Solar Panel
Kit (Solar Panel Basic)
Kit (Solar Panel)
Kit (Solar Panel Basic Heavy)
Kit (Solar Panel Heavy)
Solar Panel
Construction Steps
| Step | Tool | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | [[Glass Sheets |
Deconstruction Steps
| Step | Tool | Recovered Item |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hand Drill | Kit (Solar Panel) |
| 2 | Crowbar | [[Glass Sheets |
Solar Panel (Dual)
Construction Steps
| Step | Tool | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | [[Glass Sheets |
Deconstruction Steps
| Step | Tool | Recovered Item |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hand Drill | Kit (Solar Panel) |
| 2 | Crowbar | [## Description |
| The Solar Panel generates power by absorbing sunlight, depending on solar intensity. Can be manually rotated using a [Wrench. They can be built in two configurations: "dual" configuration with opposite side split power/data ports, or normal configuration with same side combined power/data ports. |
Data ports can interact with Daylight Sensors and logic i/o writers or batch writers to automatically rotate the panel to face the sun.
At the extreme attitude settings (0/100) the solar panel still faces 15 degrees above the horizon. Thus the total arc of vertical rotation is only 150 degrees from input values 0-100.
Can also be destroyed by storms, or left with very little health. Best course of action is to remove the solar panels when you are notified of a storm by a Weather Station, Which allows you to replace them once the storm is over.
During Solar Storms Solar Panels output more energy. Due to this, unexpected cable burnings and power shortages can happen.
They can be repaired with Duct Tape, or by dissembling them and reassembling them. You could even cover them with windows to protect them from storms at the cost of some efficiency of the panels themselves being lost. And Heavy Solar Panels are a more expensive version that do not take storm damage but it is debatable if its worth making the tier 2 metal Astroloy to prevent storm damage whilst retaining maximum efficiency.
Types of Solar Panel Kit
Printed with the Electronics Printer (Tier One)
These are useful early on when resources are limited.
- Kit (Solar Panel Basic) don't have logic inputs so they can't be set up to automatically track the sun and spend most of their time at reduced power output.
- Kit (Solar Panels) have logic inputs and can be programmed to track the sun for optimal power output.
Printed with the Electronics Printer (Tier Two)
These are protected against storm damage, but more expensive. Note that not all planets have storms.
- Kit (Solar Panel Basic Heavy) don't have logic inputs.
- Kit (Solar Panel Heavy) have logic inputs.
| Name of Construction | Kit to Build | Programmable Angle | Immune to Storms | Combined Power/Data Ports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar Panel (Flat) | Kit (Solar Panel Basic) | No | No | N/A |
| Solar Panel (Angled) | Kit (Solar Panel Basic) | No | No | N/A |
| Solar Panel | Kit (Solar Panel) | Yes | No | Yes |
| Solar Panel (Dual) | Kit (Solar Panel) | Yes | No | No |
| Solar Panel (Heavy Flat) | Kit (Solar Panel Basic Heavy) | No | Yes | N/A |
| Solar Panel (Heavy Angled) | Kit (Solar Panel Basic Heavy) | No | Yes | N/A |
| Solar Panel (Heavy) | Kit (Solar Panel Heavy) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Solar Panel (Heavy Dual) | Kit (Solar Panel Heavy) | Yes | Yes | No |
Positioning
Pay close attention to the positioning of your solar panel since their automation will depend heavily on it. Most user-made scripts and guides orient the panels with the data port facing sunset and the power port facing sunrise.
- solar panel horizontal rotation*
Notes
After placement be sure to install one Glass Sheet to make it functional.
See Sensors and Solar_Logic_Circuits_Guide for panel automation using logic circuits.
Power output of a single Solar Panel on different planets
| World | Solar Energy | % of Earth | Solar Angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moon | 750W | 100% | 0° |
| Mars | 455W | 51% | 8° |
| Europa | 210W | 28% | 32° |
| Mimas | 90W | 12% | 126° |
| Vulcan | 500W-1.2KW | 160% | 48° |
| Venus | 1.15KW | 150% | 0° |
Data Network
| Parameter Name | Data Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Horizontal | Degrees | Set the horizontal rotation of the Solar Panel (clockwise, 0-360°, data port is at 270°) |
| Vertical | Degrees | Sets the vertical angle of the Solar Panel (As of at least version 0.2.3263.16264, solar panels accept input in degrees above the horizon instead of in percent, so the solar panels travel between inputs of 15 and 165, with 90 being straight up. Previously, this was supposedly a Percentage "accepting 0-100% which translates to 15°-165°, 50%=90° =zenith") |
| On | Boolean | Turns the solar panel on or off |
| Output Name | Data Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Charge | W | Returns the power generated in Watts |
| Horizontal | degrees | Returns the horizontal rotation of the Solar Panel |
| Vertical | % | Returns the vertical angle of the Solar Panel |
| Maximum | W | Maximum possible power for this planet |
| Ratio | How close to maximum current performance is, 1.0 means panel is perfectly directed and unobstructed | |
| On | Boolean | Returns the on/off state of the solar panel |