Module
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.
- If you want more products per second, use a speed module.
- If you want more products per input resource, use a productivity 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.
Do Efficiency Modules Reduce Pollution?
Required research
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Recipes
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Speed Module
Used in many Modular armor recipes.
| Level | Speed bonus | Energy consumption |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | +20% | +50% |
| 2 | +30% | +60% |
| 3 | +50% | +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.
Productivity modules can only be used to make intermediate products. These are products that cannot directly be placed, but are used in other recipes. Examples include circuits, science Packs and engine units.
Productivity modules have some usage limitations!
| Level | Productivity | Electricity consumption |
Speed | Pollution multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +4% | +40% | -15% | +30% |
| 2 | +6% | +60% | -15% | +40% |
| 3 | +10% | +80% | -15% | +50% |
Don't be fooled by the extra energy consumption! The energy consumption is each second, but the decrease in speed makes this worse per product made. Eventually energy is "free" because of solar energy and accumulators, but there is a limit to how much consumption is practical. The energy consumption per product made is bigger than the simple "+consumption" stat would make you think, but in a likewise unintuitive way, adding speed modules by Basic Beacon is better than expected. While speed modules strictly add energy consumption, their effect on speed counters this.
| Level | Productivity | Electricity consumption |
Speed | Energy/ Unit |
Units/ time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assembling Machine 3 + # of Chips in Beacon(s) |
100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| +1 productivity 3 chip | 110% | 180% | 85% | 193% | 93.5% |
| +2 productivity 3 chips | 120% | 260% | 70% | 310% | 84% |
| +3 productivity 3 chips | 130% | 340% | 55% | 476% | 71.5% |
| +4 productivity 3 chips | 140% | 420% | 40% | 750% | 56% |
| +4 productivity 3 chips +1 speed 3 chip |
140% | 455% | 65% | 500% | 91% |
| +4 productivity 3 chips +2 speed 3 chips |
140% | 490% | 90% | 389% | 126% |
| +4 productivity 3 chips +3 speed 3 chips |
140% | 525% | 115% | 326% | 161% |
| +4 productivity 3 chips +4 speed 3 chips |
140% | 560% | 140% | 286% | 196% |
| +4 productivity 3 chips +5 speed 3 chips |
140% | 595% | 165% | 258% | 231% |
| +4 productivity 3 chips +6 speed 3 chips |
140% | 630% | 190% | 237% | 266% |
| +4 productivity 3 chips +7 speed 3 chips |
140% | 665% | 215% | 221% | 301% |
| +4 productivity 3 chips +8 speed 3 chips |
140% | 700% | 240% | 209% | 336% |
While the effects are biggest with the version 3 chips, this stacking effect is also very noticeable with version 2 chips. Or if the final 10% productivity doesn't matter that much, consider putting a speed chip in there too.
Efficiency Module
Minimal energy usage is 20% of base energy usage.
| Level | Energy consumption |
|---|---|
| 1 | -30% |
| 2 | -40% |
| 3 | -50% |
Buildings that support modules
Buildings support different amounts of modules.
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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), especially when assembling machines are part of logistics network. This applies to situations where resources are plentiful but finite.
This is has been calculated through in this discussion.
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.
Filling devices with efficiency modules is recommended for electric furnaces as these use a lot of power.
Modules are also able to control Pollution, as pollution depends also on Energy usage. So reducing a machines energy usage by 40% with a efficiency module 2 will also reduce its pollution by 40%. Beware as this also works vice versa!
Examples of usage
Electric furnaces are huge power hogs at 180 kW per furnace. 1 basic efficiency module reduces it by 54 kW (-30%) - almost a Solar panel worth of power.
Electric mining drills create 9 units of Pollution with no efficiency modules and 1.8 with 2 basic ones.
Same Electric mining drill with 3 Productivity modules 3 would create 76.5 units of Pollution.
Limitations on Productivity Module
The productivity module has some limitations!
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 ...