Solar Panel

Solar Panel


Category:	Power
Function:	turns sunlight into power

Fits small grid
Mass:	143.2 kg
PCU:	55
Size:	10x5x1
Time to Build:	20 sec

Fits large grid
Mass:	516.8 kg
PCU:	55
Size:	4x2x1
Time to Build:	30 sec

Data Controls:	[edit] [purge] (?)

The Solar Panel uses natural sunlight to produce power. For a shape variant, see Colorable Solar Panel.

Usage

Solar Panels are a cheap source of power in space and in daylight on planets or moons, at the cost of being unwieldy and very fragile. Solar Panels appear on some Pre-Built Ships, most prominently the commercial cargo ships.

Power

No "cables" are needed to convey power. Just connect the Solar Panels with any blocks.

The power grid gives priority to drawing solar power, therefore any reactors on the same ship or station can remain active and will only consume uranium once the power draw exceeds the capacity of both the solar panels and the discharging Batteries.

large-grid max output: 160 kW.
small-grid max output: 40 kW.

What influences efficiency?

Solar Panels produce energy depending upon the angle of exposure to the sun. The optimal angle is at a 90 degrees to the sun.

Objects can block sunlight from reaching the panel, e.g. the shadow of ships and asteroids can potentially render the panels useless.
On planets, the sun is blocked for half of the day cycle which precludes power production.
Glass windows only partially reduce solar exposure.
In planetary atmospheres, power efficiency also depends upon the weather.

What's the current efficiency?

The current efficiency of the panel is indicated by a series of green bars at the side of each panel. When all of the bars are lit, the panel is at or very near the maximum efficient position of a 90 degree angle.

Red indicators: The Solar Panel is turned off or damaged.
Yellow indicators: The Solar Panel is turned on, but there is no sunlight.
Green indicators: There is sunlight, Solar Panel is producing power. The intensity is represented by 1 to 4 green lights in steps of 25%.

Comparison

One optimally aligned Solar Panel produces enough energy to supply a Medical Room, meaning that you are theoretically independent from uranium in order to survive, given you remain in sunlight.

One Assembler, one Refinery, and one Gravity Generator, use up to 1,687.13 Kw of energy, requiring 11 Solar Panels to use all 3 assuming a maximum output of 160 kW per panel.

Construction

If progression is enabled, you can always build solar panels, they do not need to be unlocked.

In order for a solar panel to produce energy, build it so that its surface is exposed to direct sunlight. On planets and moons, the sun is blocked by the ground for half the day cycle, which prevents solar panels from generating any power at night. If you are relying on solar power, make sure to build enough batteries to last the night, and enough solar panels to charge the batteries during the day.

Solar panels transfer power through mechanical blocks such as hinges, rotors, and pistons. This means you can build foldable or retractable solar arrays in case you need to protect them during a fight or meteor storm. It is recommended to build solar arrays on a rotor+hinge that slowly rotate 360 degrees in one in-game day (2 real-life hours using the default World Settings) such that the panels always face the sun optimally.

Built on mechanical blocks, you can align Solar Panels manually, you can control them through scripts, or you can use a vanilla Custom Turret Controller configured to track the sun.

Recipe

Solar Panel
Component	Large Ship/Station Required	Large Ship/Station Optional	Small Ship Required	Small Ship Optional
Steel Plate	4	—	2	—
Solar Cell	32	—	8	—
Girder	12	—	4	—
Construction Comp.	10	4	1	1
Computer	4	—	1	—
Bulletproof Glass	4	—	1	—