What to do when you're low on energy

[Name Lips]

I keep ending up at points in my game where I can't fill up my fleet capacity because of the energy maintenence cost. I have all my sectors set to make energy, all the empty and energy tiles on all my worlds making energy, and it'll still be running dry.

I could raze some mines and build energy instead, but my minerals aren't THAT good (usually between +100 and +200). If I destroy my mines (or sell minerals to AI empires) I end up with not enough mineral income to build my fleet.

In theory I could have a fleet of 200k flying around, but I can barely afford to support 70k.

[SBGaming]

I'm currently up to a 27K fleet (Naval Capacity of 232/653). I've not yet tried to take on a Fallen Empire, so I've had no incentive to increase my fleet size, and with the exception of the very start of the game, I've never been at a point where I've ever been near my cap.

The question is, what do you need a 70K fleet for (other than going after a Fallen Empire or the Unbidden) let alone a 200K fleet?

How many planets do you have? Do you have Mineral Processing Plants, which produce minerals while also giving up to a 15% boost to all other mineral production on the planet?

I presume you're taxing your sectors at 75% Check their settings if you're not sure.

Specialize your planets. Over build Power Plants with a Power Hub (up to +15% Energy Credits) on the planet, and do the same but with Mining Networks and Mineral Processing Plants.

Activate the Droning Optimizations Edict if you have it. It gives you +15% Minerals at the cost of -5% Energy Credits. Use the extra mineral production to enter into 30 year trades with friendly neighbors at a reasonable 10 Minerals for 10 Energy Credits a month. At one point I was trading up to 80 Minerals (from my +320 a month production) for 80 Energy Credits a month.

On any planet that is mass producing minerals enact the Production Targets Planetary Edict. For the cost of 150 Influence you can boost mineral production by a further +15% for the next 10 years. There are techs that can reduce these Influence costs. I currently pay only 105 Influence to enact one of these Edicts because of tech I've researched.

When you've ramped up your mineral production to +300-400 go around and disband any mining station in space that isn't producing 3 or more minerals per station. You'll save 1 Energy Credit per station you get rid of, which can go to supporting a bigger fleet. Once you get above +300 Minerals per month, you're generally making them faster than you can spend them. There are times I wish I could just bleed my extra minerals or energy production to my sectors, or send them off to vassals.

[Jiggatron69]

Do what Jeb Bush does and drop out?

[mcsproot]

I do find that mid-game I am energy starved. But end game I usually have a huge excess.

Step 1: Do you have Beltharian Stone? If so, make Beltharian Power Plants. If not, get some. Go conquer! Your core worlds can use Stone from anywhere in your empire, but if you apply a planet with these special power plants to a sector, that sector needs that resource as well.

Step 2: What is your robotic population like? Every Robot/Droid/Synth will consume 1 energy. Considering dismantling your robots.

Step 3: Sectors like to have 1 Defensive Army per 3 Pops on their planets. Go through all of your sectors and give the Defensive Armies a Neo Concrete Bunker addon. This reduces their maintainance by about 0.01. It's small but it can add up over dozens of armies.

Step 4: Invest in Engineering Bays for Spaceports where your fleets will be stationed. This will reduce your energy consumption when at peace by A LOT. All spaceports should have Solar Panels and Crew Quarters.

Step 5: How many Power Hubs are you using? They do not produce much on their own, and if your planets don't produce much energy, you'd be better off using a standard power plant in it's place. On high energy planets, use a Power Hub.

Step 6: Save up Influence and spend it on Capacity Overload during war time.

Step 7: You will see a HUGE increase in energy after getting higher end power technology. Focus your research on Reactor upgrades to get Power Plants to show up.

Step 8: Make big fleets and apply an Admiral. All Admirals give a slight decrease to maintaince costs which improves with level. Some even have a trait that gives a HUGE bonus. Like 30% or something.

Step 9: Trade other things to AI empires besides minerals. Some won't give you a Research Agreement or Migration Rights unless they are your ally or a part of your Federation. But if they like you, they will usually be happy to take Research Agreements or Migration Rights from you in exchange for paying you Energy Credits. Also consider offering them rare resources you don't need.

[Kitten Food]

I haven't had this issue. I make sure to always prioritize Physics Power Plant upgrades and build them surrounding colonial capitals.

I also start off my sectors with 25% or 0% "tribute" so they can build up their mineral/energy infrastructures. After they are on a solid footing, I change it to 75% tribute and I am rolling in the credits.

It is also worthwhile to build solar generators on spaceports, especially ones in your sectors. Each one will give you +3 energy, which can be a lot if you have many planets/sectors.

[Ficelle]

I use trade a lot.

Everyone in the galaxy that isnt hostile is quite happy to sell energy.

As getting 1000 energy is harder than getting 1000 minerals, it is a no brainer.

10+ energy / month vs 11+ minerals /month, 30 years with 5+ empires resolves lot of problems too.
+ a burst of 1000 energy here and there if needed.

Has the hidden bonus to dry other empires and keep them at bay as it caps their fleet and sometimes you see them close their buildings :D

[SBGaming]

Originally posted by (M3) mcsproot:

Step 5: How many Power Hubs are you using? They do not produce much on their own, and if your planets don't produce much energy, you'd be better off using a standard power plant in it's place. On high energy planets, use a Power Hub.

Actually, after doing some calculations, if you're going to build a standard power plant on any planet, always build the Power Hub first. The Power Hub II produces +6 energy and benefits from it's +15% bonus. The Power Plant IV also produces +6 power but doesn't provide any bonus, so you're getting 6.9 vs 6 Energy Credits, and even more if you build it adjacent to your Planetary Capital.

The Power Plant V which produces +8 energy can only be built on a planet with an Empire Capital-Complex, which is an empire Unique building, which means you're only ever going to have one planet with the top-tier Power Plants, unless you find a glitch or exploit.

Beyond that, the Betharian Power Plant IV will produce +12, but of course is dependent upon that strategic resource being available.

http://www.stellariswiki.com/Buildings

[Name Lips]

hm.... not sure where I'm messing up then. I always seem to end up with barely any energy and lots of mineral income. Every spare space on my planets is power stations or hubs. But I can't colonize without going into the red.

Sometimes I can get AIs to give me energy. My most recent game everybody hates me for purging all my dissidents.

[Ficelle]

Past very early game, energy is the bottleneck anyway, so it is normal you struggle more with it.

Minerals serve only to build things, energy is to pay the never ending upkeep.

Living a bit on the red is no big deal, provided you dont reach zero.

[Kitten Food]

Originally posted by Ficelle:

Past very early game, energy is the bottleneck anyway, so it is normal you struggle more with it.

Minerals serve only to build things, energy is to pay the never ending upkeep.

Living a bit on the red is no big deal, provided you dont reach zero.

Friendly reminder, minerals also go towards monthly ship upkeep.

[Ficelle]

Yeah, i know ;D

But it is minimal compared to energy usage by everything, fleet, buildings, stations etc

[blade_125]

Build fleet for war, but make sure energy is maxed before start. Delete some of your fleet after the war and let your energy build back up.

Rince. Repeat.

[Darren]

I usually take advantage of the reduced maintenance costs with the Crew Quarters module on Spaceports on ships in Orbit around the associated planet, such that I have about +100 energy during peace and about -50 energy during war.

[ProCadorna]

In my current game I'm having the end game crisis with the swarm.
They spawned well away from my empire and have since invaded the only outpost world I had in the vincinity.
Now I need a fleet in the ballpark of 30k energy to battle them, but I have to fly it across the galaxy, and when not parked in a starport this brings me to -100 energy balance.
I have scraped the bottom of the barrel, but I cannot increase my energy output any further.
The only way to go on I see is to colonize some more >20 size planets, deck them out with energy production (taking the huge research hit) and handing core worlds to a sector governor meanwhile, which I'm neither happy nor optimistic about.
And I also have a fleet cap of 700ish - a 30k fleet is not nearly close to that.
IMO, there's some balancing to do for Paradox.

For example, I recently researched the tech that allows you to build a dark matter reactor - in the entire quarter of the universe I'm active in, there's a grand total of one dark matter available, so it's fairly rare. Since I happened to control it, I went ahead and built the starport based dark matter reactor. It consumes the resource and produces 10 power. 10!?!
Even 100 wouldn't be all that useful by now, but 10? Cmon.

[Mistfox]

Just a tip, you can shut off some buildings to reduce your power burden, like farms and labs.

Take advantage of the "Engineering bay" (?) that reduces monthly ship upkeep while scrapping those that don't have this bonus, "Crew Quarters" only reduce cost while in orbit, so double stacking both might be worth it to save $$ until the war.

Look for the Grand Fleet (?) Edict, I think that has an upkeep bonus as well.

And keep an eye out for mechanical population like Robots and Droids, they all have a -1 energy per pop upkeep cost.

And don't be afraid to blow up orbital mines or reseach stations.

[SBGaming]

Unfortunately the Grand Fleet Edict doesn't affect upkeep costs, but gives you +35% Naval Capacity, +15% Repair Speed, and -15% Ship Upgrade Cost.