Apart from a flexible timer function and a high-quality solar panel, the solar irrigation controller is uncomplicated, adaptable to various weather conditions, and durable. Some even come with rain sensors, multiple outlets, broad displays, and remote control, which can be integrated with smart devices.
Things to Consider
When choosing a solar irrigation controller for sprinkler systems, the flexibility of the timer is vital. A basic timer would activate and deactivate the sprinklers several times daily – a rigid routine. But with a flexible function timer, you can customize the frequency and intervals between the sprinkler activity.
The quality of the panel that comes with your controller will determine how reliable it is. A high-quality solar panel will offer high efficiency and sufficient power output. This way, the controller will always have enough juice to run.
As the seasons change, the water requirement of your garden changes accordingly. A top-notch irrigation controller would be able to adjust its functions to the changes in the weather. For example, more rainfall offers less irrigation, and when there is less, it irrigates more frequently.
Of course, your solar-powered irrigation controller is only helpful if you can operate it. While some products are complicated to use, you should focus on those with straightforward functions.
Then, since most solar-powered irrigation controllers are installed outdoors, you should get one durable enough to resist harsh weather conditions. Impact resistance and resistance against other harmful forces are also significant.
Top on our list is the DIG Solar Powered Irrigation Controller. We chose this irrigation controller as our number one pick because of its rain detection system, high-efficiency solar panel, and because it is environmentally friendly with no backup battery.
These solar-powered controllers offer an irrigation interval from 1 minute to 5 hours in manual mode. This makes it easy for you to set out any watering pattern you want – the frequency and duration of irrigation are in your hands.
While the Netro Pixie Smart Hose Faucet Timer provides manual and automatic watering, it does not offer the same flexibility as the DIG Solar Powered Watering Timer.
This solar irrigation’s LCD screen has an am/pm clock and icon-based programming. This makes an easy operation since you would not have to squint to see what you are doing.
Rain Delay System
The automatic rain delay system is another essential feature of this device. This irrigation system delays watering by at least 12 hours and, at most, 7 days. The second product on our list has a similar irrigation system to help reduce water consumption and postpone watering when there is rain.
The solar panel of this product is made of monocrystalline cells. So, you can expect that the panel uses a relatively high amount of the sun rays that get to it. Even better is the battery capacity of this solar-powered irrigation controller. After a full charge, the controller can run on battery for up to one year – pretty amazing.
Compared to the DIG Solar Powered Irrigation Timer, the Netro Pixie Smart Hose Faucet Timer battery is estimated to last about 2 to 4 weeks when fully charged.
Sure, it is made of plastic. While this will not resist significant impact, it is airtight enough to remove water and resist UV damage.
While this solar powered irrigation controller truly offers flexible timing, you cannot set it to irrigate at specific times. You can only choose specific irrigation intervals. Also, you cannot integrate this with smart devices. In other words, you cannot monitor its operation via Google Assistant, Alexa, or your smartphone.
Pros
Environmentally friendly.
The PV panel is made of monocrystalline cells, so it is highly efficient.
You get to set water duration and interval by yourself.
Easy to install.
It is moderately durable.
Cons
It cannot be integrated with smart devices for monitoring.
The Netro Pixie Smart Hose Faucet Timer comes in a close second on our list. It takes this spot because of its smart integration, rain delay system, remote watering control, and weather adaptability.
Beyond that, it can be integrated with smart devices. You can connect it to Android 5.0+ devices, web browsers, and iOS 8.3+ devices. You can use smart AIs like Google Assistant, Alexa, and IFTTT.
Remote Watering Control
Integrating your solar-powered irrigation controller with smart devices allows you to control watering remotely manually. It also allows storing and saving irrigation data on a free lifetime cloud service. These are features you will not get with our top choice.
This device needs no hub to connect to the internet; it connects directly to 2.4 G WiFi.
Besides integrating with smart devices, it has a Smart Watering feature. This feature adjusts your watering schedule to save water and works with weather data to optimize its function.
While this product does offer manual watering, the interval & frequency range does not match that of the top product. But then, its manual watering mode comes with a less-than-60-minute delay, which helps to save charge.
While it uses rechargeable lithium batteries like the first product in this review, the first product has the higher battery capacity. The Netro Pixie uses a 1400 mAh removable battery, lasting 2-4 weeks without the sun.
You could rev things up in your garden by getting the Netro Whisperer alongside this device. Connecting both devices lets you monitor your garden’s temperature, sunlight, and moisture level.
The Netro Pixie is easy to install, it comes with a water thread that filters water, and the interface is easy to understand. In addition, it has an IP65 rating – so it will considerably resist water, dust, and UV.
Pros
You can integrate it with smart devices for remote monitoring and control.
It has a smart watering feature, which saves water and adapts to weather changes.
The Ancnoble Irrigation Controller has the largest solar panel among all the solar-powered controllers we have reviewed. So, expectedly, it offers the highest solar output.
Apart from high output, this solar-powered irrigation device has a timer control that lets you adjust the irrigation interval to your taste.
Besides the timer control, this product has a moisture sensor. The moisture sensor touches the soil in your garden and regulates watering based on the soil’s moisture level. So when the timer control is on, the moisture sensor can double as a rain sensor, stopping irrigation during rainfall. This is similar to what the previous product offers.
The moisture sensor is ideal for plants in your garden; you will not have to worry about overwatering or underwatering them.
The Ancnoble GG-005C-1 runs on 4 rechargeable AA batteries, unlike the top two options. Nonetheless, the batteries do their work just fine. You can use the non-rechargeable types if you need to replace the batteries but cannot find rechargeable ones.
The Ancnoble GG-005C-1 has a 3/4″standard thread and a 3/8″ flow-rated valve. It is also easy to set up, although not as easy as the other two products.
Overall, this is a remarkable product. However, it isn’t quite durable.
Pros
High solar output – more than the other 2 products.
It comes with a timer control for flexibility.
It features a moisture sensor, which automates irrigation according to the moisture content of the soil.
It can run on rechargeable and non-rechargeable AA batteries.
Solar Power LCD Screen Garden Irrigation is convenient and efficient in many ways. For us, setting custom times was one of the most impressive features. Unlike many other irrigation controllers, we could change the sprinkling interval and frequency to the extent we wanted when using this device. The LCD screen was the icing on the cake; it made everything even more convenient.
The way this device adapts its water usage to the weather is pretty smart. It uses less water when possible, making its operation water-efficient for the most part. This feature bought us over completely.
The timer and the auto-watering feature combined well to ensure this irrigation controller minimized water loss. So, besides giving us flexible, precise, and reliable control over irrigation, those features also helped us save water.
The installation was uncomplicated. We just had to connect the controller to the pipes – there was barely any need for wiring or anything complicated. You’d have to get batteries, but it’s nothing serious.
All in all, the Solar Power LCD Screen Garden Irrigation Controller is the kind of irrigation controller you’d love if you want to minimize water wastage. The reliability and flexibility of its operations are also remarkable.
Pros
Flexible timer control
Smart weather sensor minimizes water wastage
LCD screen for easy operation
Straightforward installation
Auto watering
Cons
Does not come with rechargeable batteries
5. One-Station Solar Powered Irrigation Controller
The One-Station Solar Powered Irrigation Controller has a somewhat minimalistic operation. You wouldn’t have to do much to get it to work as desired.
Featuring 20 programs based on historical evapotranspiration data, you only have to program the device to operate as you want. You can program the device for drip irrigation in 10 different ways. You also get 10 different programs for the sprinkler. So, irrigation is based on analysis instead of controlling the irrigation interval and frequency with a timer.
We liked the fact that it comes with a daily water restriction feature. Since the operation is mostly automated, having a check that prevents water wastage reassured us.
Overall, the One-Station Solar Powered Irrigation Controller is intuitive and efficient. So, if you are looking for an irrigation controller requiring minimal input, try it out.
Pros
Irrigation control is based on historical data
Requires minimal user input
Features a daily water restriction function
Cons
No backup power; it only runs on solar power.
Buyer’s Guide
Durability
Your solar-powered irrigation regulator will spend time in the sun for obvious reasons. However, it will also be exposed to snow, rainfall, and other harsh elements.
So, it only makes sense to opt for one made from a durable material. Also, look out for the ingress protection code – IP65 to 68 offers some of the best resistance to water and dust.
Flexible Timer Function
When getting solar-powered irrigation devices for sprinkler systems, having a timer, you can customize a long way. A flexible timer allows you to adjust the frequency & duration of watering to a setting that suits the conditions of your lawn.
Battery Life
In the absence of sunlight, the control needs the battery to run. Therefore, the longer the battery life, the longer the irrigation control can run without sunlight.
Weather Adaptability
As the weather changes (especially changes in rainfall), your lawn will need more or less water. The best solar-powered irrigation regulators for sprinkler systems typically come with rain or moisture sensors.
These sensors come in various forms, such as expansion disks and rainfall collection cups. They notify the irrigation control of the level of rainfall, and in turn, the control increases or decreases the duration & frequency of watering accordingly.
Number of Outlets
If you have a large lawn, you may need more than one outlet to cover the area properly. To this end, you should get a solar-powered irrigation regulator with multiple outlets. The water from each outlet will cover different parts of the lawn, so you get wider coverage.
Integration With Smart Devices
If you would love to monitor or control your solar-powered irrigation timer with your smart device, opt for one that supports smart irrigation.
This way, you can store & monitor irrigation data, get the weather forecast, and even control watering with AI such as Google Assistant.
Final Thoughts
Besides solar-powered water pumps, the best solar irrigation controllers contribute to sustainable agriculture by conserving energy, reducing carbon emissions, and promoting efficient water use.
There is a lot for every individual to consider when buying a solar-powered controller. You have to consider the size of your lawn, how much control you want over the frequency and duration of watering and much more.
Once you clearly define these details, the other considerations are pretty straightforward.
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Adeyomola Kazeem
Adeyomola loves the purity that comes with solar energy. He believes that with the yellow dwarf star already brimming with energy, the world does not need to deplete non-renewable energy sources. Especially since said energy sources might be harmful to our world.He has had hands-on experiences creating solar energy panels himself and has worked closely with solar engineers. In a bid to preserve environmental integrity, Adeyomola would rather walk certain distances instead of driving or taking a bus. He sometimes spends his free time planting and tending to plants or wondering why we underutilize the biggest star in our solar system.
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