Solar panel to accumulator ratio?

[Robbyroy]

Any one know the ration you should have off hand?

[NeO-fAcE]

I think the ratio can not be clear. The amount at whem accumulators are charge deppends on how many solar panels/steam engines you have and how many factorys/towers need energy.
My goal is to keep as much panels that half of there usage is necessary to start the charge of the accumulators. With that you have enough time to expand your whole factory without wory.
There are to many factors to make a precise statement.

[Jaridan]

the perfect ratio is 1 SP to 0.84 acc. There's math for it somewhere around the official forums. As a rule of thumb, a SP generates ~42kw on average (taking high and low times into account).

[SurpriseTree]

To elaborate on the above post, a ratio of 1 to 0.84 simplifies to 21 accumulators for 25 solar panels.

However, having excess accumulators isn't a bad thing, as it can provide you with some extra time to react in the event of a power outage/shortage.

[cullyn]

https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5594

This is the post where the math is done, be careful.

[Htom Sirveaux]

Kojema eredeti hozzászólása:

solar panels are a waste imo. just build a large steam engine power plant. otherwise you never have a use for large amounts of coal late game.

(preface: I'm clarifying mainly for newer players. I don't want to imply like you are unaware of any of this or haven't considered it =) )

Something to keep in mind aside from the need to keep searching for coal is you can place solar arrays nearly anywhere. No need to transport coal to boilers or have water nearby and as a side effect it makes them easier to defend from attacks. I run a rather large base with approximately 10 robo ports, 80 or so bots, 3 full time refineries and numerous ore fields spread across 4 or so expansions totally on solar power with enough accumilators that they never drop below 50% charge before daybreak begins to recharge them.

This also allows you to easily expand by blueprints. No need to adjust supply lines to make sure new boilers are auto fed fuel. Just plunk down the blueprint and let the bots do the rest. Since it also lessens your pollution footprint it tends not to agitate the aliens as much (at least it seems that way, I havent fully tested it).

If I'm working on an expansion away from the main base (and in many cases away from a near by water supply) and have a need for more power production just drop a solar array blueprint I've created with a nearby roboport and let them do the work while I continue building the expansion. It does not even require you to run power from the main facility if you build it without the bots. Just show up, build the array then the expansion. This also allows expansions to run independently of the main facility regardless of location.

In the end however its just a choice. Building a solar array does need quite an investment in resources to get up and running. I chose to run on solar exclusively since space and resources are not really an issue on any of the maps I've played so far. If that were not the case I would certainly be relying on steam engines.

[Zeth]

The ratio 25:21 solar panel to accumulators others have pointed out is accurate and is the optimal ratio.

One other important thing to keep in mind is that only 70% of the solar panels power will be available for use by your factory so each can only give you an effective power of 42 kW.

So if you place down 50 panels and 42 accumulators for example you'll have 2,1 MW to play around with.

[Warlord]

I use a basic, repeatable design I saw on the forums half a year back that has 12 panels to 9 accums. Seems to be a very nice ratio, close to the "ideal" on the forums, and fits perfectly within the space of a large power pole (transformer?). It's a cross of accumulators with the pole in the middle, and 4 panels in each corner. Looks nice, and is fun to watch bots place it.

[T-Bone Biggins]

Kojema eredeti hozzászólása:

solar panels are a waste imo. just build a large steam engine power plant. otherwise you never have a use for large amounts of coal late game.

The map I just spawned only had like 12k coal near it but like 11 oil wells in a tight cluster. As soon as I automated green research and got the oil techs researched I retrofitted my fuel lines meant for coal to instead feed soild fuel into my power plant and smelters ASAP. Works really well actually, even if all the wells get drained to 10% production at least it's infinite at that point and there are enough of them on that particular map to satisfy my base fuel demands if I add speed modules to a few.