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The '''Electric system''' is used to power a lot of different machines; the game can hardly be played without using electricity. Every machine has its own internal electric capacity. When energy is produced, it is evenly distributed to all machines in the network that need electricity. Electricity is one of two ways machines can be powered, the other being [[burner devices]] running off of [[fuel]].


The '''Electric system''' is used to power a lot of different machines; the game can hardly be played without using [[Electricity]]. Every machine has its own internal electric capacity. When energy is produced, it is evenly distributed to all machines in the network that need electricity.
== Network mechanics ==
=== Generators ===


== Creating a new network ==
There are four ways to produce electricity. More details about each method are available on the [[Power production]] page.
=== Generators ===
 
[[File:electrical-network-example-1.png|thumb|256px|A basic modular power plant.]]
# [[Steam engine]]s – Most common, requires [[Boiler|Boilers]] (which consume [[Water]] and fuel).
{| class="wikitable"
# [[Solar panel]]s – Free energy, but only works during daylight. Usually used with Accumulators.
| {{imagelink|steam-engine|Steam engine}} || The [[Steam engine]] consumes heated water to generate energy. [[Boiler]]s are used to heat water by consuming [[Fuel]]. [[Pump]]s are used to extract water from the sea.  
# [[Accumulator]]s – Energy storage, see below
|-
# [[Steam turbine]]s – High-power Steam engines. Used to generate power from a [[Nuclear reactor]].
| {{imagelink|solar-panel|Solar panel}} || [[Solar Panel]]s generate a small amount of energy from sunlight. They are expensive to build and  research but provide electrical energy without consuming [[Fuel]] or producing pollution.
 
|-
If a network consumes less power than is produced, its Steam Engines and Turbines will slow down so that no power is wasted.
|}


=== Storage ===
=== Storage ===
{| class="wikitable"
[[File:electrical-network-example-2.png|thumb|256px|Accumulator array consisting of 48 accumulators and a substation providing 240 MJ storage capacity.]]
| {{imagelink|basic-accumulator|Basic accumulator}} || Stores and provides electrical energy.
 
|-
Energy can be stored in:
| {{imagelink|storage-tank|Storage tank}} || [[Storage tank]]s can be used to store heated fluids for later consumption by [[Steam engine]]s.
* [[Fuel]]. It can be burnt to generate power.
|-
* [[Accumulator]]s. Accumulators charge using excess power generated, and discharge when demand exceeds normal production.
|}
* [[Steam]]. It can be created in [[boiler]]s or [[heat exchanger]]s and stored in the [[storage tank]], allowing steam engines or steam turbines to operate on-demand.
 
==== Steam tanks as power storage ====
A storage tank filled with [[heat exchanger]] 500°C steam stores around 2.4GJ; a storage tank filled with [[boiler]] 165°C Steam stores 750MJ.
 
There are several advantages to storing energy in storage tanks compared with storing it in an accumulator:
* The energy density of a storage tank tile is much higher than it is with accumulators.
** For 165°C steam (produced with [[boiler|boilers]]), a single storage tank stores as much as 150 accumulators: <code>750MJ / 5MJ = 150</code>
** For 500°C steam (produced using [[Heat exchanger|heat exchangers]]), a single storage tank stores as much as 480 accumulators: <code>2400MJ / 5MJ = 480</code>
* A  [[nuclear reactor]] always fully burns a fuel cell, releasing 8GJ (or more with the multiple reactor bonus) even if power demand is lower. The excess energy can be stored as steam.
* A single [[accumulator]]'s maximum discharge rate is 300kW. On a very heavy load (e.g. laser turret firing), a small accumulator array may not discharge fast enough, causing power disruptions. A steam engine can produce 900kW of energy from the stored steam (3 times faster discharge rate), and a turbine can produce 5800kW (6.4 times faster discharge rate). In other words, a number of turbines or steam engines with steam storage can cope with much higher bursts than the same number of accumulators.
* Steam can be transferred via trains and then consumed remotely via turbines or steam engines. This essentially "transports electricity" using trains.


=== Distribution ===
=== Distribution ===
{| class="wikitable"
[[File:Electric-network-1.png|thumb|256px|Simple example of a small electric network.]]
! Item !! Total raw !! Coverage area !! Own size !! Absolute / Effective coverage (in [[Tile]]) !! Cov. rel. to small el. pole || Wire reach
Power poles are used to transmit energy. There are 4 types of power pole, each having differently configured properties. The properties are coverage area (area in which machines are placed to be affected by the pole) and wire reach (the distance across which a pole can connect with another pole). If two poles of different wire reach are to be connected, the smallest of either applies.
|-
 
| {{imagelink|small-electric-pole|Small electric pole}} || {{icon|raw-wood|1|Raw wood}} {{icon|copper-plate|1|copper_plate}} || 5 x 5  || 1 x 1 || 25 / 24 || 100% ||  8
# [[Small electric pole]] – Second smallest coverage area, shortest cable length, available without research.
|-
# [[Medium electric pole]] – Second largest coverage area, average cable length.
| {{imagelink|medium-electric-pole|Medium electric pole}} || {{icon|steel-plate|2|Steel plate}} {{icon|copper-plate|2|copper_plate}} || 7 x 7 || 1 x 1 || 49 / 48 || 196% || 9
# [[Big electric pole]] – Smallest coverage area, longest cable length.
|-
# [[Substation]] – Largest coverage area, second longest cable length, but most expensive to build.
| {{imagelink|big-electric-pole|Big electric pole}} || {{icon|steel-plate|5|Steel plate}} {{icon|copper-plate|5|copper_plate}} || 4 x 4 || 2 x 2 || 16 / 12 || 65% || 30
 
|-
=== Consumption ===
| {{imagelink|substation|Substation}} || {{icon|plastic-bar|10|plastic_bar}} {{icon|steel-plate|10|Steel plate}} {{icon|copper-plate|55|copper_plate}} {{icon|iron-plate|25|Iron plate}} || 14 x 14 || 2 x 2 || 196 / 192 || 784% || 14
[[File:machines_slow_electricity.gif|thumb|231px|right|Two [[assembling machine]]s running on very low electricity.]]The majority of machines in Factorio consume electricity. There are two aspects to a machine's energy use.
|-
 
| {{imagelink|copper-cable|Copper cable}} || {{icon|copper-plate|0.5|copper_plate}}  || colspan=5 | Wire reach depends on joined poles
* Energy consumption – The energy consumed by the machine while it is actively carrying out a process (crafting an item, moving an item, etc). If an electric network does not have enough power generation to supply all the machines in it, the electricity will be evenly spread across all machines in the network (based on each machine's demand), and all machines will slow down proportionally to the power available.
|-
** For example: If an [[Assembling machine 3]] (210kW) and an [[Electric mining drill]] (90kW) are on a network (90+210 = 300kW), but the network only has 3 [[Solar panel]]s (3×60kW = 180kW) to power them, the Assembling machine and Mining drill will both run at 60% speed (180/300=0.6).
|}
* Drain – The energy consumed by the machine whether it is active or not. Most machines consume a small amount of power just being connected to a network. This is usually negligible, but can become notable in small factories where power is limited. Drain is cumulative with energy cosumption - for example, an active [[Assembling machine 2]] will consume 155 kW (150kW energy consumption + 5kW drain).


=== Connection ===
=== Connection ===
[[File:Electric-network-1.png|thumb|256px|Simple example of a small electric network.]]
[[File:Disconnect power pole.gif|frame|right|An individual connection is removed by redrawing the connection with copper cable.]]
A network is created by placing electrical generators ([[Steam engine]]s or [[Solar Panel]]s) and electrical consumers, then covering those buildings with electrical Distributors (such as Small Electric Poles) that are connected.  Electric poles cover differently sized areas depending on their type.  The area of coverage appears as a blue overlay around the pole.  If two poles are placed close enough, the poles connect automatically.  A building is connected if one block of the building is in a covered area. Hovering the cursor over a pole reports the current satisfaction of power demands in that pole's network, and clicking on a pole will provide a detailed GUI about that pole's electric network.
A network is created by placing electrical generators (such as [[Steam engine]]s or [[Solar panel]]s) and electrical consumers, then ensuring a connection between the generator and consumer can be made using Distributors (such as [[Small electric pole]]s) that are connected together.  Electric poles cover differently sized areas depending on their type.  The area of coverage appears as a blue overlay around the pole.  If two poles are placed close enough, the poles connect automatically.  A building is connected if one tile of the building is in a covered area. Hovering the cursor over a pole reports the current satisfaction of power demands in that pole's network, and clicking on a pole will provide a detailed GUI about that pole's electric network. (See below)


* Use shift-click on a existing pole to remove its connections to other poles.
* Use shift-click on a existing pole to remove all its connections to other poles.
* Unconnected poles can be connected with a single [[Copper cable]] dragging from pole to pole (Right click on the ''bottom'' of the pole.)
* Unconnected poles can be connected with a single [[copper cable]] dragging from pole to pole (Left click on the ''bottom'' of the pole with the cable in hand.)
* You can use place-key (default left mouse) while running/driving to auto-place poles at their greatest connectable distance.
* Individual connections can be removed by "connecting" them with copper cable. This will not consume the cable.
* You can use place-key (default left mouse) while running/driving to auto-place poles at their greatest connectible distance while covering all unpowered entities on the way. This allows for complete efficiency when connecting long distances. If connecting over long distances, using [[Big electric pole]]s is recommended.


=== Electric network screen ===
A newly-placed electric pole will be automatically connected to nearby poles according to the following rules:
[[File:Electric_Network_Info.jpg|thumb|256px|The Electric Network Info GUI]]
# It will be connected to other available poles, starting with the closest one.
# It won't be connected to 2 poles connected to each other (it won't form a 3 pole triangle).
# It will not be connected to more than 5 other poles.
 
== Electric network info screen ==
[[File:Electric network info screen.png|thumb|400px|The Electric network info GUI]]
[[File:electric_satisfaction_stress.gif|thumb|390px|Slight stress on the electric system's satisfaction.]]


The Electric network info GUI can be accessed by left-clicking any electric pole nearby.
The Electric network info GUI can be accessed by left-clicking any electric pole nearby.
Line 52: Line 71:
'''You can see only the info from the electric network to which that pole is connected!''' Unlike the production-info (press P) the electric network info is not measured globally, but by network.
'''You can see only the info from the electric network to which that pole is connected!''' Unlike the production-info (press P) the electric network info is not measured globally, but by network.


# '''Consumption''' - What are the current consumption demands. This bar should ideally be full. If it is not, it means your buildings demand more energy than is produced by your generators.
# '''Satisfaction''' – The current amount of energy consumed by the network. This bar should be full. If it is not full, it means that the machines connected to the network are consuming more power than is produced, and the bar will change color to yellow (>50%) or red (<50%).
# '''Production''' - What is the current production amount. This bar should ideally never be full. If it is full, it means your buildings are consuming all the energy you can produce, and you have no spare energy production capacity.
# '''Production''' – The current energy produced by the network. This bar should never be full. If it is full, it means that the machines connected to the network are consuming all available energy. The less full this bar is, the more surplus energy is available.
# '''[[Basic accumulator|Accumulator]] capacity''' - How much energy is currently held inside of the accumulators connected to your network.  Measured in [[Units|joule]]s.  1Joule = 1Watt * 1sec, see also [[wikipedia:Joule]]
# '''[[Accumulator|Accumulator]] capacity''' How much energy is currently held inside of the accumulators connected to your network.  Measured in [[Units|joule]]s; 1 Joule = 1 Watt * 1 second (see also [[wikipedia:Joule]]). This bar should be able to fill fully before emptying again.
# '''Timespan''' - Set the [[Time|time]] span for the graphs below
# '''Timespan''' - Set the [[Time|time]] span for the graphs below. "5s" means over the last 5 seconds.
# '''Detailed Consumption''' - A list of consumers from highest power consumption to lowest. In the picture example, you can see that 2 [[Oil refinery|oil refineries]] take the most power, at 431 kW.
# '''Consumption Graph''' – Shows the consumption of the different parts of the network over time.
# '''Detailed Production''' - A list of producers from highest power production to lowest. In the picture example, you can see that only 9 [[Steam engine]]s produce all the electricity in the factory.
# '''Production Graph''' – Shows the production of the different producers of the network over time.
# '''Consumption Graph''' - Shows the consumption of the different parts of your factory over time. You can choose the timespan as detailed in #4 above.
# '''Detailed Consumption''' A list of consumers from highest power consumption to lowest. In the picture example, 47 [[radar]]s consume the most power, at 14.1 MW.
# '''Production Graph''' - Shows the production of the different producers of your factory over time. You can choose the timespan as detailed in #4 above.
# '''Detailed Production''' A list of producers from highest power production to lowest. In the picture example, 1,300 [[accumulator]]s produce the most electricity in the factory.


Note, that the timeframe influences the shown detailed production/consumption: the displayed watts is the summed up watts in the timeframe (in the graph below) divided by steps of that timeframe. This means you can see the consumption of radars, even if you have since removed them.
Note that the timeframe influences the shown detailed production/consumption: the displayed watts is the total average power production or consumption over the full time. Setting longer timeframes also allows seeing the past production or consumption of machines even if they are not currently connected to the network.


== Expanding the player's network ==
== Network priorities ==
=== More info ===
[[File:electrical-network-example-2.png|thumb|256px|High density accumulator array consisting of 48 basic accumulators and a substation providing 240 MJ capacity.]]
The power demand of a network will be fed by power sources in a specific order. If the primary source cannot fully satisfy the demand, additional power is drawn from the second source and so on until no more sources are available. The current order (version 0.9.8) is the following:
# [[Solar panel]]s
# [[Steam engine]]s
# [[Basic accumulator]]s
With this order in mind, it is common to charge accumulators with [[Solar panel]]s during the day and to use the stored energy of accumulators overnight automatically.


A newly-placed electric pole will be automatically connected to nearby poles according to the following rules:
Electricity is provided on a priority basis. The demand for energy is satisfied by generators in following order:
# It will be connected to the closest pole available
# It won't be connected to 2 poles connected to each other (ie. it won't form a 3 pole triangle)
# It will be connected to other available poles, starting with the closest ones


* [[Solar panel]]s – Top priority; they always work at maximum performance available, unless they can cover all demand of the network, in which case they match demand.
* [[Steam engine]]s and [[Steam turbine]]s – They match whatever demand solar panels cannot satisfy; note that Engines and Turbines do have the same priority, leftover demand is equally divided among both.
* [[Accumulator]] – Last resort. They are only discharged when demand cannot be met by other means. They are also only charged when all demand is met, and there is yet more power available.


Belts and all other entities can be placed in masses by keep pressing the place key, '''and this works for power poles too:''' Hold place-key (default left mouse button) to set the first pole. With the button held down, run in any direction. The next pole is placed at the farthest point and connects to the previous, eliminating the need for micromanagement of pole placement.
There may be situations where different behaviour is desired (such as solar panels combined with accumulators for night-and-day delivery), in which case clever use of a  [[power switch]] and the [[circuit network]] is in order.


This works also from a car or train, which enables you to place the electric poles very quickly!
== See also ==
 
* [[Tutorial:Producing power from oil|Producing power from oil]]
== Expert ==
* [[Power production]]
* [http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5711 Optimizing energy consumption with productivity modules]
* [[Fluid system]]
* [[Electricity/Priority of power Production]]
** [http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4814 Powering sequence] - the order in which accumulators are loaded. This is also about how the electric network orders internally new networks.
** [[Power Production#How_to_switch_off_steam_engines_in_the_night.2C_when_enough_accumulator_capacity_is_available.3F|How to switch off steam engines in the night, when enough accumulator capacity is available?]]
* [[Electricity]]
** [[Electricity/Distribution]]
* [[Liquid]]
* [[Units]]
* [[Units]]
* [[Electricity/Distribution|Distribution]] (Power poles and cables)
* [[Electricity/Electric network]]s (separated networks)
* [[Electricity/Electric network infoscreen]] (get data about your networks)
* [[Electricity/Generator]]s
* [[Electricity/Storage]]
* [[Electricity/Consumer]]s
* [[Electricity/Fuel powered|Fuel powered]] (Boiler, Steam engine)
* [[Electricity/Solar powered|Solar powered]]
* [http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5 planned].
* [[Electricity/Tutorials]]
{{MachineNav}}
[[Category:Concepts]]
[[Category:Networks]]
[[Category:Electric network]]

Revision as of 23:38, 26 September 2020

The Electric system is used to power a lot of different machines; the game can hardly be played without using electricity. Every machine has its own internal electric capacity. When energy is produced, it is evenly distributed to all machines in the network that need electricity. Electricity is one of two ways machines can be powered, the other being burner devices running off of fuel.

Network mechanics

Generators

There are four ways to produce electricity. More details about each method are available on the Power production page.

  1. Steam engines – Most common, requires Boilers (which consume Water and fuel).
  2. Solar panels – Free energy, but only works during daylight. Usually used with Accumulators.
  3. Accumulators – Energy storage, see below
  4. Steam turbines – High-power Steam engines. Used to generate power from a Nuclear reactor.

If a network consumes less power than is produced, its Steam Engines and Turbines will slow down so that no power is wasted.

Storage

Accumulator array consisting of 48 accumulators and a substation providing 240 MJ storage capacity.

Energy can be stored in:

  • Fuel. It can be burnt to generate power.
  • Accumulators. Accumulators charge using excess power generated, and discharge when demand exceeds normal production.
  • Steam. It can be created in boilers or heat exchangers and stored in the storage tank, allowing steam engines or steam turbines to operate on-demand.

Steam tanks as power storage

A storage tank filled with heat exchanger 500°C steam stores around 2.4GJ; a storage tank filled with boiler 165°C Steam stores 750MJ.

There are several advantages to storing energy in storage tanks compared with storing it in an accumulator:

  • The energy density of a storage tank tile is much higher than it is with accumulators.
    • For 165°C steam (produced with boilers), a single storage tank stores as much as 150 accumulators: 750MJ / 5MJ = 150
    • For 500°C steam (produced using heat exchangers), a single storage tank stores as much as 480 accumulators: 2400MJ / 5MJ = 480
  • A nuclear reactor always fully burns a fuel cell, releasing 8GJ (or more with the multiple reactor bonus) even if power demand is lower. The excess energy can be stored as steam.
  • A single accumulator's maximum discharge rate is 300kW. On a very heavy load (e.g. laser turret firing), a small accumulator array may not discharge fast enough, causing power disruptions. A steam engine can produce 900kW of energy from the stored steam (3 times faster discharge rate), and a turbine can produce 5800kW (6.4 times faster discharge rate). In other words, a number of turbines or steam engines with steam storage can cope with much higher bursts than the same number of accumulators.
  • Steam can be transferred via trains and then consumed remotely via turbines or steam engines. This essentially "transports electricity" using trains.

Distribution

Simple example of a small electric network.

Power poles are used to transmit energy. There are 4 types of power pole, each having differently configured properties. The properties are coverage area (area in which machines are placed to be affected by the pole) and wire reach (the distance across which a pole can connect with another pole). If two poles of different wire reach are to be connected, the smallest of either applies.

  1. Small electric pole – Second smallest coverage area, shortest cable length, available without research.
  2. Medium electric pole – Second largest coverage area, average cable length.
  3. Big electric pole – Smallest coverage area, longest cable length.
  4. Substation – Largest coverage area, second longest cable length, but most expensive to build.

Consumption

Two assembling machines running on very low electricity.

The majority of machines in Factorio consume electricity. There are two aspects to a machine's energy use.

  • Energy consumption – The energy consumed by the machine while it is actively carrying out a process (crafting an item, moving an item, etc). If an electric network does not have enough power generation to supply all the machines in it, the electricity will be evenly spread across all machines in the network (based on each machine's demand), and all machines will slow down proportionally to the power available.
    • For example: If an Assembling machine 3 (210kW) and an Electric mining drill (90kW) are on a network (90+210 = 300kW), but the network only has 3 Solar panels (3×60kW = 180kW) to power them, the Assembling machine and Mining drill will both run at 60% speed (180/300=0.6).
  • Drain – The energy consumed by the machine whether it is active or not. Most machines consume a small amount of power just being connected to a network. This is usually negligible, but can become notable in small factories where power is limited. Drain is cumulative with energy cosumption - for example, an active Assembling machine 2 will consume 155 kW (150kW energy consumption + 5kW drain).

Connection

An individual connection is removed by redrawing the connection with copper cable.

A network is created by placing electrical generators (such as Steam engines or Solar panels) and electrical consumers, then ensuring a connection between the generator and consumer can be made using Distributors (such as Small electric poles) that are connected together. Electric poles cover differently sized areas depending on their type. The area of coverage appears as a blue overlay around the pole. If two poles are placed close enough, the poles connect automatically. A building is connected if one tile of the building is in a covered area. Hovering the cursor over a pole reports the current satisfaction of power demands in that pole's network, and clicking on a pole will provide a detailed GUI about that pole's electric network. (See below)

  • Use shift-click on a existing pole to remove all its connections to other poles.
  • Unconnected poles can be connected with a single copper cable dragging from pole to pole (Left click on the bottom of the pole with the cable in hand.)
  • Individual connections can be removed by "connecting" them with copper cable. This will not consume the cable.
  • You can use place-key (default left mouse) while running/driving to auto-place poles at their greatest connectible distance while covering all unpowered entities on the way. This allows for complete efficiency when connecting long distances. If connecting over long distances, using Big electric poles is recommended.

A newly-placed electric pole will be automatically connected to nearby poles according to the following rules:

  1. It will be connected to other available poles, starting with the closest one.
  2. It won't be connected to 2 poles connected to each other (it won't form a 3 pole triangle).
  3. It will not be connected to more than 5 other poles.

Electric network info screen

The Electric network info GUI
Slight stress on the electric system's satisfaction.

The Electric network info GUI can be accessed by left-clicking any electric pole nearby.

You can see only the info from the electric network to which that pole is connected! Unlike the production-info (press P) the electric network info is not measured globally, but by network.

  1. Satisfaction – The current amount of energy consumed by the network. This bar should be full. If it is not full, it means that the machines connected to the network are consuming more power than is produced, and the bar will change color to yellow (>50%) or red (<50%).
  2. Production – The current energy produced by the network. This bar should never be full. If it is full, it means that the machines connected to the network are consuming all available energy. The less full this bar is, the more surplus energy is available.
  3. Accumulator capacity – How much energy is currently held inside of the accumulators connected to your network. Measured in joules; 1 Joule = 1 Watt * 1 second (see also wikipedia:Joule). This bar should be able to fill fully before emptying again.
  4. Timespan - Set the time span for the graphs below. "5s" means over the last 5 seconds.
  5. Consumption Graph – Shows the consumption of the different parts of the network over time.
  6. Production Graph – Shows the production of the different producers of the network over time.
  7. Detailed Consumption – A list of consumers from highest power consumption to lowest. In the picture example, 47 radars consume the most power, at 14.1 MW.
  8. Detailed Production – A list of producers from highest power production to lowest. In the picture example, 1,300 accumulators produce the most electricity in the factory.

Note that the timeframe influences the shown detailed production/consumption: the displayed watts is the total average power production or consumption over the full time. Setting longer timeframes also allows seeing the past production or consumption of machines even if they are not currently connected to the network.

Network priorities

Electricity is provided on a priority basis. The demand for energy is satisfied by generators in following order:

  • Solar panels – Top priority; they always work at maximum performance available, unless they can cover all demand of the network, in which case they match demand.
  • Steam engines and Steam turbines – They match whatever demand solar panels cannot satisfy; note that Engines and Turbines do have the same priority, leftover demand is equally divided among both.
  • Accumulator – Last resort. They are only discharged when demand cannot be met by other means. They are also only charged when all demand is met, and there is yet more power available.

There may be situations where different behaviour is desired (such as solar panels combined with accumulators for night-and-day delivery), in which case clever use of a power switch and the circuit network is in order.

See also