SolarPanel[edit | hide all | hide | edit source]
The SolarPanel generates power from a celestial body. Its power output is dependent on the type of celestial body in whose solar system the SolarPanel is in as well as the distance (in sectors) from the center of said solar system and the area of the SolarPanel.
The area of a SolarPanel is equal to the area of its top surface (the dark blue side); thus resizing a SolarPanel vertically has no effect on its power output.
A SolarPanel will only generate power if it can "see" a celestial body: it must not be blocked by opaque parts and it must not be night.
The power output of a solar panel can be determined by using the table below. To calculate the power output of a solar panel:
- Figure out the area of the solar panel: multiply its x and z sizes (width and breadth) together. You can see these by using the 'Size' function of the hammer tool.
- Get the distance from the center of the solar system to the sector in which the SolarPanel is:
- If either of the x or y local coordinates is zero, this is the non-zero number (e.g. if the panel is in sector 1, 1, 0, 5 - the distance is 5 sectors)
- If this is not the case, calculate the distance by using the Pythagorean theorem (get the square root of the sum of the squares of your local coordinates -
√(x2+y2). For example, if you were in local sector 3, 4 the distance to the center would be√(32 + 42) = √(9 + 16) = √25 = 5
- Multiply the your distance from the center of the solar system by the appropriate DAC (distance-area coefficient) value from the table below. Then subtract this value from your SolarPanel's area - this is the area of your SolarPanel adjusted for distance. Feel free to round this up if you get a bunch of decimals (rounding to a whole number is completely fine and almost certainly won't affect the result)
- Multiply the distance-adjusted area by the corresponding base rate from the table below
- Truncate the number you get - the whole part is the amount of power the SolarPanel will generate: ignore the decimals
| CELESTIAL BODY | BASE RATE (ppt/stud2) | DAC (stud2/sector) |
|---|---|---|
| Black hole | 0.0018975 | variable, see note* |
| Red (M) star | 0.001945 | 3.743 |
| Orange (K) star | 0.002500 | 3 |
| Yellow (F) star | 0.003055 | 2.4 |
| Blue (O) star | 0.0036115 | 2 |
| Neutron star | 0.004445x | 1.8 |
*When getting farther away from a black hole, more power is initially generated; then power generation falls off again. Ignore any DAC related instructions.
In-game description[edit | hide | edit source]
"Generates electricity using solar energy from a local star. The closer it is to a star, the more energy it generates. The type of star also affects its energy generation, as well as the size of the solar panel. If the solar panel is blocked by a part, it will not generate any energy. Glass however will work. "
Trivia[edit | hide | edit source]
- The SolarPanel can only generate power when it is day on a planet but if the planet is tidally locked to day or if the SolarPanel is in space, it will constantly generate power
- Glass, ReinforcedGlass and TintedGlass are considered transparent, while every other part in the game is considered opaque