Small Solar

Small Solar is a Tier 1 power item that generates electricity from direct sunlight. It can be crafted in the backpack printer using Copper, and unlike larger solar panels it can be placed in any item slot. When placed in a backpack, it only produces power while occupying a widget slot. It can also be set on the ground, where it acts like its own small platform with built-in cables.

A Small Solar must have sunlight striking the panel to function; it does not work if terrain or other objects block the Sun, and it will not operate underground. When exposed to sunlight, it automatically turns to face the Sun if possible. If it is not exposed, it points upward relative to whatever it is attached to.

Its base output is 1.0 U/s, enough to fill one bar of a Small Battery in 4 seconds. On planets with different sun effectiveness, its average output changes with the local multiplier, ranging from 0.25 U/s on very low sunlight worlds to 1.75 U/s on very high sunlight worlds. It produces the same amount of power as a Small Wind Turbine.

Small Solar is especially useful early in the game because it is cheap, compact, and easy to deploy in multiple slots. It can be carried on a backpack, mounted on vehicles, or placed on surfaces to supplement other power sources. Because it can be used on the ground without needing a platform, it is also handy for temporary field setups.

• It is most effective in open daylight and least effective in shaded areas, caves, or beneath overhangs.
• Placing multiple Small Solars on a flat Medium Storage makes efficient use of space and power, and eight of them can outperform a single Medium Solar Panel for the same storage footprint.
• If the Medium Storage is not leveled, only part of the array will receive sunlight, reducing output.
• A Small Solar can be compared with the Medium Solar Panel and Solar Array as part of the game’s progression of solar power options.