Sunlamp

[Fallen Shaman]

I feel like its a bit much power usage of just one single sunlamp to consume almost an entire geothermal generators output... Can I just go and change the power usage in the config file and be fine, or will that break the game/save file?

[gimmethegepgun]

You probably can without issue.
However, you're wrong that it uses too much power. Realistically, it uses WAY less power than it should. You can power it with 2 solar panels that take up less space than the area it lights up to the same intensity as the sun powering the panels.

[VoiD]

Geothermal generators have an added benefit too.

They generate power constantly, and why is that important? Because batteries aren't 100% energy-efficient, they waste 50% of the energy while they are recharging. having a constant source of power is a lot more valuable than the numbers would suggest.

Sun lamps pair really well with solar power, for obvious reasons as mentioned above, and those are quite cheap to research, produce, and don't take a whole lot of space, they work at the exact same times so every bit of energy produced is 100% energy-efficient if you're powering sun lamps with them.

[The Yeen Queen]

Originally posted by Fallen Shaman:

I feel like its a bit much power usage of just one single sunlamp to consume almost an entire geothermal generators output... Can I just go and change the power usage in the config file and be fine, or will that break the game/save file?

There's also a mod that lets you reduce the power usage of sun lamps and regular lights ( since those use more than seems reasonable, too. Seriously, even if we're talking incandescent and not LED lights or some such, it's excessive... ). Can't recall the name offhand.

[Sotanaht]

Originally posted by VoiD:

Geothermal generators have an added benefit too.

They generate power constantly, and why is that important? Because batteries aren't 100% energy-efficient, they waste 50% of the energy while they are recharging. having a constant source of power is a lot more valuable than the numbers would suggest.

Sun lamps pair really well with solar power, for obvious reasons as mentioned above, and those are quite cheap to research, produce, and don't take a whole lot of space, they work at the exact same times so every bit of energy produced is 100% energy-efficient if you're powering sun lamps with them.

Not quite accurate. Sunlamps work during eclipse where solar panels don't, and solar panels are not always running at 100% during the day (dawn/dusk is a gradual on/off, and I'm not sure but I think rain might reduce the output too). Sunlamps are always either fully on or off.

[Midnight_Toker247]

Originally posted by Sotanaht:

Not quite accurate. Sunlamps work during eclipse where solar panels don't, and solar panels are not always running at 100% during the day (dawn/dusk is a gradual on/off, and I'm not sure but I think rain might reduce the output too). Sunlamps are always either fully on or off.

Pretty sure you are right about the rain, I think fog and snow also slightly reduces output, however you do get a massive quick jolt of electricity from lightening.

[Jigain]

Originally posted by Midnight_Toker247:

Originally posted by Sotanaht:

Not quite accurate. Sunlamps work during eclipse where solar panels don't, and solar panels are not always running at 100% during the day (dawn/dusk is a gradual on/off, and I'm not sure but I think rain might reduce the output too). Sunlamps are always either fully on or off.

Pretty sure you are right about the rain, I think fog and snow also slightly reduces output, however you do get a massive quick jolt of electricity from lightening.

Rain, fog and snow will not affect power output. Only eclipses and solar flares do.

Lightning does essentially nothing, providing 1700W (assuming 0% natural light level) for a few ticks. Not enough time to run an extra consumer, and only enough to charge batteries for approximately 0.6Wd (for comparison, batteries hold 600Wd max, so 0.6Wd is one thousandth of a full battery).

[JD]

Originally posted by Jigain:

Originally posted by Midnight_Toker247:

Pretty sure you are right about the rain, I think fog and snow also slightly reduces output, however you do get a massive quick jolt of electricity from lightening.

Rain, fog and snow will not affect power output. Only eclipses and solar flares do.
).

How about toxic fallout and volcanic winters?

[Midnight_Toker247]

Originally posted by Jigain:

Originally posted by Midnight_Toker247:

Pretty sure you are right about the rain, I think fog and snow also slightly reduces output, however you do get a massive quick jolt of electricity from lightening.

Rain, fog and snow will not affect power output. Only eclipses and solar flares do.

Lightning does essentially nothing, providing 1700W (assuming 0% natural light level) for a few ticks. Not enough time to run an extra consumer, and only enough to charge batteries for approximately 0.6Wd (for comparison, batteries hold 600Wd max, so 0.6Wd is one thousandth of a full battery).

A single bolt sure, but I have had flashstorms make my array of batteries go from no power to about a quarter. Also are you positive about fog, rain, and snow? Seems about the only thing that makes sense as to why I sometimes get fully drained with my current base that is ran mostly by solar. It is not temps, I know winter and summer take more power, and it is not usage (like say cremating), or any sort of event, most of the time it runs smoothly even during high and low temps, but combine those high or low temps with a couple days of bad weather and I start losing power in the middle of the night, then a day or 2 later it is fine again and runs through the night with power to spare, all the while the temps stayed in the same general range. It would be realistic if it does, that is how solar panels work, more light more power, less light less power. If that's not it I'm not sure what is up with my grid.

[JD]

Originally posted by Midnight_Toker247:

Also are you positive about fog, rain, and snow

The wiki says so:

Note that weather that would obscure the sun in real life, such as rain, snow, fog, or thunderstorms, will not reduce the power produced.

https://rimworldwiki.com/wiki/Solar_generator

[Jigain]

Originally posted by Midnight_Toker247:

are you positive about fog, rain, and snow? Seems about the only thing that makes sense as to why I sometimes get fully drained with my current base that is ran mostly by solar.

Solar generators are based on map natural light level, which increases from 0% at night to 100% at day, regardless of weather. If you had a mod that reduced natural light level during certain weather conditions, then yes, it would have the effect you describe, but vanilla RimWorld makes no difference between weather for the sake of natural light level.

Originally posted by Midnight_Toker247:

A single bolt sure, but I have had flashstorms make my array of batteries go from no power to about a quarter.

How many batteries are in your array? One single battery would need 0.6 x (600 / 4) = 90 lightning strikes in order to charge up to 25%, which seems like a lot for one flashstorm. Multiply with the amount of batteries in your array.

[Midnight_Toker247]

Originally posted by Jigain:

Originally posted by Midnight_Toker247:

are you positive about fog, rain, and snow? Seems about the only thing that makes sense as to why I sometimes get fully drained with my current base that is ran mostly by solar.

Solar generators are based on map natural light level, which increases from 0% at night to 100% at day, regardless of weather. If you had a mod that reduced natural light level during certain weather conditions, then yes, it would have the effect you describe, but vanilla RimWorld makes no difference between weather for the sake of natural light level.

No, no mods that do that, I know there is no difference in what it visually shows with the yellow line, but the numbers fluctuate relentlessly so it is hard to tell what is what. I have 2 colonies in this current game, the other runs primarily on thermal, it only has 4 solar panels, it doesn't have the same issues, it is also much smaller though, there are only 12 people in that little colony, there's something like 80 in the other. 2 thermal, 11 chem, 3 vanometric, 6 wind, and I'm not even sure without looking something like 40-50 solar, 22 batteries. Maybe it's just the wind, but it doesn't seem so, most of the time they do jack squat any which way. Maybe batteries are failing, but that happens all the time and it generally doesn't make much of a dent. IDK weather seemed the most probable answer but now I have no clue.

[Tam]

Is there any mod for weather like fog/rain affects solar ?
Would be cool

[glass zebra]

Originally posted by Jigain:

Originally posted by Midnight_Toker247:

are you positive about fog, rain, and snow? Seems about the only thing that makes sense as to why I sometimes get fully drained with my current base that is ran mostly by solar.

Solar generators are based on map natural light level, which increases from 0% at night to 100% at day, regardless of weather. If you had a mod that reduced natural light level during certain weather conditions, then yes, it would have the effect you describe, but vanilla RimWorld makes no difference between weather for the sake of natural light level.

Living far from the equator also has a very noticeable impact on sunlight change during seasons. E.g. high up north your solar panels might not provide enough power anymore during winter.

@op: if you have natural sunlight, there is no reason to use sunlamps. You can build hydroponics outside if you want to and are e.g. in a desert with bad soil. Having the ability to grow non-mushrooms when it's too cold for that, sunlight is limited or a toxic fallout is happening is priceless. You growing effectively ignores much of the world at that point.

[gimmethegepgun]

Originally posted by Jigain:

Rain, fog and snow will not affect power output. Only eclipses and solar flares do.

Volcanic winter and smoke spewers reduce the natural light level while in effect, so they reduce solar power gains and slow growth of plants using natural light.

[Astasia]

Originally posted by JD:

How about toxic fallout and volcanic winters?

Toxic Fallout no. Volcanic WInter yes, slightly. Volcanic Winters drop light levels to 90% max for the duration.

Originally posted by Midnight_Toker247:

but the numbers fluctuate relentlessly so it is hard to tell what is what.

Solar generator numbers really shouldn't be fluctuating like that. During the morning they rise up to full power over a short duration and during night they drop down over an equal duration. but during the day and night they should be rock steady outside of the occasional blip from a lightning strike.

Wind Turbines do fluctuate a lot and their power does change significantly based on weather. Like fog means 50% less wind and thunderstorms mean 150% more wind.