Are solar panels worth the cost?

[Dewa]

I already got the biggest generator setup on my ship (+2 batteries, generator still has about 50-60% power available) and so far it has been powering everything up just fine for now, and since i have some hull blocks ready i was wondering if i should make a room(s) for solar panel arrays

[Ruges]

Solar panels reduce your consumption of rods. Each one gives you 1 power. (3 if your close in to the sun, and I would guess nothing if your are far out). So you would need 15 of them to equal a small gen. And 40 of them to equal the biggest gen.

So the big gen uses .002 rods to make 40 power. or 0.00005‬ per power. Now your going to use 40 rods to make that many solar panels. And 40 rods is worth about 800,000 power in the big gen.

Now with some rough math. its looking like 6 hours is going to be the turning point. IE it will take 6 hours from when you started using the solar plant. that the energy it cost you to make it will be greater then if you had not made it and used the geny instead.

So after 6 hours the net gain is worth it. And there is no further cost with them. and you dont have to go looking for rods for power. So are they worth the cost? yes. But it just takes time. So rushing into them is not really worth it. but if you start geting xtra rods laying around. or rather xtra energy cells laying around. Start building them.

[sf]

I think there are 2 main feasible use. Both of which are probably mid-late game in terms of priority.

1. Offset operation costs of power production, but it is prob not feasible to create an entire solar powered ship, due to the large size needed. Remember that solar power don't work ALL the time ("night"), so you also need a lot of space for batteries as well, in addition to a lot more surplus power capacity during operation.

2. Create emergency power zone. This should be a cluster of connected nodes that only allow inward power flow from other power nodes, and should have enough energy storage to allow the powered facilities to continue functioning in the event of a ship-wide power shortage. If you connect enough solar power to this cluster, it will prolong the period of operation, or even allow it to be self-sufficient in power indefinitely. If needed, you can adjust the links and range of your ship's power nodes to temporarily power only those facilities that you need for the moment for a while.

I usually create this for life support in the imagined doomsday scenario that my ship could not jump and could only wait for a passing trader with hyperfuel to drop by.

[captainghost]

It's not so much as "energy blocks from crafting" its "energy blocks from salvaging". You can spend energy cells to make energy blocks but you can't disassemble energy blocks for energy cells. If you are fortunate you can get alot of energy blocks from salvaging/looting and using them to make solar panels reduces your energy cell consumption.

[sf]

The material cost is not really of concern, esp later in the game. It is the space. For a solar array to be of significant use, you need a lot of space, which can arguably be used for a smaller, more fuel efficient ship of similar functions. Or for a ship of same size, add a lot more other functionalities.

[Ixalmaris]

Also, just because your generator produces 40 does not mean you need 40 power.
My, admittedly a bit spartan, mid game ship has a power draw of roughly 8-9 when I do not do any industry tasks. And that I can cover with 5 solar panels. I only turn on my generator when I am in battle or in a system with low solar efficiency.

[sf]

I thought the generator will auto switch on and off depending on the need. You should not need to manage it manually.

[Ixalmaris]

Originally posted by sf:

I thought the generator will auto switch on and off depending on the need. You should not need to manage it manually.

That depends on your power layout.