Module

Template:Technology Modules are items used to enhance existing buildings' capabilities. They are expensive, require appropriate research and are produced slowly, but can eventually greatly improve the efficiency of a factory.

Assembling machine 2 can hold 2 modules, Assembling machine 4 can hold 4, Lab 2, Basic beacon 2, Electric furnace 2 and Electric mining drill 3.

If you want more products per second, use a speed module.

If you want more products per input resource, use a production module.

If you want more products per watt of energy, use an efficiency module.

In addition to improving the efficiency of the factory, modules are also used in many late- and endgame recipes such as modular armor and its equipment.

Recipe:	File:Advanced-circuit.png 5 + File:Electronic-circuit.png 5 + 15 => File:Speed-module.png 1 or File:Productivity-module.png 1 or File:Effectivity-module.png 1
Total raw:	File:Copper-plate.png 32.5 File:Iron-plate.png 15 File:Plastic-bar.png 10

Recipe:	File:Advanced-circuit.png 5 File:Processing-unit.png 5 + ( File:Speed-module.png 4 or File:Productivity-module.png 4 or File:Effectivity-module.png 4 ) + 30 => File:Speed-module-2.png 1 or File:Productivity-module-2.png 1 or File:Effectivity-module-2.png 1
Total raw:	File:Copper-plate.png 355 File:Iron-plate.png 190 File:Plastic-bar.png 70 File:Sulfuric-acid.png 2.5

Recipe:	File:Advanced-circuit.png 5 File:Processing-unit.png 5 + ( File:Speed-module-2.png 4 or File:Productivity-module-2.png 4 or File:Effectivity-module-2.png 4 ) + 1 + 60 => File:Speed-module-3.png 1 or File:Productivity-module-3.png 1 or File:Effectivity-module-3.png 1
Total raw:	File:Copper-plate.png 1645 File:Iron-plate.png 890 File:Plastic-bar.png 310 File:Sulfuric-acid.png 12.5 1

Speed Module

Used in many Modular armor recipes.

• Level 1: Speed bonus: +20%, Energy consumption +50%
• Level 2: Speed bonus: +30%, Energy consumption +60%
• Level 3: Speed bonus: +50%, Energy consumption +70%

Productivity Module

Productivity modules add a second "production bar" at item producing buildings and labs. It fills at the speed of (production - 100%). When it reaches 100%, an extra item (or items, in recipes that result in more than one) is produced.

• Level 1: Productivity: + 4%, Energy consumption +40%, Speed -15%, Pollution multiplier +30%
• Level 2: Productivity: + 6%, Energy consumption +60%, Speed -15%, Pollution multiplier +40%
• Level 3: Productivity: +10%, Energy consumption +80%, Speed -15%, Pollution multiplier +50%

Effectivity Module

Minimal energy usage is 20% of base energy usage.

• Level 1: Energy consumption -30%
• Level 2: Energy consumption -40%
• Level 3: Energy consumption -50%

Usage tips

More modules of the same type in one device will give diminishing returns. Because of that, it is generally more effective to add efficiency modules with speed and/or productivity modules to get more bonuses over the crafting cascade (assembly lines). This applies to situations where resources are plentiful but finite.

Filling the device with speed modules is useful when a resource is infinite but the amount of resource pools is low. The best example would be oil deposits. Another good place to use speed modules would be for assembly machines which make products that take a long time to make. Examples would be engine units.

Filling devices with productivity modules is recommended when resources are scarce. Example would be alien artifact processing.

Examples of usage

Electric furnaces are huge power hogs at 180 W per furnace. 2 basic effectivity modules reduce it to 36 W - almost 2.5 Solar panels worth of power.

Electric mining drills create 9 units of Pollution with no effectivity modules and 1.8 with 2 basic ones.

Same Electric mining drill with 3 Productivity modules 3 would create 76.5 units of Pollution.

Productivity

There where many discussions about the productivity. This post brings the problems of calculating the productivity to a point, where it becomes understandable.

Efficiency and Effectivity

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efficiency

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effectiveness

http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/142360-Is-effectivity-a-relevant-word

And this (lol): http://de.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=effectivity

... So: Might be changed ...