an extraordinary amount of power. If you’re using a CCTV system for your house, it probably won’t cost you that much more on your electric bill. If you’re using an extensive CCTV system for a large business, then there might be significant costs involved, especially if you’re using a lot of cameras with special functions.

Reducing Power Consumption

Although a typical home CCTV system doesn’t consume that much power, their consumption is still a long-term expense and affects our carbon footprint. One way to reduce power consumption is by adjusting the settings of your CCTV system. For example, you could turn some functions off or set your system to record certain times of the day instead of continuously. You should also strive to only buy durable products. Not only are they more reliable and will save you on repair costs, but they are also more energy-efficient.

As always, don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any more questions. You can call us at 877-926-2288 or connect with us on social media
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