Solar cells are not worth it

[Canelón de pollo]

Just came up with a base design, big rectangular base with 4 electric garage door each with 2 sensor so they open when me or my guys are at the door + relays it consumes around 70W. Now I will need some turrets to keep the screamers away so 4 turrets each face and 2 sensor to keep the turrets idle when no zombies are coming. In the typical scenario zombies might be coming from 2 sides and that's 8 turrents going on at the same time plus 4 sensors, 140W in total for the turrets plus 70W from the door thats 210W, let's say 250W for the whole base.

Considering that each tier 6 solar cell provides 30W and costs 36k with all the int skills + cigar + magnum perk that would be a total of 288k dukes to complete the operation while if I decide to use a generator and gas it's almost free, just a few motors and gas which you can get tons of in the desert.

I get that solar power is a end game goal, but it feels like its too much of a grind compared to any other aspect of the game. The other issue is that even though the battery bank connected to the solar array is capable of 300W of output it's limited to the maximum capability of the solar array while charging making solar weaker during the day.

Electricity in this game needs a rework solar cells are too weak to be considered unless you want to grind a lot just because you cannot go green and the overall system is a chore to handle without a NOT gate and the possibility of interacting with a door with 2 switches. And please a solid block that acts like a relay and the relay cost down to 0 so you can cable manage without overloading you base.

[JimmyIowa]

So use generator banks.

[CellNav]

Originally posted by Canelón de pollo:

The other issue is that even though the battery bank connected to the solar array is capable of 300W of output it's limited to the maximum capability of the solar array while charging making solar weaker during the day.

True, but the zombies threat is higher at night than during the day (perhaps). Organize your daytime and night time power usage (and loads accordingly) by using a TIMER RELAY.

At night, your 300w battery power is "directed" to specific night time loads. When dawn breaks, the solar panel's "load" is redirected to daytime loads (albeit lower power + charging). I found that managing electricity usage was easier when I drafted everything out on paper before committing to placing down banks and such.

[CellNav]

Originally posted by Canelón de pollo:

Electricity in this game needs a rework solar cells are too weak to be considered unless you want to grind a lot just because you cannot go green and the overall system is a chore to handle without a NOT gate and the possibility of interacting with a door with 2 switches. And please a solid block that acts like a relay and the relay cost down to 0 so you can cable manage without overloading you base.

Sorry for a second post but I disagree (a little) .... I know you're not looking for base designs but that's pretty much how we have to design our electrical network.

My base = Starship Enterprise.

Surrounding the base was a ZEWS (Zombie Early Warning System) consisting of cameras and speakers set on a delay to create a HONKING noise when detecting movement (using solar power). If there was enough power left on that system I would connect a strand or two of electrical fence. That was my 24/7 defensive network.

When the speakers HONKED, I would rush to the main switch (gas generator) which would light up my base with full defense (go RED ALERT!).

It sounds to me that you're thinking that solar power (being late game?) is your all in one "got to" power source but really it's just a gas generator connected to a battery bank with a timer relay that doesn't consume resources (gas) ... and it's real usage is to just charge the batteries and NOT a primary source of power.

[Sinbad]

Screamers I think are the weakest zombies you can encounter. They will die on iron spikes after a few seconds without much damage to the traps. Just a thought..

[atom heart]

Solar is not reliable either. For me anyway, it does not charge if I am not there to switch to the power bank off and on again at daylight. Then if I leave the base, they stop charging anyway as if they don't need to look busy when I am not around. I switched back to fuel generators and timer relays with battery banks as back up should I stay away too long. No refunds on the dang things either.

[Shockwave]

Uh solar cells are great. Power your entire base with lvl 6 batteies... when they are out of chrage put them in a charging station on a solar bank. I pretty much have my solar bank connected to a few batter banks to charge my batteries between horde nights and the few batteries I use in my non horde base. If you treat it as a charging station and not as an actual power source it is very useful.

[atom heart]

Originally posted by Shockwave:

Uh solar cells are great. Power your entire base with lvl 6 batteies... when they are out of chrage put them in a charging station on a solar bank. I pretty much have my solar bank connected to a few batter banks to charge my batteries between horde nights and the few batteries I use in my non horde base. If you treat it as a charging station and not as an actual power source it is very useful.

That would be my ideal set up. I cannot rely on the solar bank to work without having to constantly switch them off and on to make them work.

In the night, they show that they are still producing power. Then when daylight arrives, I have to switch them off and on again.

I hope for the day it all works itself out.

[radigan]

Originally posted by Canelón de pollo:

Electricity in this game needs a rework

electricity is just in is first iteration, i'm sure it's bound to get some love sooner or later

[Trindalas]

My system is i run the solar panel to a battery bank and from the battery bank to whatever I’m powering. I have one for lights and one for cameras that I haven’t linked anything to yet. Used to have a fence linked too but got sick of wasting forged iron repairing it from random hordes and bears wandering by, lol. As long as you have decent batteries it all seems to work fine. During the day as long as your power consumption is lower than production t will charge the batteries and at night it runs from the batteries. I leave both on all the time. (It doesn’t charge the batteries if they aren’t both set to on)

As for the cost I just got a mod to build them, lol. Trader price gouges too much for decent cells.

[Crater Creator]

Originally posted by radigan:

Originally posted by Canelón de pollo:

Electricity in this game needs a rework

electricity is just in is first iteration, i'm sure it's bound to get some love sooner or later

Maybe... but that’s what they said about traders even earlier, and we’re still dealing with these big plots of invulnerable, unmodifiable, exploitable, teleport-you-away land. So we’ll see.

[Hunter451]

Work good for me.

[BodyBagger]

Originally posted by Canelón de pollo:

Just came up with a base design, big rectangular base with 4 electric garage door each with 2 sensor so they open when me or my guys are at the door + relays it consumes around 70W. Now I will need some turrets to keep the screamers away so 4 turrets each face and 2 sensor to keep the turrets idle when no zombies are coming. In the typical scenario zombies might be coming from 2 sides and that's 8 turrents going on at the same time plus 4 sensors, 140W in total for the turrets plus 70W from the door thats 210W, let's say 250W for the whole base.

Considering that each tier 6 solar cell provides 30W and costs 36k with all the int skills + cigar + magnum perk that would be a total of 288k dukes to complete the operation while if I decide to use a generator and gas it's almost free, just a few motors and gas which you can get tons of in the desert.

I get that solar power is a end game goal, but it feels like its too much of a grind compared to any other aspect of the game. The other issue is that even though the battery bank connected to the solar array is capable of 300W of output it's limited to the maximum capability of the solar array while charging making solar weaker during the day.

Electricity in this game needs a rework solar cells are too weak to be considered unless you want to grind a lot just because you cannot go green and the overall system is a chore to handle without a NOT gate and the possibility of interacting with a door with 2 switches. And please a solid block that acts like a relay and the relay cost down to 0 so you can cable manage without overloading you base.

I think your math is a little bit off: The three discounts that you mention gives you a total of 45% off—so the price would be a bit lower.

In addition, you're also leaving two additional discounts on the cutting room floor: Grandpa's Awesome Sauce gives an additional 20% off, while cheesecake ads 5% more—for 25% total. Combined with the perks that you mentioned, that's a grand total of 70% off purchases (and 65% additional profit if you're selling, since cheesecake only works for buying).

Furthermore, make sure you have your buy list ready to go before you go to the trader since Grandpa's Awesome Sauce only lasts for 3 minutes (cheesecake lasts for 5 minutes). So consume them at the traders just before you start buying; and, eat the cheesecake first since it lasts longer.

Another thing you can do is buy two or more solar panels at the same time—from the same (or different traders, if they are very close to one another)—to save on resources for the above recipes.

Also, your concept of "free electricity" by using gas is incorrect: First, you have to collect the oil shale; then, you have to craft the gas. Finally, you have to place the gas in the generators. This process has to be repeated throughout your entire game, which consumes time—which is a resource in the game. While you're constantly repeating these tasks, you could be doing something else in the game.

With solar panels (and battery banks) once they are purchased and installed, it's basically set it and forget it. Your time is freed up to do whatever else needs to be done.

[BodyBagger]

Originally posted by CellNav:

Originally posted by Canelón de pollo:

It sounds to me that you're thinking that solar power (being late game?) is your all in one "got to" power source but really it's just a gas generator connected to a battery bank with a timer relay that doesn't consume resources (gas) ... and it's real usage is to just charge the batteries and NOT a primary source of power.

Solar panels are ABSOLUTELY designed as a primary power source, and meant to be used with battery banks. I've been using them in that manner for years. The solar banks provide electricity during the day, and the battery banks are used at night—and recharged during the day, automatically!