How to Upgrade Your Energy Cell in Tears of the Kingdom
The Energy Cell powers every Zonai device in Tears of the Kingdom. Here's how to upgrade it, where to find both Crystal Refineries, and how many Crystallized Charges you need to max the battery.
The Energy Cell in Tears of the Kingdom is the battery that powers every Zonai device Link builds, from fans and steering sticks to complete flying machines. It starts small, and expanding it is one of the most valuable long-term upgrades in the game because it directly controls how long your devices can run before they die.
This guide explains how to upgrade the Energy Cell, where to find the Crystal Refineries, and exactly how many Crystallized Charges you need to reach maximum capacity. Every number below is checked against the current version of the game, and the wider systems are covered in our Tears of the Kingdom review.
How to Upgrade Your Energy Cell: Quick Answer
Upgrade the battery at a Crystal Refinery. Each Energy Well, which is one third of one battery slot, costs 100 Crystallized Charges. You buy Crystallized Charges from Forge Constructs at a rate of 3 Zonaite per charge, so a single Energy Well works out to 300 Zonaite. There are only two Crystal Refineries in the game, one on the Great Sky Island and one between Lookout Landing and Hyrule Castle Town Ruins.
How Energy Cell Upgrades Work
Three resources are easy to confuse, so keep them separate:
- Zonaite is raw ore mined in the Depths. It is the base currency you spend at Forge Constructs.
- Crystallized Charges are the refined currency made from Zonaite. A Forge Construct sells one Crystallized Charge for 3 Zonaite, and this is what the Crystal Refinery accepts.
- Energy Wells are the actual upgrade. A Crystal Refinery trades 100 Crystallized Charges for one Energy Well, as the in-game text puts it: “To produce 1 energy well will require 100 crystallized charges.”
Link receives the Energy Cell itself from a Steward Construct after the In-isa Shrine. The cell is divided into eight slots, and each slot holds three Wells. Link starts with three Wells already installed, which fills the first slot, and the Energy Well reference on Zelda Wiki confirms the same structure.
How to Get Crystallized Charges
There are two practical ways to build up Crystallized Charges: buy them from Forge Constructs with Zonaite, or earn the larger Huge Crystallized Charges as boss and chest rewards.
Forge Constructs
Most Forge Constructs sit inside Abandoned Mines in the Depths, and one is stationed in the Mining Cave on the Great Sky Island. Depths constructs remain dormant until Link activates them with his Right Arm. At the Abandoned Mines, a Crystallized Charge costs 3 Zonaite, and a Large Crystallized Charge costs 3 Large Zonaite.
Large Crystallized Charges
A Large Crystallized Charge is equal to 20 Crystallized Charges and costs 3 Large Zonaite at a Forge Construct. It is a condensed way to carry value out of the Depths without converting ore one charge at a time.
Huge Crystallized Charges
A Huge Crystallized Charge is equal to 100 Crystallized Charges, which is exactly one Energy Well. These cannot be bought with Zonaite. They drop as rewards from Master Kohga fights at Abandoned Mines, from the first rematch against each Regional Phenomena boss in its Depths arena, and from treasure chests in the Depths.
Depths Rewards
The Depths are the main source of Zonaite, found in large Zonaite Deposits spread throughout the underground. Bring the ore back to a Forge Construct to convert it into charges, and keep an eye out for Huge Crystallized Charges and legendary artifacts tucked into Zonai-style stone chests inside Abandoned Mines.
Crystal Refinery Locations
There are two Crystal Refineries in the game. The first is near Nachoyah Shrine on the Great Sky Island. The second sits between Lookout Landing and the Hyrule Castle Town Ruins, not inside either location. A Steward Construct staffs each refinery and performs the Energy Well trade, as described on the Crystal Refinery page at Zelda Wiki.
How Many Crystallized Charges Do You Need to Max the Battery?
The Energy Cell has eight slots, and each slot holds three Wells. A full green battery is 24 Wells, and the absolute maximum is 48 Wells once the segments turn blue. The math is simple: every Well costs 100 Crystallized Charges, and every Crystallized Charge costs 3 Zonaite.
| Upgrade Goal | Energy Wells | Crystallized Charges | Zonaite (at 3 per charge) |
|---|---|---|---|
| One full slot | 3 | 300 | 900 |
| Full green battery (8 slots) | 24 | 2,400 | 7,200 |
| Absolute maximum (all blue) | 48 | 4,800 | 14,400 |
Huge Crystallized Charges cut into that total. Each one is worth 100 Crystallized Charges, so every Huge Crystallized Charge you earn is one fewer Energy Well you have to buy with Zonaite.
What Blue Energy Cells Mean
Once 24 Wells are installed, the green battery is full. Any further Wells do not add new slots; they overcharge the existing segments and turn them blue. A blue segment can be used twice before running dry, which is the only way to push capacity past a full green battery. The 48-Well maximum is the green battery doubled.
Zonai Charges vs Crystallized Charges
A Zonai Charge costs 2 Zonaite and is a consumable power source: it recovers a small amount of power for the Energy Cell, and its in-game description calls it a material used to power constructs and other devices. A Crystallized Charge is a refinement material used only to buy Energy Wells. Zonai Charges never increase capacity.
Common Energy Cell Upgrade Mistakes
- Confusing Zonai Charges with Crystallized Charges. A Zonai Charge only restores a little charge; it never adds capacity.
- Trying to trade Zonaite directly for a Well. Refineries accept Crystallized Charges only, so convert ore at a Forge Construct first.
- Expecting one upgrade to equal one full battery. One Well is only one third of one slot.
- Not finding the second refinery. It sits between Lookout Landing and the Hyrule Castle Town Ruins, not inside either one.
What Happens After You Max the Energy Cell?
Once the Energy Cell reaches 48 Wells, it cannot expand any further. Both refineries instead offer to trade Crystallized Charges for Zonai devices: three Charges per device, or thirty Charges for a Big Battery. Each refinery stocks ten of each device and restocks at midnight in-game, as noted on the Crystal Refinery reference.
FAQ
Can I buy Crystallized Charges with anything other than Zonaite?
No. Forge Constructs sell them for 3 Zonaite each, or 3 Large Zonaite for a Large Crystallized Charge. Huge Crystallized Charges cannot be bought at all.
Do blue Wells change the cost of the next Well?
No. Each Energy Well still costs 100 Crystallized Charges at a Crystal Refinery, whether the segment ends up green or blue.
Where do I get the Energy Cell in the first place?
A Steward Construct hands it over after the In-isa Shrine.
Are Forge Constructs the only source of Crystallized Charges?
Forge Constructs are the main source for regular and Large Crystallized Charges. Huge Crystallized Charges come from Master Kohga fights, Regional Phenomena boss rematches, and Depths treasure chests instead.
Guide checked against Tears of the Kingdom version 1.4.3 (February 17, 2026).
