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The subject of this article is from the Waypoint update.
The information from this article is up-to-date as of 21 February, 2023. |
The information from this article is up-to-date as of 21 February, 2023.
Power is used in base building.
Summary[]
Power, or electrical power, is a resource in Base building. From v2.03, power is required for some equipment. Electricity is basically transmitted by connecting power generation equipment and parts that consume power with Electrical Wiring.
Power is measured in kP, and power consumption is measured in kPs, which stands for kP per second.
Electrical grid[]
Devices that generate and consume power can be connected together with Electrical Wiring, forming a power grid.
All base items, whether they need power or not, will consume energy from one wire as long as all objects are connected. This means that as long as your whole base is connected by objects that stick to each other, you only need one wire to run into the entire building. Placing a generator without connecting it to any wiring will not supply power to the grid. You cannot receive powers from an another base. If the grid is blue, it means that it is supplying power, but red means it it not supplying power.
Note: the visual lines indicating power connections can be hidden using the Electrical Cloaking Unit.
Power Generators[]
Equipment that generates electricity through various means. You can also check the amount of electricity generated and consumed by the power grid.
Biofuel Reactor (Power Generation: 50kP)[]
A Biofuel Reactor placed outdoors
Requires Carbon to operate (you can easily input small amounts by using the split function in the Inventory menu), a useful part in the early stages of the game. For example, the Base Teleport Module does not need to be powered when returning to the base, so you can use it by inputting Carbon as a usage fee only on the way there. You can also conserve power consumption by using Battery and switches.
Suitable for very small outposts (such as so-called fast travel points). In a well-established base, as the number of storage containers and cultivation-related items increases, it will be difficult to get by with just a few of these. In that case, use Solar Panel or Electromagnetic Generator.
Solar Panel (Power Generation: 0-50kP) & Battery[]
Solar Panel icon
The inside of the Wonders Hold base consisting 2 Batteries
.
Solar Panels are parts that can continue to generate power without the need for fuel, but they have a weakness in terms of time of day. They generate power in three stages: during the day, the panels are open and generate 50kP. At dawn, dusk, and the midnight sun, they generate 25kP. At night, the panels close and the power is 0kP.
The panels do not need to be placed in a place where the sun shines. They will generate power without any problems even if they are placed indoors, in a cave, or underwater. To create a power generation system that does not run out 24 hours a day, a system is required that stores power during the day until it exceeds the amount used at night, and then extracts the amount stored at night as electricity. This is where batteries come in handy.
If you install a set of two SPs and one battery for every 50kP, you will have a power generation system that will not run out of electricity even at night, using the aforementioned "save during the day and use at night" system. If you want to increase the amount of power generated, simply place and connect multiple sets of these. This will take up space and the number of displays, but it will not complicate the system itself. Both parts can be neatly snapped into small and large rooms. They can also be installed without snapping. These indoor spaces do not require wiring, so they can be packed together to create a large-capacity power plant.
As for the batteries, as long as there is power, they can store electricity regardless of the source of the power supply from the power line. When building a larger structure, you can easily check the amount of power generated and consumed by connecting some kind of power grid to the batteries.
Electromagnetic Generator (Power Generation: 150-300kP)[]
An Electromagnetic Generator
When placed in a suitable location on a planet, this device generates a lot of power 24/7. You must find the place to place it, the "electromagnetic hotspot," yourself. For details, see Hotspot. The amount of power generated fluctuates by 2-3kP even when directly above a hotspot. Note that the above information is written in maximum values.
If the electromagnetic spot is more than 300u away from the base computer, you will need to use the base area expansion technique to build it. Simply put, it's something like this (but it may be quite difficult to understand until you actually try it and understand the logic).
- Find the electromagnetic hotspot.
- Go back to the main building of the base.
- From the main building to the hotspot, build markers that will become electric poles. At the edge, use the part to extend the base radius by 50u
- Build an electromagnetic generator on the hotspot.
- Connect the grid from the generator to the main house and return.
You can install a large number of electromagnetic generators, and by simply connecting them to the power grid, you can increase the amount of power generated. Even with a C-class, you can easily secure a large amount of power by increasing the number of units. The power generation are based on the electromagnetic Hotspot class and is follows:
- C-Class: 150kP
- B-Class: 220kP
- A-Class: 250kP
- S-Class: 300kP
Each unit generates a large amount of power to begin with. Each time you place and connect them, you can get the equivalent of several sets of the above 2 solar panels and 1 battery. The power generation range spreads out in a cylindrical shape from the center of the hotspot. It seems that power can be generated regardless of altitude. The amount of power generated decreases as you move horizontally away from the spot, so when installing multiple units, it is more economical to stack them vertically rather than spreading them out horizontally.
When stacking - In fact, the building camera cannot point directly below at 90 degrees, so you cannot stack them directly on top of each other by visual inspection only (there is a slight misalignment each time you stack them, and this accumulates, making the overall picture tend to be quite diagonal). If you build an auxiliary line (something vertical, such as a wall of basic parts) near the placement location, extend it upwards with a snap placement, and then use that auxiliary line to stack electromagnetic generators, you can make it look a little neater (it's just a matter of appearance. If you use a reasonable base, there will be no big difference in the amount of electricity generated).
The ideas of "what parts to choose as auxiliary lines" and "whether to leave the auxiliary lines as a decorative/structure even after the power tower is completed" are up to the player. Some people leave it bare for practical purposes, some people decorate only the tips and key points in a sci-fi style, and some people seal the whole thing up and treat it like a high-rise building.
If you don't want to stack them - If you stack them vertically, you will end up with an unstable and cyber-like giant tower, so it is a matter of personal preference in terms of the scenery. If you don't want to stack them, just make a dense formation up to the amount you need. If you don't have enough, you can dig into the ground with the Terrain Manipulator, place them underground, and bury and hide them using the Terrain Manipulator's "Undo" mode. In fact, it is easier to rebuild or add on than stacking vertically.
Power Overload[]
If the amount of power generated exceeds the amount consumed, the power-consuming parts will continue to operate normally. If the consumption exceeds the amount of electricity generated, there will be a shortage of electricity.
First of all, if the Battery is connected to the power grid, the reserve will be drawn from it to make up for the shortfall. During this state, the remaining battery capacity of the used battery decreases steadily. If there are no batteries in the power grid or the battery is exhausted, it will be a blackout. Everything connected to the power grid shutdown at once. Visually, the color of the grid turns red (as said before) and a red lightning symbol appears above the power-consuming parts, indicating that it needs power.
It does not fall in order from the point where it uses a lot of power. If the power grid is underpowered, all the parts, both large and small, will fall at the same time. The entire building will blackout until the amount of power generated exceeds the amount consumed. In the opposite case. If there is a partial power outage, it means that the power lines at the base are now divided into two parts: "a power grid with sufficient power" and "a power grid with insufficient power." In the event of an unintentional half-hearted or partial power outage, there is a high possibility that the current state of the base has forgotten to connect the power lines.
Energized Buildings[]
Prefabricated rooms and passages have prebuilt power lines, which themselves are parts that consume and conduct electricity. By placing these parts in the center during construction, the building itself can be used as a substitute for power lines, and power is transmitted to these indoor and wall-touching parts without separate wiring. If you use it well, you can greatly reduce the time and effort required for installation. Parts that do not have terminals are supposed to be installed indoors.
Freighter Power[]
In principle, grids cannot be used at the Freighter Base Building, and power can be supplied by passing electricity generated from the captain's room through room parts and passageways. Although it is difficult to tell from the outside, room parts and passageways are conductive, and by being adjacent to each other, touch can be sent and received.
When building at the, you may install a Short-Range Teleporter to quickly move to a distant location, but in some cases, it may not be energized even if it is installed. The reason for this is that there is no power being supplied to that location. The first possible reason for the lack of electricity is that the location where the short-range teleporter was installed is not connected to a "room part or passageway that is connected to the captain's room and is energized."
The connection judgment at the Freighter Base is basically that it is not considered to be connected unless it is adjacent to the four squares above and below the adjacent floor and within the same floor (a cross based on that room). Therefore, when it is not energized, check whether the relevant part is connected to the captain's room, and if it is not connected, use a room or passageway to connect to the relevant part.
Reinforced Window have special specifications. Specifically, by attaching this to a room, you can conduct electricity even in rooms that are not normally electrified. The procedure is to prepare any "room parts or passages that are connected to the captain's room and are electrified". Place a room one floor higher, one square away from the electrified location in the cross direction. Place a Bulkhead Door in that room and place something that requires power inside (such as a short-range teleporter).
Make sure it is not connected (red lightning symbol) and delete the "bulkhead door". When attaching a "reinforced window" to a room that is not powered, place it so that it is on the side that will be above the powered one on the lower level. Place a "bulkhead door" on the vacant side again and check that power is flowing.
The reason this phenomenon occurs is likely because the reinforced window is "conductive, and when installed, it is placed outside the room you want to install it in", so it is recognized as an adjacent room or passageway. This makes it possible to float one block in height that would normally not be possible to connect, which will broaden the possibilities for freighter base building.
Consumption[]
Note: This section is under development.(List is incomplete, please expand.)
The following base building products require power to run:
| Base building product | Power consumption in kPs |
|---|---|
 Appearance Modifier
|
50 |
 Automated Feeder
|
20 |
 Base Teleport Module
|
20 |
 Bio-Dome
|
50 |
 Ceiling Light
|
1 |
 Coloured Light
|
1 |
 Cuboid Room
|
5 |
 Curved Cuboid Wall
|
5 |
 Cylindrical Room
|
10 |
 Door
|
1 |
 Galactic Trade Terminal
|
15 |
 Gas Extractor
|
50 |
 Hazard Protection Unit
|
10 |
 Health Station
|
10 |
 Holo-Door
|
1 |
 Hydroponic Tray
|
5 |
 Large Hydroponic Tray
|
20 |
 Light
|
1 |
 Light Box
|
1 |
 Livestock Unit
|
20 |
 Mineral Extractor
|
50 |
 Noise Box
|
1 |
 Sphere Creator
|
0 |
 Square Room
|
10 |
 Storage Container
|
5 |
 Straight Corridor
|
1 |
 Viewing Sphere
|
1 |
 X-Shaped Corridor
|
1 |
 Glass Roofed Corridor
|
1 |
Switches[]
These base building products have 2 input/output sockets. Either one needs to be connected to a powered electrical wire, while the other socket must be connected to any number of power output wires that each will power a specific base product (such as Base Teleport Module, etc.).
Power Inverter and Auto Switch each also have a 3rd socket: a control socket that is located in the middle of the item (or at the bottom if the product is placed vertically on a wall).
Each product not only needs to be connected to a powered wire to one of the 2 input/output sockets, but it also needs a product-specific activation condition to be met to be supplying power to the output socket. Once a product activates, it will stop supplying power once its specific deactivation condition is met. Depending on the product in question, this may or may not be the reverse of the activation condition.
| Name | Activation condition | Deactivation condition |
|---|---|---|
 Auto Switch |
Power supplied to middle/bottom socket (and also to an input socket) | Power not supplied to middle/bottom socket |
 Button |
A player using the button (default E key) | Always 1 second after activation |
 Floor Switch |
A player standing on the switch (measuring a 6x6u square) | No player is standing on the switch |
 Power Inverter |
Power not supplied to middle/bottom socket (but supplied to an input socket) | Power supplied to middle/bottom socket |
 Proximity Switch |
A player coming within 7.5u of the switch | The activating player moving to farther than 9.5u from the switch |
 Wall Switch |
A player using the switch (default E key) while it is inactive | A player using the switch (default E key) while it is active |
Strategy[]
Generator choice[]
- Biofuel Reactors need constant recharging but are also very efficient. A full charge with 30 Carbon lasts 50h.
- Solar Panels paired with Batteries work well for a base positioned anywhere on a planet's surface.
- Install enough Solar Panels to exceed the power requirements of your base. Ensure that excess power charges the Batteries enough to power the base through a 15-minute nighttime cycle.
- One Solar Panel provides 50kPs of power during daytime. For every 50kPs required by your base, install two Solar Panels and one Battery.
- Solar Panels are effective when installing close to a geographic pole of the planet, since each panel there will supply a constant 25kPs round the clock with no required maintenance or fuel and no interruptions.
- Electromagnetic Generators are the most efficient, as they supply constant power in rather large amounts with no required maintenance or fuel and no interruptions. However, they can only be placed on power generating hotspots, located using the Survey Device upgrade to the Analysis Visor in the Multi-Tool. This limits your choice of locations at which you can build bases powered by Electromagnetic Generators.
- Building a base inside a Freighter will allow the use of the freighter's built-in and stable round-the-clock 10000kPs generator.
Conserving power[]
- Use Floor Switches or Proximity Switches to limit power consumption of structures that are only useful when a player is within their proximity, including:
Release history[]
- Beyond
- Added new power generation base parts: Biofuel Reactors, Solar Panels, Electromagnetic Generators and Batteries. Each offers a different way to generate power for your base.
- Added wiring, allowing you to connect base parts that need power to your generators.
- Removed the manual fueling of many base technologies and replaced it with power grid requirements.
- Added power requirements to existing parts such as lights.
- Added a range of logic gates and switches, allowing for creative control of powered parts.
- Added new exocraft-sized doors that can be powered to open and close automatically as you approach.
- Added a powered Sphere Generator that allows players to generate large movable spheres.
- Beyond 2.09.1 - Fixed a number of issues that prevented hydroponic trays from working with base power. Fixed Health, Power and Shield stations not receiving power aboard freighters.
- Desolation - Short-Range Teleporter no longer needs to be powered (description still claims it does).
- Update 3.94 - Biofuel Reactors are now much more efficient, providing power for a significantly longer amount of time.