Solar Power bases / Generator backup issues

[Krizzoula]

So I am having a bit of an issue with my first base and I was hoping someone with alottt more playing hours than me could help me figure it out.


I have been trying to figure out this solar power base stuff. I have two solar compacitors and lots of solar panels faced in the direction of the where the sun rises and sets on my base. It is still not producing enough energy to charge the battery only to 30% at the most during the day and by night it is back to 0. I have a generator also and it is running too.

The max output of my solar energy gets up to 208 PU per day max and solar output only gets to like 167 or so PU. First of all ... why is my output less than my total solar energy. Secondly, how can I increase this maximum output put out by my solar energy.

If you have any suggestion or any additional info, please let me know.

[Krizzoula]

Originally posted by solid:

i found 8 englsih speaking empyrion energy guides on youtube :)

you have too choose:
solar energy or genrator energy.
(both toghter dosnt work)

when you place 15 solar panel and a few capazitators (100+)
your base will run only with solar energy.
the generator will become only cosmetic (if he run or not, not important).

- build the fundation of your main base, and all the necessary solar panels and capazitaors.
- switch your base off.
- wait a few days or weeks. (so your capazitarors can fill up a bit)

- build a smal base nearby, with all crafting stations. powerd with genartor.
so you can play what ever you like :)

- when your main base (with 100 capazitaros or more) energy reach 10-20%.
- you can place all the devices in your main base.

- and cancel your smal base.

have fun :)

Heyy Solid!! WOW man I had no idea that you cant run both. I was thinking that maybe when the battery got below like 10 percent of so, the generator would kick on so as to save the battery and let the base kind of regenerte on power. This totally blows my thinking on that aspect.

So the base I went with or chose to build first was probably now that IM thinking about it a wrong decision. I chose just the base prefab tier 1c I believe. It had solar panels built in already and one capacitor. So I was thinking that because it wasn't generating enough maybe I needed to add additional solar panels and one more capacitor.. So I did, I added 4 more and one more capacitor, but the battery still isn't charging enough during the day and the most PU's I am able to produce is like 208.... something isn't right here. Also, the green and yellow lights on the bottom of the panels are only showing two green and two yellow on all of them and some of them two green and one yellow.

I am not sure if this is due to base positioning or what but the sun is literally on top of our base and the panels are directly facing the sun. Cant understand this... maybe some insight from you would help as you have like over 1600 hours I see on the game... HOLLLYY ♥♥♥♥ man. lol...

And when you say build a smaller base with what included inside exactly... ? So literrally turn the power off my base for like 3 day cycles? Wont the drones come and attack it if I cant run the cannon and defend it? Also what kind of defense do you recommend for a smaller scale base? I can send you screenshots of which one I have now.

How many capacitors would you recommend for a base to be able to run on solely solar energy? You said a few but then you put 100 + .. did you actually mean 100 capacitors? Holy Jesus that would be alot. And is there a way to tell the strength of the green and yellow indicator lights before you place the solar panel down since you cant move them once placed?

I know this is alot of questions and info I have thrown at ya.. ANY information you can help me out with would be awesome help and I would surely appreciate it.

[Krizzoula]

Also, I tried to look you up on youtube but I cant find you. So please if you could send me youtube links to your videos. Thanks man

[VulcanTourist]

@Solid has no idea what he's talking about: you CAN employ both a fuel-based generator and solar-based battery/capacitor in the same structure. You are not forced to choose. The fueled generator becomes secondary backup which activates when the capacitors are drained. You don't want to that to happen, ideally, however, even at night.

You probably need to examine your power consumption, especially at night, and employ sensors and switches with circuits to make it more efficient based on actual need. You'd use Statistics to watch the total consumption, and then Devices to remind yourself which devices are consuming how much power.

Also, there are also many "deco" blocks in the game that secretly draw power AND DON'T EVEN REPORT IT, because the Display: modifier for the EnergyIn property for those objects is actually set to false, meaning DO NOT DISPLAY it. If you populate a structure with a large number of those secretly power-sucking blocks, their effect will only affect the total usage in Statistics; if you look at Devices to try to suss out where your power is going, those blocks often don't even appear in the list and even for those that do they'll report no power use! Even looking at their descriptions in constructor recipes or the Creative item menu won't show their power consumption. I've modded the game to eliminate this stupidity, but you wouldn't even know about it unless you'd looked at the Config_Example.ecf file.

[gpcstargate]

The Damn Game KEEPS BREAKING THEM .. it Might not be you .. I just did a post on them .. Broken again

[Krizzoula]

Originally posted by solid:

the word capacitator was a bad choise for this device.
accumulator,
would be the better word.
(i guess this is the reason, why so much gamers are confused with the solar energy systhem)
like reallife, the accumulator need his time, to recharge,


solar panel:
ALWAYS place all 15 big panels :)
evry panel produce 50-80 kw (x 15)

the rotaion and direction are very important.
the main side of the panel face the north.

green light is the general postioning and rotation.
this you have to test, witch is the most efficent for you place.
when you found the most efficent place, place all panels at the same form.

the yellow lights are the current power.


i can only repeat.
we have NO influence at the weather. (sunshine intensity)
we have to live with that, what we got.

IF you want a permanent full funtional , bigger, base for PvP or PvE. power with solar energy.
you will need minimum, minimum, minimum, 100 + capacitators.
(to survive a few days without sunlight)

in the past we test this a few times.
14 or 17 (i dont remeber exactly) FULL charged capacitators, without attached solarpanel.
have the same duration of ONE medium fuel tank.


we are running a PvP server (total 72 players)
nobdy of my clan has the passion to take care about the fuel in the generator.
to bothersome.
all our bases, and the most enemy bases are running with solar energy.

i like the number 200 :)
each base has 15 panels 185 capacitators

but 100-140 should be enought too :)

Why would several of our panels be reading only one yellow led signal light for the power? What could be some of the causes for this?

Does the more panels you have affect the speed to which your capicitors will output and/or your battery to charge?

And one factor that I believe is effecting us is we are further south than I had realized and I remember someone saying the further south the shorter the day cycle. So I am looking for alternative places further north to move the base to if I want to be fully solar which I do.

And I have only played PVE on our dedicated server that we have going. Me and two friends. I would eventually be interested in playing pvp possibly but only when I have LOTSSSS more experience and time playing the game.

Thanks so much for helping and all the suggestions.

[Krizzoula]

Originally posted by VulcanTourist:

@Solid has no idea what he's talking about: you CAN employ both a fuel-based generator and solar-based battery/capacitor in the same structure. You are not forced to choose. The fueled generator becomes secondary backup which activates when the capacitors are drained. You don't want to that to happen, ideally, however, even at night.

You probably need to examine your power consumption, especially at night, and employ sensors and switches with circuits to make it more efficient based on actual need. You'd use Statistics to watch the total consumption, and then Devices to remind yourself which devices are consuming how much power.

Also, there are also many "deco" blocks in the game that secretly draw power AND DON'T EVEN REPORT IT, because the Display: modifier for the EnergyIn property for those objects is actually set to false, meaning DO NOT DISPLAY it. If you populate a structure with a large number of those secretly power-sucking blocks, their effect will only affect the total usage in Statistics; if you look at Devices to try to suss out where your power is going, those blocks often don't even appear in the list and even for those that do they'll report no power use! Even looking at their descriptions in constructor recipes or the Creative item menu won't show their power consumption. I've modded the game to eliminate this stupidity, but you wouldn't even know about it unless you'd looked at the Config_Example.ecf file.

@ Vulcan Interesting, so being a newer player to Empyrion thats def things I need to know about. So the question is.... can you or cant you run both solar and generator based.

The way this particular base prefab tier 1c was designed it came with both capabilities. So I was under the impression that it performed as such. However, at night time when solar energy was less and battery had only charged to like at most 20/1200 strength, the base would drain to 0 battery and the base would flicker on/off with power. We have 90% fuel in fuel tanks also and a generator. So I guess that is why I couldn't understand why it wasn't functioning and I figured I had something set up incorrectly.

So please someone let me know what could be causing this and why my generator wouldn't be kicking in. Is there an option in the core that needs to be selected to allow both solar and generator or should it assume I want to run both?

[gpcstargate]

You can run both .. I have done it for years .. When the game is working correctly .. Solar panels have always been a buggy thing in this Game .. And .. the developers know all about it.
Technically .. You have to have Both for back up in bad weather condition ..

[Krizzoula]

Originally posted by gpcstargate:

You can run both .. I have done it for years .. When the game is working correctly .. Solar panels have always been a buggy thing in this Game .. And .. the developers know all about it.
Technically .. You have to have Both for back up in bad weather condition ..

Thanks gpc for your input... Then if you can do this then that really makes me wonder why my power would be flickering at night when battery has drained down and I still have 80 % fuel left in fuel tanks and generator is running..

By default will it use solar energy first and then generator? OR is this a setting I need to define in the core?

[ravien_ff]

Solar power will be used first. There's no way to configure it. However, if you do not want your base to use fuel at all, you can turn off your generators.

[Krizzoula]

Originally posted by ravien_ff:

Solar power will be used first. There's no way to configure it. However, if you do not want your base to use fuel at all, you can turn off your generators.

k, good to know man thanks!

[Krizzoula]

Originally posted by solid:

Originally posted by Krizzoula:

The way this particular base prefab tier 1c was designed it came with both capabilities.

its been ages ago i look in the prefab list.
in the past this structure looks more like some kind of creative cosmetic fun.
with less / lesser funtinal.
maybe, over the time, they implement more handy prefab.


IF you need ideas for your base or vehicles.
here you can choose from 55.000 differents :)
https://steamcommunity.com/app/383120/workshop/

Also please link your youtube link for me as I couldn't find your postings for buildlings.

Do you have any solar bases that you have built that would be more beneficial to us and maybe more functional that the prefab we chose?

If you do, please link it in the description so I can check it out.

Thanks again so much for your help.

[ravien_ff]

I haven't played survival much since they added container controllers (which really eat up power!) but I know on most planets 15 large solar panels are plenty to power most bases. This was back when you could only have 1 solar capacitor too.

Now some devices are more power hungry like constructors and the like though. You could always separate out your bases into modular units, separate bases for different functions.

[Xerxes86]

Originally posted by VulcanTourist:

@Solid has no idea what he's talking about: you CAN employ both a fuel-based generator and solar-based battery/capacitor in the same structure. You are not forced to choose. The fueled generator becomes secondary backup which activates when the capacitors are drained. You don't want to that to happen, ideally, however, even at night.

You probably need to examine your power consumption, especially at night, and employ sensors and switches with circuits to make it more efficient based on actual need. You'd use Statistics to watch the total consumption, and then Devices to remind yourself which devices are consuming how much power.

Also, there are also many "deco" blocks in the game that secretly draw power AND DON'T EVEN REPORT IT, because the Display: modifier for the EnergyIn property for those objects is actually set to false, meaning DO NOT DISPLAY it. If you populate a structure with a large number of those secretly power-sucking blocks, their effect will only affect the total usage in Statistics; if you look at Devices to try to suss out where your power is going, those blocks often don't even appear in the list and even for those that do they'll report no power use! Even looking at their descriptions in constructor recipes or the Creative item menu won't show their power consumption. I've modded the game to eliminate this stupidity, but you wouldn't even know about it unless you'd looked at the Config_Example.ecf file.

I would like to add to this that if you want your base to run for more than a few minutes (doesn't matter how much fuel you have) DO NOT use a container and extensions. They will drain any base no matter how much fuel you have in a matter of minutes.

[gpcstargate]

I Guess it is time to Leave this Post ..

AT One Time Solar Panels worked Great .. But they started to play with the codes again and Have made a mess of it.
They work sometimes and sometimes they don't .. It used to be if you had at least 12 panels and a small generator with small fuel tank .. you could run for weeks without refueling ... Also they worked in space.

Now it is just if you are lucky on any given day per log in .. I have days they work and I have days they DON'T ... This is true with any of Planet (which is several dozen) I have played on _ Temperate OR Arid .
Just try to have Fun and Enjoy .. Until the Bug's are FIXED

[Krizzoula]

Originally posted by ravien_ff:

I haven't played survival much since they added container controllers (which really eat up power!) but I know on most planets 15 large solar panels are plenty to power most bases. This was back when you could only have 1 solar capacitor too.

Now some devices are more power hungry like constructors and the like though. You could always separate out your bases into modular units, separate bases for different functions.

That is exacatly a very good idea Ravien about making different bases different functions. We just need the autominer core to so we can make that and not deplete our deposits so much on the planet we are on.

I am glad in this new update 9.4 experimental, they made the ALN POIs flat spawners so that you can clear out buildlings easier wihtout things respawning ontop of you. Thank GOD.