Differences in solar panel power
Ash096
Maine, USA Join Date: 2015-09-05 Member: 207735Members
Maine, USA Join Date: 2015-09-05 Member: 207735Members
I guess it's a glitch. I don't know if anyone else has encountered this, but if I put my solar panels directly on my base they produce 50 units of power each. I had three panels on my moon pool and the gave me 150 units of power. However once I connected them via the power transmitter on the ground I only got 75 units from them.
Comments
Yep. Same here.
I mean right now every location has a possibility of a station with only 50-100 meters deep and a vertical connector to the ocean surface. All other deep stations like in the jelly shroom cave or even in the lava caves don't need to be powered. The game itself doesn't force air supply in stations to have power. And there are no resource drilling stations for deep zones in the game who need power.
All power related things can be done in about 50 meter depths, so all you need is an array of solar panels. All other power plants are fun but not needed right now.
@Naali Except it does the same thing if it's put on the ground right next to the base as when it's connected through power transmitters.
@zetachron The depth of the solar panel doesn't make a difference in the power capacity. Depth only affects how fast it recharges.
I'm aware of that. Already in a cave or below 200 meters it means 0% progress in recharging lost energy. Fortunately there is really no reason to use energy in such a deep, because air use in stations needs no energy. You only need a max depth of 100 meters for your stations with moonpools and other energy stuff.
Can confirm, am studying electrical engineering
Edit 1: Wrong quote, working on fixing.
Edit 2: Fixed the quote.
Edit 3: This isn't exactly how it works. It would make more sense to say that the power relays themselves are the source of resistance, but the in-game explanation doesn't matter too much.
You don't read what I write. It's clear that depth affects recharging time and I never stated anything different.
And while you can build a powered station 200m deep there is no need to do so, that's all I said. And you can only do so in hot deep areas, which are rare.
I think you can do so perfectly well in the Jelly Shroom Cave or the unfinished Lava Caves. A place good for the thermal reactors.
I have one by the Black smokers =D
I think that what the OP refers to isnt how solar panels charge/recharges, but rather the fact that depending where you put them they either gives your base 25 max power or 50 max power. I have also remarked this today while constructing my base.
- If i built a panel directly attach'ed to to my base it would confer it +50 max power
- If i built my panel on the ground near a base structure (like on a rock or on sand ...) it would confer it +25 max power only
I theorized that if i built a power transmitter crystal as a link between my panel and my base then maybe the panel would then grant my base the extra 25 power it would as if i built it atached to my base but sadly the transmitter crystal would not help in such a manner. So far, it is my opinion that in order to get the full +50 max power from one solar panel, it needs to be attached straight to the base, wether on a Room or on a foundation affiliated to the base.
Is this a bug or is it meant to work this way, its hard to tell as no one from the game commented on this subject yet i think.
To make it worse the stations have to use machines like for filtration, O2 generation or sub recharging. A deep station would need energy from a seperate energy generating base together with a power supply line. Like a solar power factory floating on the water surface and piping its energy down to a 500m deep sea station. Or a 2000m deep station getting its power from a thermal power factory near lava output and another nuclear plant base through 2 pipelines.
@zetachron I'm talking about where it says xx/xx. It has absolutely nothing to do with depth. For one panel at 5m on the ground or a panel at 200m on the ground. It will say xx/25. At same depths for one panel built on a platform or base module. It will say xx/50. Whether you use power transmitters doesn't matter either. I tested it.
Sorry Ash096,
depth only changes recharging rate and not power loss. I wasn't clear on that.
Have you tried to put a solar array on a top platform and route power to a deep station with a line of several transmitters? Did you get a 50% loss after each transmitter node or only a general 50% loss for using transmitters at all? Did you ever get more than a 50% power loss?
It's kind of strange, could it be some weird bug? It's definitely inconsistent. I always wondered why the fabricator in the lifepod and the Cyclops only used 5 units of power when they made things.
The fabricator using only half power when the panels use transmitters should definitely be a bug. Other would be with transmitters if the usage of transmitters follow some power loss rules.
But I've tested the transmitters now. The power loss is always 50% for transmitter use. The number of transmitters in a row doesn't change the loss. The distance of the power transmitted doesn't matter also. This should be changed, as I can route power around half the map down to my station with only a general 50% loss and the transmitter distance is fantastic.
This glowing power lines are also a good way to use them for pathfinding when you search your way through the map or mazes in the deep. Maybe overpowered.
In the video I watched the player built the solar panels "off base", but close enough for the panel to beam it's energy directly to the base. He did not use any power transmitters.
The difference occurs when you build a solar panel directly attached to your base (on the foundation, on a room, or on a tube section) versus building the solar panel on the ground (not attached to your base in any way).
This is why the problem is so strange, if it were related to power transmitters (and it is not), then it would not be a bug. It would simply be a loss of power related to transmitting that power, and should apply to all power sources not just solar panels.