Infinite Power Trick?

[🦊 Hermit]

So I'm in the process of trying this out on my latest save, but I haven't yet gotten to the point of implementing it, so I figured I'd post the idea here to see if anyone else has had the same thought.

Basically my idea is to set up a base at one of the planet's poles, either north or south. Then, above the alien structure there, build a huge tower of dirt up into the sky. Line the sides of the tower all around with large platforms, each with a large storage on top, then fit medium solar panels to the storage slots.

Here's the thing - since you're at the pole of the planet, the sun is effectively spinning around you rather than passing overhead. So if you have solar panels high enough above the ground that they aren't blocked by terrain, and facing in all directions around the sides of the dirt column, then some of them will theoretically always be in sunlight.

Astroneer doesn't have planetary tilt or season simulation, so the sun's motion in the sky is fixed. So you could just connect the platforms together, then run extenders down to a base on the ground, and they would provide power infinitely as the planet rotates and each platform in turn is presented to the sun.

Anyone tried this yet?

[grapplehoeker]

Originally posted by Perpetual Lack-Of-Motion Machine:

Anyone tried this yet?

I suppose everyone who thinks they have just invented the wheel asks the same question ;)

[sxl2]

What I do know is that, under the current version of the game, solar power at the poles is limited to just half the day, regardless of the fact that the sun is always over the horizon (this did not used to be the case. You used to be able to get constant sun at the N pole).

I have N pole bases with solar tilted towards the sun and clearly being hit by it, and they are closed half the time no matter what.

So I am guessing its coded to not allow constant solar no matter what.

On the other hand I don't know what it will do if your solar is way up in the sky, near space (can you still build into space?)

[🦊 Hermit]

Originally posted by grapplehoeker:

Originally posted by Perpetual Lack-Of-Motion Machine:

Anyone tried this yet?

I suppose everyone who thinks they have just invented the wheel asks the same question ;)

That's why it's a discussion, to talk about the idea and share experiences with it ;)

Originally posted by sxl2:

What I do know is that, under the current version of the game, solar power at the poles is limited to just half the day, regardless of the fact that the sun is always over the horizon (this did not used to be the case. You used to be able to get constant sun at the N pole).

I have N pole bases with solar tilted towards the sun and clearly being hit by it, and they are closed half the time no matter what.

So I am guessing its coded to not allow constant solar no matter what.

On the other hand I don't know what it will do if your solar is way up in the sky, near space (can you still build into space?)

Izzat so? Hmm, if that's the case then it'd be a real shame, thanks for the info. I'll still try my own build since I've already started it, see what happens, but maybe it won't work after all. I'm not sure how high you can build now (I've heard some ppl say that if you get too high you just fall through any terrain you build up there), but my tower isn't that massive, only about half the height of the alien portal it's suspended above.

[Wild]

I remember reading in another discussion that was not possible anymore, devs change allinment or something and you coudnt get "24hr" anywhere on the planet. (I didnt tested it, just what i read on another post)

[grapplehoeker]

Originally posted by Perpetual Lack-Of-Motion Machine:

Originally posted by grapplehoeker:

I suppose everyone who thinks they have just invented the wheel asks the same question ;)

That's why it's a discussion, to talk about the idea and share experiences with it ;)

That's why there is a discussion search bar.
This subject has been hashed out many, many times before ;)

[NORRRRRRR]

I’ve done this on the Terran moon at the North Pole. One medium solar panel in four separate directions, technically each panel is south of the North Pole. This way there’s at least one panel on the “day side” of the moon.

Edit: I haven’t been back to the moon since the last update. I will confirm if it’s still operational later today.

[Pahbi]

Maybe you could setup solar panels at each gateway along the equator, then connect everything with extenders. That might give you all the time power.

Thats a lot of extenders though.

- P

[NORRRRRRR]

My Desolo pole base always has a solar panel active. It’s possible that it does work because it’s on a moon instead of a planet.

[Frozensolid]

You gonna need ♥♥♥♥ ton of copper

[Lil Puppy]

There's no time limit for solar power, the solar panels work on a ray tracing type of system.
The problem that people don't know exists is that the star has to be above the plane of the solar panel for it to work, so if you are on the north pole, build a tower into the sky, not all the panels will get solar power even if the star is shining on them. The star provides power 90degrees from parallel horizontally and vertically on a planet;

 ------O------
       |
       |

so if your panels are above that horizon line, they aren't getting solar power. This is why some people have problems with solar power on mountain top bases.

Anyway, on the small worlds (moons, exotic) the 'north' pole can have permanent solar with or without a 'power tower' system, just use the new solar arrays, they track the star. On the larger worlds, your solar power needs an elevated position, but not higher than the horizon line for the star, and it has to be nearly the exact center of the pole.

[🦊 Hermit]

Originally posted by Lil Puppy:

There's no time limit for solar power, the solar panels work on a ray tracing type of system.
The problem that people don't know exists is that the star has to be above the plane of the solar panel for it to work, so if you are on the north pole, build a tower into the sky, not all the panels will get solar power even if the star is shining on them. The star provides power 90degrees from parallel horizontally and vertically on a planet;

 ------O------
       |
       |

so if your panels are above that horizon line, they aren't getting solar power. This is why some people have problems with solar power on mountain top bases.

Anyway, on the small worlds (moons, exotic) the 'north' pole can have permanent solar with or without a 'power tower' system, just use the new solar arrays, they track the star. On the larger worlds, your solar power needs an elevated position, but not higher than the horizon line for the star, and it has to be nearly the exact center of the pole.

Hmm, this is an interesting read. I think I get what you're saying, but I'm not certain. With that diagram, are you meaning the planet is the O, and the sun is shining from the bottom, so therefore the diagram is looking downwards from above? And the 'horizon line' is on the planet?

If I understand this correctly then, couldn't you just span your solar panels out around the pole, so that each of them was effectively in a different latitude, and therefore there would always be at least one which was on the 'correct side' of the horizon?

[Pahbi]

I'm not sure how to phrase this without sounding like a troll, but you know you could just make a RTG right?

I mean, I'm all about experiments, and if it works, post a screenshot! :)

- P

[🦊 Hermit]

Originally posted by Pahbi:

I'm not sure how to phrase this without sounding like a troll, but you know you could just make a RTG right?

Sure, but that's an endgame item. I'm thinking of early-midgame, before you unlock the chem lab^^

[Pahbi]

Originally posted by Perpetual Lack-Of-Motion Machine:

Originally posted by Pahbi:

I'm not sure how to phrase this without sounding like a troll, but you know you could just make a RTG right?

Sure, but that's an endgame item. I'm thinking of early-midgame, before you unlock the chem lab^^

Early infinite power, or even extended power would rock! Go for it!

- P

[BHarm]

This is indeed possible, if you choose the north pole of each planet. However, now with the gateway consuming that position, you do have to get a little higher. Perhaps the roof of the gateway? Also, it is way more finicky to do than it was prior to the 1.0 release. I have two unofficial achievements that I have to accomplish before I 'complete' the game (and can start over and fix all my mistakes): Unlock every tech and build at least one of everything and have at least 100K bytes left over. Second, build a north pole base on every single planet. That is a challenge I have completed many times pre-1.0 launch and is entirely doable.