big vs small batteries

[Candarian]

did i made a mistake or are small batteries more than 2 times better than big ones?
i compared 5x5x5 small small grid batteries vs a big grid battery

ok i ignored the rotor u would need

[UltraEmailMan]

According to the wiki:

125 small ship small batteries:
6.25 MWh stored
25 MW output
18300 kg

250 computers
250 power cells
125 construction components
250 steel plates


1 large ship battery:
3 MWh stored
12 MW output
4845 kg

25 computers
80 power cells
10 construction components
20 steel plates


It would seem that a bunch of small batteries would be better than large grid batteries as far as power per area goes. The increase in mass combined with the instability of using a rotor or connector makes it less appealing for ship use though. If you can spare the space, large grid batteries are by far better overall.

EDIT: I forgot to add component costs.

[Candarian]

more important is the input
its twice as fast(for the same power / not tu fill them)
u can recharge it in half the time

[UltraEmailMan]

Technically yes, you could charge 3 MWh a little more than twice as fast as the large battery. However, time to fill would be the same. You also have to take into account that if you put this on a ship, the increase in mass would cause your engines to have to burn more energy to get the same velocity.

Unless you're incredibly worried about space in your ship, large batteries are far more mass and component efficient. For less than the same mass and component cost of the 125 small block battery, you could have 3 large grid batteries. That would put your max power stored at 9 MWh (as opposed to 6.25 MWh) and your input/output at 36MW (as opposed to 25MW). You would also save 3765 kg on mass. Not to mention the added stability of not needing to use a rotor.