solar-powered

IPA/ˌsəʊ.ləˈpaʊəd/
IPA/ˌsoʊ.lɚˈpaʊ.ɚd/

solar-powered — adjective

1. running on electricity that comes from sunlight, using solar panels to turn the

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

running on electricity that comes from sunlight, using solar panels to turn the sun's energy into power that can run lights, heaters, or other devices

Example

Lien installed solar-powered lights along her garden path.

solar-powered + noun: lights, heater, charger, etc.

The mountain cabin has a solar-powered heater for hot water.

Common collocations
  • solar-powered lights
  • solar-powered charger
  • solar-powered heater
  • solar-powered fan
  • solar-powered calculator
  • solar-powered system
Synonyms
  • solar

    shorter form used before nouns (e.g. 'solar panels') but less common for whole devices

  • sun-powered

    less common; mostly informal or poetic

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

solar-powered + [device noun]

Common Mistakes

The lamp is solar-power.
The lamp is solar-powered.
Use the '-ed' adjective form, not the noun 'solar power' as a modifier.
This is a solar-power light.
This is a solar-powered light.
Compound adjectives with 'powered' use the past-participle form.

Word family

  • solar power
    nounA2
  • solar panel
    nounA2
  • solar energy
    nounA2
  • solar cell
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Solar-powered' specifies that a device gets its electricity directly from sunlight, while 'solar' alone (as in 'solar panel' or 'solar energy') describes the source of energy itself rather than the device that uses it. 'Sun-powered' is much rarer and tends to sound informal or poetic. 'Renewable' is a broader category that includes solar, wind, and hydro power — it does not tell you the specific source. For example, a 'solar-powered garden light' draws energy from the sun, whereas a 'renewable energy plan' could mix several green sources.

solar ↗sun-poweredrenewable ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • solar-powered device
  • solar-powered product
  • solar-powered equipment

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Formed from 'solar' (from Latin 'sol' meaning 'sun') + 'powered' (from Old French 'povoir' meaning 'to be able', with the -ed suffix showing that the device receives the power). The compound became common in the 1970s and 1980s as solar energy technology became available for homes and small devices.