How To Solve The Solar Panel Puzzle In Borderlands 4

You’ll encounter this puzzle about halfway through the “No Place Like Home” side mission. After retrieving a portrait of Moxxi for Claptrap, he’ll send you to find a voice processor from a robot named VR-0N1CA. This leads you to an upper level of The Flarewell, an Order base in the Hungering Plain.

After clearing the area of enemies, you will find the processor locked behind a large bulkhead door. Claptrap, in his infinite wisdom, suggests you find a way to open it. Your objective will lead you to a nearby control panel that activates a laser ballista. When you hit the switch, a laser will fire, but it won’t be aimed at the door. Your task is to use the two nearby solar panels to redirect the laser beam and blast the door open.

Step-by-Step Solution to the Solar Panel Puzzle

Solving this puzzle is a matter of correctly positioning the two adjustable solar panels to bounce the laser beam from the ballista to the bulkhead door. You will use your Grapple ability to pull and reposition each panel. The key is understanding that each panel has a fixed number of positions it can rotate to.

Step 1: Locate the Control Panel and Solar Panels

First, find the control panel on the rooftop. It will be marked with a mission objective. Activating it fires the laser. You will see two large, adjustable solar panels nearby. For clarity, we’ll call the panel closer to the laser ballista Panel 1 and the one closer to the bulkhead door Panel 2.

Step 2: Adjust the First Solar Panel (Panel 1)

Your first step is to redirect the initial laser beam toward the second panel.

1. Approach Panel 1, which is the panel the laser is currently hitting.
2. Aim your reticle at the panel and use your Grapple ability. This will pull the panel, causing it to rotate.
3. You need to position Panel 1 so that it reflects the laser beam directly onto Panel 2. Pull the panel until the beam bounces off it and makes contact with the surface of the second panel. It might take a couple of pulls to get it into the correct alignment. You’ll know it’s right when the laser beam travels cleanly from the ballista to Panel 1 and then to Panel 2.

Step 3: Adjust the Second Solar Panel (Panel 2)

With the laser now hitting the second panel, your final step is to aim it at the bulkhead door.

1. Move over to Panel 2.
2. Use your Grapple ability to begin rotating this panel.
3. Your goal is to angle it so that the reflected beam from Panel 1 bounces off Panel 2 and strikes the bulkhead door.
4. Pull the panel until the laser beam is perfectly aligned with the door. Once the laser hits its target, the door will be blasted open after a brief moment.

Step 4: Claim Your Prize

With the bulkhead door destroyed, you can now proceed. Be prepared for a fight, as a Badass Synth enemy will ambush you as soon as you head inside. Defeat it, and you can then enter the room to find the (now fried) voice processor.

Tips for Solving the Puzzle Quickly

• Look at the Light: The laser beam provides instant feedback. If the beam is hitting the ground or flying off into the sky, you know the panel isn’t in the right position.
• Don’t Overthink It: There are only two panels and a limited number of positions for each. If you get stuck, just cycle through the positions for each panel until the laser connects.
• Clear the Area First: Make sure you have defeated all the Order enemies on the rooftop before you start the puzzle. This will prevent you from being interrupted while you are trying to align the panels.

By following these simple steps, you can solve the solar panel puzzle with ease and continue on your quest to help Claptrap build a new “home” on Kairos. This puzzle is a great example of the fun and engaging environmental interactions that make exploring the world of Borderlands 4 so rewarding.