Solar-Powered ESP32 Dev Board: Narrow Studios Designs a Purpose-Built IoT Solar Development Platform
Narrow Studios has designed a solar-focused ESP32 development board after finding no suitable off-the-shelf option for IoT solar applications. Built around the ESP32-C6 Mini, the board integrates a Texas Instruments BQ25186 linear battery charger IC, a QWIIC connector for I2C sensor expansion, and reverse-voltage protection. The board is manufactured by PCBWay and targets developers building remote solar-powered IoT nodes and outdoor monitoring devices.
Highlights
- Narrow Studios designed a solar ESP32 development board using the ESP32-C6 Mini, manufactured by PCBWay, after finding no suitable purpose-built option on the market.
- The board integrates a Texas Instruments BQ25186 linear battery charger IC specifically designed for solar input, with reverse-voltage protection to prevent damage from wiring errors.
- The board exposes 10 I/O pins and includes a QWIIC connector supporting I2C, enabling easy integration with the broader QWIIC sensor ecosystem.
- Supported wireless protocols include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Matter, Thread, and Zigbee, making the board suitable for diverse IoT and smart home applications.
- Target use cases include solar-powered remote sensing nodes, outdoor environmental monitoring, low-power IoT gateways, and multi-protocol smart home devices.
Narrow Studios Launches Solar ESP32 Dev Board Targeting IoT Applications
While ESP32-based development boards are abundant on the market, purpose-built options designed specifically for solar-powered IoT applications remain rare. Narrow Studios identified this gap and decided to design their own board from scratch, commissioning PCBWay to handle manufacturing.
Core Specs: Powered by the ESP32-C6 Mini
At the heart of the board is the ESP32-C6 Mini, which supports a comprehensive range of mainstream IoT communication protocols, including:
- Bluetooth
- Wi-Fi
- Matter
- Thread
- Zigbee
The board exposes 10 I/O pins and features a QWIIC connector (I2C interface), giving developers easy access to the extensive QWIIC sensor ecosystem and significantly reducing hardware integration complexity.
Solar Charging Design: Texas Instruments BQ25186 IC
The solar functionality centers on the onboard Texas Instruments BQ25186 linear battery charger IC, which is specifically designed for solar input. The board also incorporates reverse-voltage protection — a practical safeguard for developers who have previously damaged components through wiring errors. This forward-thinking protection feature reflects Narrow Studios' deep understanding of real-world deployment scenarios.
Design Philosophy and Demo
Narrow Studios has released a video (embedded on the project page) walking through the design decisions and demonstrating the board in operation. Full project documentation is available for interested developers.
Who Is This Board For?
This development board is particularly well-suited for developers working on:
- Solar-powered remote sensing nodes
- Outdoor environmental monitoring devices
- Low-power IoT gateways
- Smart home applications requiring multi-protocol wireless integration
While ESP32-based solar projects are not new — some developers have even implemented Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) with the platform — this purpose-designed board may be the ready-made starting point many developers have been waiting for. Those interested in obtaining the board should contact PCBWay directly.
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