Power Guide: Generation, Geothermal & Solar Grid Setup

Power is the backbone of your station and colony: it runs lights, machines, research servers, and life‑support devices. This guide explains generation options, fuel sources, power consumers, and upgrade paths so you can design a reliable electrical network.

Core generation methods

Solar Panels and Station Solar Upgrades

• Solar panels generate electrical power and are the primary scalable, maintenance‑free source for a space station environment.
• The Space Station supports repeatable solar upgrades via the "Extend Solar Panels" construction tasks. Each upgrade adds additional megawatts of power to the Station.
• Station solar upgrade examples (representative; each entry is a distinct upgrade task):
  • Repair Solar Panels: +20 MW
  • Install Solar Array #1: +20 MW
  • Install Solar Array #2: +30 MW
  • Install Solar Array #3: +30 MW
  • Install Solar Array #4: +30 MW
  • Install Solar Array #5 and beyond continue the same pattern (costs and times increase).
• These upgrades have prerequisites (hull and hanger repair tasks, previous solar upgrades, Sales Platform construction) and require construction materials and time. The "Extend Solar Panels" chain can be repeated indefinitely to scale station power as needed.

Geothermal Boilers + Steam Turbines

• Geothermal Boilers convert Ignium‑Enriched Water into steam and must be placed on a Geothermal Vent to function.
• Geothermal Vents are located using the Ore Scanner.
• Geothermal Boilers produce steam for connected Steam Turbines; for planning, note that 1 Ignium Ore Rubble can be processed into 675 liters of steam (this is the steam yield tied to Ignium rubble conversion).
• Ignium‑Enriched Water is the fuel input used by Geothermal Boilers.

Biomass Burners and Early Fuel Options

• Biomass is an early‑game fuel commonly used in Biomass Burners and other primitive generators before higher tech is unlocked.
• Biomass is also a crafting component for various items and structures; allocate biomass between fuel and crafting based on your priorities.

Advanced Power Plants

• Advanced power plants are modular multi‑building systems intended for large, sustained output. They combine several specialized buildings into a single coordinated power facility (details of module composition vary by design and technology available).

Consumers and powered devices

• Lights (Wall Light I and Ceiling Light I) require connection to a powered foundation to function. Both are unlocked by researching "Lights II" on the Research Server (requires Research Pack I and Research Pack II). Ensure adequate wiring and powered foundations when placing lights.
• All electrically powered machinery, research servers, construction facilities, and station modules require a stable power feed; plan distribution accordingly.

Fuel logistics and placement considerations

• Geothermal systems are location‑dependent: place Geothermal Boilers directly on Geothermal Vents and route steam to Steam Turbines nearby.
• Solar is ideal for space station decks and areas with line‑of‑sight to sunlight and scales via the station solar upgrade chain.
• Biomass is abundant early on but is also consumed by crafting recipes; do not over‑commit biomass to power without ensuring crafting needs are met.

Scaling and reliability

• Use solar upgrades to scale station‑wide baseline power permanently.
• Deploy geothermal boiler + steam turbine arrays for high continuous output where vents exist.
• Keep emergency or backup generators (biomass burners or modular advanced plant units) to cover peaks or failures.
• Monitor costs and build times for major station solar upgrades; large increases in capacity require construction materials and time, so plan upgrades ahead of peak demand.

Practical tips

• Prioritize unlocking Lights II if you need ceiling or wall lights: both Wall Light I and Ceiling Light I come from that research.
• Reserve Ignium resources and Ignium‑Enriched Water for geothermal production when you have access to vents; geothermal yields large steam output per Ignium rubble processed.
• Balance biomass between early power and crafting uses; once higher‑tier generators are online, repurpose biomass to crafting where needed.

This overview covers the major power generation and consumption mechanics: solar (scalable station upgrades), geothermal boilers feeding steam turbines, biomass as early fuel, advanced modular power plants for high output, and the basic requirement that lights and other devices be attached to powered foundations. Plan generation, fuel logistics, and upgrade timing together to keep your station powered through growth and emergencies.