The Large Solar Panel is how most Rust players first get power into a base. It costs almost nothing, needs no fuel and no upkeep, and one panel is enough to run a turret or a row of electric furnaces while the sun is up. The catch is the part new players learn the hard way: at night it makes nothing at all, so a solar setup without a battery switches your turrets off right when the raiders show up.
This Rust solar panel guide covers how much power a panel makes, how to craft, research or loot one, how many panels you need for furnaces, turrets and SAM sites, which battery to pair it with, the exact wiring order, how solar compares with the wind turbine, small generator and water wheel, and how easy your power is to raid.
- Power Output
- How to Get One
- How Many You Need
- Batteries
- Wiring Setup
- Solar vs Wind
- Raid Cost
- Tips
- FAQ
Want the bigger picture first? Read the full Rust electricity guide for batteries, wiring and power usage.
How Much Power a Solar Panel Makes
A Large Solar Panel produces up to 20 rW (Rust watts). The real number depends on how directly the sun hits the panel, so output climbs through the morning, peaks around midday and falls off towards sunset. At night it drops to 0. Anything that blocks the sky, like a roof tile, a wall or a cliff, cuts the output too.
The panel has a single Power Out slot and no input. It has no fuel slot and no upkeep, and it stacks 3 to a slot, so you can carry a whole setup in your inventory. Hover a Wire Tool over the output to see what it is producing right now.
| Stat | Large Solar Panel |
|---|---|
| Power output | 0 to 20 rW, depends on the sun |
| Output at night | 0 rW |
| Health | 100 HP |
| Craft cost | 5 high quality metal, 1 tech trash |
| Workbench | Level 1 |
| Research cost | 30 scrap |
| Stack size | 3 |
| Recycles into | 3 HQM, 60% chance of 1 tech trash |
How to Get a Solar Panel in Rust
There are three ways to get one, and most players use all three over a wipe.
- Craft it. 5 high quality metal and 1 tech trash at a Workbench Level 1, once you know the blueprint.
- Research it. Put a panel in a research table with 30 scrap. You lose the panel but learn the blueprint for the wipe.
- Unlock it on the tech tree. It sits in the electrical branch of the Workbench Level 1 tree.
- Loot it. Panels are a rare drop (around 2%) from normal crates, wagon crates, sunken chests and scientists. The best single source is a satellite crash: pickaxing the wreck gives 4 to 10 solar panels.
How Many Solar Panels Do You Need?
Add up what your devices draw, then divide by 20. That is the number of panels you need at full sun. Because output falls in the morning and evening, plan for a bit more, and always put a battery in the middle so the base keeps running after dark.
| Device | Power draw | Panels at full sun |
|---|---|---|
| Electric Furnace | 3 rW | 1 panel runs 6 |
| Electric Heater | 3 rW | 1 panel runs 6 |
| Auto Turret | 10 rW (11 if you wire its output) | 1 panel per turret |
| SAM Site | 25 rW | 2 panels per SAM |
Three panels (about 60 rW at midday) is the standard starter setup. It is enough to run a bank of electric furnaces during the day or two turrets, with some left over to charge a battery. For a full breakdown of furnace counts, see our Rust furnace guide.
Which Battery to Use With Solar
A rechargeable battery stores the extra power your panels make by day and hands it back at night. Batteries are 80% efficient on the way in, so 20 rW from a panel stores 16 rW. The two numbers that matter are the max output, which caps how many devices it can run at once, and the capacity, which decides how long it lasts.
| Battery | Max output | Capacity | One turret runs | Craft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Rechargeable Battery | 15 rW | 400 rWm | 40 minutes | 5 HQM, Workbench 1 |
| Medium Rechargeable Battery | 50 rW | 9,000 rWm | 15 hours | 5 HQM, 1 tech trash, Workbench 2 |
| Large Rechargeable Battery | 100 rW | 24,000 rWm | 40 hours | 10 HQM, 2 tech trash, Workbench 2 |
Solar fills a small battery fast (about 25 minutes of full sun from one panel), but a medium or large battery holds far more than a few panels can make in one day. That is fine: the battery only has to cover the night, not fill up. If you need a large battery topped up quickly, add a wind turbine.
How to Set Up Solar Panels in Rust
Every solar setup is the same five parts in a line. You connect them with the Wire Tool: click the output of one part, then the input of the next.
- Place the panels. Put them on a roof or a high platform with nothing above them. Turn each panel so its face points at the open sky before you place it.
- Combine them. A root combiner (75 metal fragments, Workbench 1) merges two inputs into one output. Chain more combiners to merge more panels.
- Feed a battery. Wire the combined line into the battery’s Power In. Turn the battery on so its output is live.
- Branch it off. From the battery’s Power Out, run into an electrical branch (75 metal fragments). Set the branch to the amount the next device needs, for example 3 for a furnace or 10 for a turret, and pass the rest down the line.
- Wire your devices. Each branch output goes to one device. Add a timer or a switch after the battery if you want to turn things off.
Solar Panel vs Wind Turbine vs Generator
Solar is not the only way to power a base. Each source has a job, and big bases usually mix two of them.
| Source | Output | Craft | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large Solar Panel | 0 to 20 rW, day only | 5 HQM, 1 tech trash, WB1 | Cheap power on any base |
| Wind Turbine | 0 to 150 rW, day and night | 500 wood, 10 HQM, 3 gears, 3 sheet metal, WB2 | Big bases and turret walls |
| Small Generator | 40 rW while fuelled | 5 HQM, 2 gears, WB2 | Steady power on demand |
| Water Wheel | 30 rW (60 with a player running inside) | 500 wood, 2 gears, 1 sheet metal | River bases |
| Road power grid | Free once the Power Plant is running | None | Bases next to a road pole |
- Wind Turbine. The strongest single source. Output depends on height above the ground under it and on the wind, so build it on a tall tower or a cliff to get near 150 rW. It also sells at Bandit Camp for 500 scrap.
- Small Generator. A flat 40 rW as long as it has fuel. It burns about 4 low grade fuel a minute (a full 500 lasts about two hours), so it is best as a backup you switch on when you need it. The admin only test generator gives 100 rW with no fuel, but normal players cannot craft or loot one.
- Water Wheel. Added in the 2026 Spring Clean update. Free power if your base sits on a river, as long as nothing blocks the current.
- Road power grid. Since the Power Trip update, a running Power Plant sends power down the roadside poles, and you can wire into them for free.
Solar Panel Raid Cost and Protection
Your power is the cheapest thing on your base to break, and raiders know it. Killing the panels or the battery switches off every turret and SAM site behind them.
| Explosive | Solar panel (100 HP) | Any battery | Wind turbine (250 HP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Rockets | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Satchel charges | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| Beancan grenades | 12 | 12 | 30 |
| Explosive 5.56 ammo | 35 | 35 | 100 |
| Fire | 3 molotovs or 1 incendiary rocket | 3 molotovs or 1 incendiary rocket | Not listed |
Panels have to sit under open sky, so you cannot fully hide them. What you can do is keep the battery, combiners and branches inside the base, spread panels across the roof so one rocket cannot take them all, and build a wind turbine as a second source. Our Rust raid calculator adds up the rest of a raid route.
Solar Power Tips
- Always add a battery. Solar makes nothing at night, and that is when you are offline.
- Keep a clear sky above. Do not tuck panels under an overhang. Even a half covered panel makes less.
- Check with the Wire Tool. It shows the live output, so you can see if a panel is badly placed.
- Mix in wind. A wind turbine keeps charging the battery overnight while your panels sleep.
- Switch things off at night. A timer or switch after the battery stops lights and heaters draining what your turrets need.
- Hide the battery. Panels outside, battery and wiring deep inside, ideally near your tool cupboard.
Solar panels, batteries and every other electrical part reset on the force wipe, so check the force wipe countdown before you sink HQM into a big setup late in the month.
Rust Solar Panel FAQ
How much power does a solar panel make in Rust?
A Large Solar Panel makes up to 20 rW. Output depends on how directly the sun hits it, so it peaks around midday, drops in the morning and evening, and falls to 0 at night.
How do you craft a solar panel in Rust?
A Large Solar Panel costs 5 high quality metal and 1 tech trash and crafts at a Workbench Level 1. You need the blueprint first, from the research table (30 scrap) or the Workbench 1 tech tree.
Do solar panels work at night in Rust?
No. Solar output drops to 0 at night. Wire your panels into a rechargeable battery so it stores power by day and keeps your devices running after dark, or add a wind turbine or small generator.
How many solar panels do you need for an auto turret?
One panel at full sun covers one turret, since a turret draws 10 rW (11 if you wire its output) and a panel makes up to 20 rW. To keep the turret on at night, wire the panels into a medium or large battery first.
How many electric furnaces can one solar panel run?
About six at midday, because an electric furnace draws 3 rW and a panel makes up to 20 rW. Three panels into a battery is the usual setup for a furnace wall.
What is the best battery for solar in Rust?
The Large Rechargeable Battery. It puts out 100 rW and stores 24,000 rWm, enough to run one turret for 40 hours. The medium battery (50 rW, 9,000 rWm) is a good cheaper option. The small battery only puts out 15 rW and stores 400 rWm, about 40 minutes for one turret.
Is a wind turbine better than solar in Rust?
A wind turbine makes much more power (up to 150 rW) and keeps going at night, but it costs 10 HQM, 3 gears, 3 sheet metal and 500 wood at Workbench 2 and needs to be built high. Solar is far cheaper and easier. Most bases run panels and a turbine into the same battery.
How do you destroy a solar panel in Rust?
A solar panel has 100 HP. It breaks to 1 C4, 1 rocket, 2 satchel charges, 3 molotovs, 1 incendiary rocket or 35 explosive 5.56 rounds. Batteries take the same amount.
Sources and Further Reading
- Craft, research, recycle, stack and raid numbers: rustlabs item data, cross-checked with Facepunch Rust Wiki, Large Solar Panel and RustClash, Large Solar Panel
- Battery output and capacity: RustClash, Large Rechargeable Battery and Corrosion Hour, Small, Medium and Large Battery
- Wind turbine output and health: RustHelp, Wind Turbine
- Small generator: Facepunch Rust Wiki, Small Generator
- Water wheel: Rustafied, Water Wheel Power update