Solar Bank Setup in 7 Days to Die: Trader Costs, Solar Cells, and Wiring

Electric devices in 7 Days to Die (speakers, traps, lights, the lot) all need a power source. A Generator Bank does the job, but it burns fuel and announces your location to every zombie within earshot. A Solar Bank is the quieter option: charge during daylight, run your defenses without paying in gasoline.

Here is the catch though. You cannot craft one.

Where to Find a Solar Bank

Solar Banks are trader-only. To even unlock the option, you need Level 5 Barter, which means investing several skill points before the trader screen will offer one to you. Once you qualify, the price tag is 4,500 Dukes per unit. It was 3,000 before Alpha 21, so older guides may still quote the old number.

Bring cash. The trader will not negotiate.

Solar Cells: The Other Trader Purchase

A Solar Bank by itself produces nothing. It needs Solar Cells plugged into its slots, and yes, those are also trader-only. Barter Level 4 unlocks them.

A few details worth knowing before you spend your savings:

• One cell is the minimum, six is the maximum.
• More cells means more output, peaking around 180W with a full set.
• Solar Cells never degrade or need repairs. Once installed, they stay installed.

Crafting the Battery Bank

The Solar Bank generates the power, but you need a Battery Bank to store and distribute it. Unlike the previous two items, this one you can actually build. At the Workbench:

• 10x Forged Iron
• 11x Electrical Parts
• 6x Scrap Polymers

Electrical Parts tend to be the bottleneck for most players, so loot any office or workshop POI you come across along the way.

Wiring Everything Together

Once you have your Solar Bank with cells inside, your Battery Bank, and a spot to place them, the connection is straightforward:

1. Position both objects where you want them.
2. Equip the Wire Tool.
3. Right-click on the first object and wait for the animation to finish.
4. Aim at the second object and right-click again.
5. Let the animation complete.

From the Battery Bank you can then run wires out to your devices: traps, lights, electric fences, whatever the base needs.

With the full chain in place, daytime sun keeps your base humming without you ever having to refuel a generator or rely on a higher tier Power Station doing the same job.