[Suggestion] Large Solar Array: More Energy

[GD]

The large solar array still produces not enough energy for it's size in comparison with the normal solar array.

My opinion is based on tile-footprint:

Small
Footprint: 3x3 = 9
Energy: 300 kW / 9 Tiles = 33.33 kW/Tile

Large
Footprint: 5x5 = 25
Energy: 650 kW / 25 Tiles = 26 kW/Tile

Please consider making it worth the effort in research, material and size.

If I overlooked something feel free to correct me.

[Akilax]

I agree, that the large solar panel is currently not as good as I think it should be.

I do not agree with your comparison and calculations though.

The small solar panel has a max output of 300kW but since it does not rotate towards the sun, it does not continuously get 300kW from the sun. Instead it starts rather low and achieves 300kW only close to zenith. On average it is thus wrong to claim it produces 300kW per 9 tiles.

The large solar panel has a max output of 650kW and since it tracks the sun it gets this output for as long as the sun is not blocked by something from reaching the panel. It therefore truly does have a 650kW output per 25 tiles.

Still, due to the large footprint in tiles and resources invested, the large solar panels lose against the small solar panels if the same amount of tiles gets covered with them.

In my test, the sun started hitting the panels at 8am and stopped hitting them at 7pm. By 1:30pm the large solar panel had charged a small battery to its full 250MJ, while the small solar panel had charged 90MJ. By evening the large panel thus manages to fully charge two batteries and the small panel charges 180/250 of one small battery.

Comparing this while taking the tile space into consideration, the large panel charges 20MJ per tile per day (2x250MJ/25 tiles), while the small panel charges also 20MJ per tile per day (180MJ/9 tiles).

The test I did was on a platform on top of a mountain, to avoid other mountains blocking the sun. Unless I am missing something, the large solar panel has no big advantage over the small one and even loses if we consider the cost of getting and building them.

Or am I missing something?

[GD]

I did a test on that.

1 x Small Solar Panel connected to a Large Battery
1 x Large Solar Panel connected to a Large Battery

Collect energy over a whole day.

Results
=======

The Small Solar Panel had the usual sinus wave from 7:50 to 19:00 between 100 KW and 300 KW.

The large solar panel provided continuous 650 KW over the whole time.

Collected Energy Results
----------------------------
Small Solar Panel: 202,82 MJ
Large Solar Panel: 548,60 MJ

Nothing unexpected however the footprint is
Small Solar Panel: 9
Larger Solar Panel: 25

Which makes this ...

Small Solar Panel: 22,52 MJ / Tile
Large Solar Panel: 21,94 MJ / Tile

Which I would call underpowered of the Large Solar Panel.

[Akilax]

You measured more precisely than I did. Very nice.

I agree that the large solar panel seems underpowered. Considering the research and resources that go into it, it should provide more output than it does.

In its current state I find it performs poorly.

[Stellar Remnant]

Originally posted by GD:

I did a test on that.

1 x Small Solar Panel connected to a Large Battery
1 x Large Solar Panel connected to a Large Battery

Collect energy over a whole day.

Results
=======

The Small Solar Panel had the usual sinus wave from 7:50 to 19:00 between 100 KW and 300 KW.

The large solar panel provided continuous 650 KW over the whole time.

Collected Energy Results
----------------------------
Small Solar Panel: 202,82 MJ
Large Solar Panel: 548,60 MJ

Nothing unexpected however the footprint is
Small Solar Panel: 9
Larger Solar Panel: 25

Which makes this ...

Small Solar Panel: 22,52 MJ / Tile
Large Solar Panel: 21,94 MJ / Tile

Which I would call underpowered of the Large Solar Panel.

Interesting.

How about for material efficiency per MJ per tile? small solars still better?
I suppose this means there really isn't a reason not to set up a huge small solar array when first unlocked.

[GD]

Have not checked crafting cost / tile. But crafting costs is not important with solar panels. Surface space is (energy per tile) because you cannot stack them. Real-estate is the bottle-neck.

[Zefar]

Space doesn't really matter when there is so much empty space to build on and with no enemies around you can just put it wherever you want.

I've switched to large solar panels and put up a rather large field of them.

[GD]

Yes space does matter unless you want to pave over landscapes with solar panels.

And I just told you in factual numbers the same "field" with small solar panels would have brought you more energy.

[Stellar Remnant]

Originally posted by GD:

Yes space does matter unless you want to pave over landscapes with solar panels.

And I just told you in factual numbers the same "field" with small solar panels would have brought you more energy.

much less effort to set up the large solars tho

[Zefar]

Originally posted by GD:

Yes space does matter unless you want to pave over landscapes with solar panels.

And I just told you in factual numbers the same "field" with small solar panels would have brought you more energy.

As the user above me, it's less buildings to set up.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3245924894
My Solar panel array.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3245924987
My Steam turbines and they are to the left of Solar Panels.

My power output at max load.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3245926065

I use less than half of that currently. At the moment I don't really need to increase production and my base already drags the FPS down to around 30.

I have
RTX 3080
32 GB RAM
i5 12600KF

I should move them somewhere else to reduce lag.

[Stellar Remnant]

Originally posted by Zefar:

I use less than half of that currently. At the moment I don't really need to increase production and my base already drags the FPS down to around 30.

I have
RTX 3080
32 GB RAM
i5 12600KF

I should move them somewhere else to reduce lag.

I have an i6700k and 980 TI and I have 40fps looking at my science with less than 50% of CPU/GPU used.
check your cpu/gpu usage in taskman, there's some hidden bottleneck

[GD]

Not sure if the large solar panel is really better performance wise.

Large Panel
1) It has moving parts and need constant updates.
2) It has more polygons to draw then the smaller one.

Not sure if setting up 25/9 times more smaller but fixed and equal objects asks for more performance or less.

[Stellar Remnant]

Originally posted by GD:

Not sure if the large solar panel is really better performance wise.

Large Panel
1) It has moving parts and need constant updates.
2) It has more polygons to draw then the smaller one.

Not sure if setting up 25/9 times more smaller but fixed and equal objects asks for more performance or less.

the game does have a draw distance.
build the solar array in an out of the way area and it shouldn't be a problem

[GD]

If it doesn't matter performance-wise I take whatever provides more energy in the same space. But that is my opinion. Everyone is entitled to their own.

[Zefar]

Originally posted by MiniHerc:

I have an i6700k and 980 TI and I have 40fps looking at my science with less than 50% of CPU/GPU used.
check your cpu/gpu usage in taskman, there's some hidden bottleneck

It isn't an issue with my PC. I have just built a massive base and it's now dragging down the FPS. When I'm outside the base I have constant 75 FPS due to that it's monitor FPS cap.
Majority of the things are in production too.

Don't think there is much to do about it unless I put each production in different parts of the map. But that means dragging a lot of belt lines which might add to the CPU demand.