Managing base power

[zOldBulldog]

I know that there is more power consumption in Below Zero than in Subnautica but there is clearly something that I am not understanding.

This is my scenario:

- Base at the Glaciar Basin.
- 2 Thermal Generators placed first, tapping 2 separate vents.
- A Scan room.
- A BioGenerator (not yet powered up).

ISSUES:

- With this setup I occasionally run out of power even when completely idle (not manufacturing anything, not scanning anything).

- If I turn on the scanner, it works for a while then shuts down.

- When the power returns... the scanner has lost its search settings, so I have to return to base and select the search again. Extremely annoying.

QUESTIONS:

1) How do I measure the temperature of the vents? With the temperature I assume I can find out the power it produces.

2) Is there zero power being output by the generator while the vent is out, or is there some kind of battery in the generator? Basically... is using the thermal generators in this environment a waste due to the interruptions?

3) If I switch to Solar, does it have batteries or will it instantly go dead at night? Again, is it a waste to use solar?

4) With so many power source interruptions in Below Zero (that didn't seem to be an issue in Subnautic) is there a plan to have a new "battery" device for the base that can accumulate power to use when the sources aren't producing? Or should I forget about the alternate power sources and just switch fully to multiple biogenerators per base?

5) Is there a better way to handle power for a small scanner base?
(no, I don't have a good large scale mining location for uraninite yet, so I am not comfortable relying on a nuclear reactor even though I found several reactor rods in wrecks)

[TheGraveDigger]

Originally posted by _conscience_:

Thermal plants should have a temperature indicator on them. Green is low, yellow is mid, red is high.

Not sure, look at the read outs on the generators to be sure. You could also park a vehicle with a temperature gauge on it and see what it says. In the water, temperature tends to be static even when vents aren’t blowing.

Dead at night. No batteries.

No plans for base batteries that I know of. There is a mod for SN1 that lets you use power cells. Redundant power is probably best.

The rods you find in the wrecks should be more than enough for your big base needs. One rod should satisfy your scanner base needs.

Power is always trickling because oxygen production.

Actually red is low and green is high, you had it reversed

[zOldBulldog]

OK, this is what I found out:
Scanner idle = 0.5/sec
Scanner running = 3/sec

Thermal plants are in a yellow 46C place = 0.46/sec each, even when vent is off. Total = 0.92.
Bioreactors 0.83/sec each x2 = 1.66.
Total = 2.58.

So I have a deficit of 3.00-2.58=0.42/sec

I need to add at least one more thermal or bioreactor to cover a scanner base's needs.

Dang! That is a ridiculous amount of power sources. I want a mod! Or some of what the devs are smoking so I don't notice the new power demands.

QUESTION: I see that the power lines from 2 of the thermals have rerouted to aim at the snowfox pad instead of the main base. The pad is very close but not attached to the base... Is the power considered going to the base? Or do I need to place a foundation that touches both the pad and the base and put the pad over it?

[bongerman85]

Originally posted by zOldBulldog:

OK, this is what I found out:
Scanner idle = 0.5/sec
Scanner running = 3/sec

Thermal plants are in a yellow 46C place = 0.46/sec each, even when vent is off. Total = 0.92.
Bioreactors 0.83/sec each x2 = 1.66.
Total = 2.58.

So I have a deficit of 3.00-2.58=0.42/sec

I need to add at least one more thermal or bioreactor to cover a scanner base's needs.

Dang! That is a ridiculous amount of power sources. I want a mod! Or some of what the devs are smoking so I don't notice the new power demands.

QUESTION: I see that the power lines from 2 of the thermals have rerouted to aim at the snowfox pad instead of the main base. The pad is very close but not attached to the base... Is the power considered going to the base? Or do I need to place a foundation that touches both the pad and the base and put the pad over it?

wherever it is going is where u see the lines pointing... u will need to move ur snowfox pad if its in line with the transmitters. its like trying to build the thermal plants on a foundation... you cant do it. i only have my snowfox chargers at the entrance to each of the ground areas

[Marid Audran]

You can also verify the power is getting to your base by checking the available power. While there are no batteries per se, each power system has it's own storage. Thermal Plants store 250 each, solar panels 75, bioreactors are 500 and the nuke reactors hold 2500. That's not the rate, just the storage.

So there's that way to tell if the base is getting power.