How to power my base?

[Lycon]

Is it ok if I put as solar panel on top of the roof of my base? Even though its deep underwater? Seems to not make sense to me?

[Myrador]

How deep? Solar Panels work for a long while they just give less chargespeed.

[Neodyinamite]

Later You can get a bioreactor and Geo-power plant ( based on heat in area where You place it )

But yeah on the start You place solar panels all over the place and You should be good :)

[Cesar]

I put them in 200 meters of water in the mushroom forest, they worked just fine. Perhaps it was closer to 300.

I never put just one I always have at least 3. Even more if I build a moonpool.

[Tenzek]

If you build a solar panel and look at it, it will tell you the amount of sun it is getting at any given moment.

You can build a base higher up that takes in power from solar panels, and then route that power down to your deeper base. You can either connect the bases directly with vertical connectors, or use power transmitters to connect the power grid only. Transmitters are also useful for caves, where you can route power from solar panels at the mouth of a cave deeper into that cave.

[Khanwolf]

put a few solar panels on your Cyc´. power any base with it by just driving near. (only possible until the next update)

[Narack]

I got 5 thermal reactors that power my base at 200m on the floating islands. With this setup I have never wanted for power even with an entire room of filtration machines running.

[Dinkelsen]

Solar panels work up to depths of 225m and thay have a day/nicht cycle. At night, they do not recharge (but they keep their capacity of 25 units of power) At 225m, their efficiency (recharge rate) drops to 10%. Do not put solar panels on your base but next to your base. Reason: on your base you will have a power capacity of 50 (25 otherwise) and the fabricator uses 10 units per use (5 otherwise) but the same recharge rate. So you are effectively halving your power recharge rate.

Nuclear and bioreactors need fuel but can be placed everywhere.

Thermal reactors work by placing them near heat sources like volcanoes or black smkers (or are they called thermal vents?) Build a thermometer and watch the temperature. I think a thermal reactor needs 30 degrees or more to work. (wiki says 15 degrees, but efficiency drops at low temperatures)

You can reroute power from anywhere using power relays. These will generate a glowing blue line. There is no power loss (yet) so you can build a base at 700m inside Blood Kelp and power it with solar panely all the way up at 50m depth. It can be tricky to put the power relays as they wont stick to vertical rock, but it works, I have done it before.