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The [[Electric network]] and [[Liquid network]] have many boundary points, when thinking for energy production. This page collects this points.
Electricity has to be produced before it can be transferred to consumers over the [[electric system]]. There are multiple methods to produce electricity:


== Building up power production ==
== Steam engine power ==
Each [[steam engine]] needs 0.5 [[boiler]]s when running at full capacity. One [[offshore pump]] can supply 20 boilers and 40 steam engines.


=== How many pumps and burners are needed? ===
The above ratio can be calculated from information available in-game: One boiler consumes 1.8MW of fuel and produces energy stored in [[steam]] at 100% efficiency. One steam engine consumes 900kW of energy stored in steam, so each boiler can supply 2 steam engines: <code>1.8MW ÷ 0.9MW = 2</code>. One steam engine consumes 30 steam per second, and one offshore pump produces 1200 water per second, so each offshore pump produces enough water to supply 40 steam engines: <code>1200 unit/s ÷ 30 units/s = 40</code>. The number of boilers can be derived from the number of steam engines: <code>40 ÷ 2 = 20</code>. This produces the 1:20:40 ratio.


One [[Pump|offshore pump]] supports 13 (99% max load) or 14 (100% load) boilers and 10 [[Steam engine|steam engines]]. Each steam engine needs roughly 1.31 boilers when running at full capacity.
[[File:SteamSetupExample.png|center|600px|thumb|A possible setup]]


Hot water from boilers can also be stored in [[Storage Tank|storage tanks]] and used by extra steam engines during peak times or during night (if solar is in place). This energy storage technique can be used instead of or in addition to [[Basic accumulator|accumulators]].
== Solar panels and accumulators ==


Forum thread on the requirements of pumps, burners, and steam engines: http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3094.
=== Optimal ratio ===


== Producing enough energy? Checklist ==
The optimal ratio is 0.84 (21:25) [[accumulator]]s per [[solar panel]], and 23.8 solar panels per megawatt required by your factory (this ratio accounts for solar panels needed to charge the accumulators). This means that you need 1.428 MW of production (of solar panels) and 100MJ of storage to provide 1 MW of power over one day-night cycle.


* Did you connect the steam engine to the [[Electric network]]? If not, a flash is blinking (to show, that it is not connected). Add some [[Power pole]]s near the steam engines that go to machines needing that power.
A "close enough" ratio is 20:24:1 accumulators to solar panels to megawatts required (for example, a factory requiring 10 MW can be approximately entirely powered, day and night, by 200 accumulators and 240 solar panels - this approximation differs from optimal only in that it calls for 20 extra solar panels, which is negligible but remember that the difference between the "close enough" ratio and the optimal ratio increases as you add more solar panels).  
* Did you build up your liquid network as described in the [[Liquid network#Basic|Liquid network basics]]?
* Do you have enough [[pump]]s? You need 1 pump for every 9 [[steam engine]]s. It doesn't make sense to have more than 3 pumps, as the [[pipe]]s cannot transport more water.
* Does your liquid network has water? Look at the glass windows! Place two pipes after the last steam engine, to use it as a water sensor.
* Do you have enough [[Boiler]]s? The water temperature should reach 100 degrees. One of your burners should be reserve (not used, no lights in the burner) when you need to restart the energy system.


== More usages of the accumulators ==
This is taken from [http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5594 Accumulator / Solar Panel Ratio] (which calculates this in an impressive mathematical way!) and [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?p=143317#p143317 another post in that thread] (which calculates the solar panel to megawatt ratio in a different way).
[[File:9x9_accumulator_solar_panel_example.jpg|300px|thumb|top|A small 9x9 setup demonstrating the 20:24 "close enough" ratio above.]]
=== Calculations ===


=== Reduce energy consumption in critical times ===
The optimal ratio of accumulators per solar panel relies on many values in the game. These include the power generation of a solar panel, the energy storage of an accumulator, the length of a [[Time#Days|day]], and the length of a night. There are also times between day and night called dusk and dawn which complicate the calculations. In vanilla factorio, without mods which change any of these values, the optimal ratio will be the same. This ratio is
[[Electric network#Storage|Accumulator]]s can be used to limit the need for power for some parts of your factory.
<pre>Accumulators / Solar_panels =
    (day + dawn) × (night + dawn × (day + dawn) / game_day) / game_day
    × Solar_power / Accumulator_energy</pre>


There are naturally 3 items, which are good candidates for that:
which, given the default time lengths of: day = 12500/60 s; dawn or dusk = 5000/60 s; night = 2500/60 s, and the default: Solar_power = 60 kW; Accumulator_energy = 5 MJ = 5000 kJ, gives the optimal ratio of 0.84 accumulators per solar panel. If the player uses mods which change the power generation of solar panels, or the energy storage of accumulators, but <b>not</b> the length of days, a simplified version of this equation can be used.
<pre>Accumulators / Solar_panels = 70 s × Solar_power / Accumulator_energy</pre>


* [[Radar]]
This equation could also be used to remember the vanilla optimal ratio given its simplicity. If the only effect the mod has on the game is it changes the total length of one day, without changing the ratio of dusk : day : dawn : night, then the equation can be simplified as
* [[Lab]]s
<pre>Accumulators / Solar_panels = 0.002016 /s × game_day </pre>
* [[Electric furnace]]/[[electric mining drill|miner]]


How does it work?
where game_day is the number of seconds in the game day which is 25000/60 s by default.


An accumulator has a lower delivery priority than any other power-using entity, this guarantees, that it receives only energy, when you have enough. At the same time it can deliver energy in another electric network. Both facts together works in this case as a regulated transformer and delivers only energy into other networks, if you are producing enough. Or in other words: in a power shortage, only the unimportant parts of your factory stop - not the whole factory.
=== See also ===


This is fine if you want to guarantee that basic functions of your factory keep working (lasers, ammo production, very dependent on your priorities) no matter how much power usage you add.
* [http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5168 Perfectly optimal solar network (Factorio forums)]
* [http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=5394 Solar ratios (Factorio forums)]
* [http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7619 1 solar panel produces 42KW after factoring in the night (Factorio forums)]


This especially makes sense for radars - the radar explores new parts of the map, and consumes a large amount of energy. It makes sense to limit it, because when you are low on energy exploring is the least important thing.
== Nuclear power ==
:''See also: [[Tutorial:Nuclear power]]''
In general, nuclear power is produced by the following production chain: [[Uranium ore]] is mined and [[Uranium processing|processed]] to [[uranium-235]] and [[uranium-238]], then [[uranium fuel cell]]s are created from the two. These fuel cells are then burned in a [[nuclear reactor]] to create heat. The heat can be used to convert [[water]] to [[steam]] using a [[heat exchanger]] and the steam can be consumed by [[steam turbine]]s to produce power.


In general this is a technique which works well only when you just researched accumulators and solar panels, but don't have enough resources to build big solar farms and accumulator farms.
A reactor without neighbor bonus needs 4 heat exchangers so that all its heat gets consumed. For each 100% neighbor bonus, the reactor needs 4 more heat exchangers.


- todo : pics from a radar station, research labs and electric furnace behind an accu. -
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Ideal Ratio !! Simple Ratio !! Building
|-
| 25 || 1 ||{{imagelink|Offshore pump}}
|-
| 291 || 12 || {{imagelink|Heat exchanger}}
|-
| 500 || 20 || {{imagelink|Steam turbine}}
|}


=== Minimizing need for Steam power ===
== Ensuring enough energy is produced ==


* http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5585
Try this checklist before you completely revamp your power source. You may also use this to rectify [[Glossary#B|brownouts/blackouts]].


=== Order of with accu connected networks ===
* Did you connect the steam engine to the [[electric system]]? If not, a small yellow triangle will flash. To fix, Add some [[Small electric pole|power poles]] near the steam engines that go to machines needing that power. Any power pole will work.
* Is steam able to reach all steam engines?
* Do your pipes have water? Look at the windows in the pipes, hover over the pipes! Place some pipes or a tank at the end to see if there is really water coming through. If not, ensure all [[pipe]]s or [[Pipe to ground|underground pipes]] are connected together.
* Is the factory producing enough fuel (coal, solid fuel, uranium fuel cells)?
* Are there enough steam generators (boilers, heat exchangers)?
* Are there enough steam engines/turbines?


http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4814
See also the [[Tutorial:Applied_power_math|applied power math tutorial]] to answer the question ''how much coal do I need?''


== Ways to store energy ==
{{C|Production{{!}}#Power production}} {{C|Energy{{!}}#Power production}}
 
When it is about storing energy for later there are two questions:
* Which technology level is needed?
* How much afford to built the structure up?
 
 
Dependent of the current technology-level this is a list of how you can store energy:
 
* Principle: Adding lots of pipes and use much more steam-engines as really needed. Pipes store some energy, of course very little, but much enough to handle short energy drops of some seconds. In every case the over-usage of your energy production might be easier visible, if clever planned.
* As soon as you have oil-tanks, you can store quite significant amounts of hot water in them. See [http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4770&hilit=+water#p36469 this article].
* This techniques stretches the time you can burn coal for you energy need, but sooner or later you will switch to accumulators. See [[Power_Production#Solar_Farming|Solar Farming]].
* Sooner or later you will also [[Power_Production#How_to_switch_off_steam_engines_in_the_night.2C_when_enough_accumulator_capacity_is_available.3F|switch of the steam engines, when you don't need them]].
* With small pumps you can control the flow of water. See [[Power_Production#Storing_hot_water|below]].
 
== How to switch off steam engines in the night, when enough accumulator capacity is available? ==
 
At some point, when you have enough [[solar panel]]s and [[Electric network#Storage|accumulator]]s you may use the [[steam engine]]s only as silent power-reserve, for example at the end of the night after a long fight. This is normally not possible, because [[steam engine]]s have a higher priority than accumulators - accumulators are only discharged if nothing else delivers. Or in other words, when the sun goes down, the steam engines turn on to keep the accumulators charged.
 
But you can trick around this:
 
[[File:T&T electric network1.jpg|700px]]
 
The accumulator (hovered) is loaded from the main network. The accu-powered-network unloads this accu to power the fast inserter. If the accu is empty, the fast inserter doesn't work anymore, but the basic inserter remains working, because he is powered by the main network. He unloads the remaining wood from the chest. The chest gets empty and the smart inserter begins to work, filling up coal into the boiler.
 
For simpleness we reduced it to only one boiler/steam engine, normally much more is needed to make sense! Note, that you only need to program the first inserter. Place the others with pressed shift-key. All you have to do then is to connect it with the wire.
 
Basically this works, because the accumulator in this picture unloads a bit faster, than the accus in the main network, because he stays in '''two networks''' and so a bit more power is needed. It is recommended to place a second accu in neighborhood, which sits in the main network to have a direct reference.
 
You can trim the accu powered network exactly to your needs by adding more accumulators or place some lights, or put in more wood, which extends or shorten the time before the accu(s) - and so the chest - is empty. With some experience you can trim this so, that the main accu power is empty after the steam engines are full powered again (it takes some time, until the boilers heat the water and steam engines are at full power again.)
 
===Another example===
 
:[[File:Autoshutoff2.png|300px|thumb|The red circle is the "sensor". Watch the green wires going to the inserters.]]
 
The chests with the burner inserters holding wood in his hand (so the chests must be filled with wood), is for fallback, if coal goes out.
 
Various different setups seem possible...
 
----
 
===Notes===
 
Tip for placing many smart inserters: Place all smart inserter by click-run. Set the program for the first inserter and wire it. Shift-right-click copies the program to your buffer, left-right-click copies the stored program into the inserter. The wire is then also be placed.
 
It is recommended to use a blue-print for that programming, cause the blueprint stores all needed informations (but has a problem to set the needed wires).
 
<br clear=all>
 
== What can be seen from the electric network info? ==
 
[[File:Electric_Network_Info.jpg|700px|The Electric Network Info GUI]]
 
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 where that pole is connected to!''' Unlike the production-info (press P) the electric network info is not globally measured, but by network.
 
# '''Consumption''' - What are the current consumption demands. This bar should ''always'' be full. Otherwise, it means your production is too low compared to the needed consumption.
# '''Production''' - What is the current production amount. This bar should ''never'' be full. Otherwise, it means you are at the limit of your power-production.
# '''[[Basic accumulator|Accumulator]] capacity''' - How much power is currently held inside of all your accumulators combined in [[Units|joule]]. For quick understanding: 1J = 1W * 1sec, see also [[wikipedia:Joule]]
# '''Timespan''' - Set the [[Time|time]] span for the graphs below
# '''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.
# '''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.
# '''Consumption Graph''' - Shows the consumption of the different parts of your factory over time. You can choose the timespan as detailed in #4 above.
# '''Production Graph''' - Shows the production of the different producers of your factory over time. You can choose the timespan as detailed in #4 above.
 
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 mined them meanwhile.
 
== How to set poles? ==
 
- covering, rules with the length between poles etc. - todo -
 
== How to drag electric wires myself? ==
 
All wires can be removed from an electric pole by shift-left clicking it. Electric (copper) wires and logistic wires can be manually placed by left clicking the wire on both the electric poles desired.
 
Placing electric poles while shift is held down will place it without any connecting wires.
 
== How to slow down research/production? ==
 
- Mainly about using different networks, networks connected with accus to limit power - todo -
 
== Solar Farming ==
 
http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1865
 
 
== Liquid network ==
There are some points, which can show you, what needs or can be changed in the liquid network:
* If your steam engines can keep up 510 W of output during heavy load (when electric poles display satisfaction below 100%), it is safe to add more engines.
* If an engine displays a temperature below 100 degrees, add more boilers.
* If you look into the engines and the available energy is below 100%, add boilers/pumps or add a new line to your power plant.
* If needed energy is much below the available energy, all is fine.
* There are also tricks to avoid using too much power. See [[Electric network]].
 
=== Storing hot water ===
 
http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3724

Latest revision as of 18:31, 19 January 2024

Electricity has to be produced before it can be transferred to consumers over the electric system. There are multiple methods to produce electricity:

Steam engine power

Each steam engine needs 0.5 boilers when running at full capacity. One offshore pump can supply 20 boilers and 40 steam engines.

The above ratio can be calculated from information available in-game: One boiler consumes 1.8MW of fuel and produces energy stored in steam at 100% efficiency. One steam engine consumes 900kW of energy stored in steam, so each boiler can supply 2 steam engines: 1.8MW ÷ 0.9MW = 2. One steam engine consumes 30 steam per second, and one offshore pump produces 1200 water per second, so each offshore pump produces enough water to supply 40 steam engines: 1200 unit/s ÷ 30 units/s = 40. The number of boilers can be derived from the number of steam engines: 40 ÷ 2 = 20. This produces the 1:20:40 ratio.

A possible setup

Solar panels and accumulators

Optimal ratio

The optimal ratio is 0.84 (21:25) accumulators per solar panel, and 23.8 solar panels per megawatt required by your factory (this ratio accounts for solar panels needed to charge the accumulators). This means that you need 1.428 MW of production (of solar panels) and 100MJ of storage to provide 1 MW of power over one day-night cycle.

A "close enough" ratio is 20:24:1 accumulators to solar panels to megawatts required (for example, a factory requiring 10 MW can be approximately entirely powered, day and night, by 200 accumulators and 240 solar panels - this approximation differs from optimal only in that it calls for 20 extra solar panels, which is negligible but remember that the difference between the "close enough" ratio and the optimal ratio increases as you add more solar panels).

This is taken from Accumulator / Solar Panel Ratio (which calculates this in an impressive mathematical way!) and another post in that thread (which calculates the solar panel to megawatt ratio in a different way).

A small 9x9 setup demonstrating the 20:24 "close enough" ratio above.

Calculations

The optimal ratio of accumulators per solar panel relies on many values in the game. These include the power generation of a solar panel, the energy storage of an accumulator, the length of a day, and the length of a night. There are also times between day and night called dusk and dawn which complicate the calculations. In vanilla factorio, without mods which change any of these values, the optimal ratio will be the same. This ratio is 

Accumulators / Solar_panels =
    (day + dawn) × (night + dawn × (day + dawn) / game_day) / game_day
    × Solar_power / Accumulator_energy

which, given the default time lengths of: day = 12500/60 s; dawn or dusk = 5000/60 s; night = 2500/60 s, and the default: Solar_power = 60 kW; Accumulator_energy = 5 MJ = 5000 kJ, gives the optimal ratio of 0.84 accumulators per solar panel. If the player uses mods which change the power generation of solar panels, or the energy storage of accumulators, but not the length of days, a simplified version of this equation can be used. 

Accumulators / Solar_panels = 70 s × Solar_power / Accumulator_energy

This equation could also be used to remember the vanilla optimal ratio given its simplicity. If the only effect the mod has on the game is it changes the total length of one day, without changing the ratio of dusk : day : dawn : night, then the equation can be simplified as 

Accumulators / Solar_panels = 0.002016 /s × game_day

where game_day is the number of seconds in the game day which is 25000/60 s by default.

See also

Nuclear power

See also: Tutorial:Nuclear power

In general, nuclear power is produced by the following production chain: Uranium ore is mined and processed to uranium-235 and uranium-238, then uranium fuel cells are created from the two. These fuel cells are then burned in a nuclear reactor to create heat. The heat can be used to convert water to steam using a heat exchanger and the steam can be consumed by steam turbines to produce power.

A reactor without neighbor bonus needs 4 heat exchangers so that all its heat gets consumed. For each 100% neighbor bonus, the reactor needs 4 more heat exchangers.

Ideal Ratio Simple Ratio Building
25 1
Offshore pump.png
Offshore pump
291 12
Heat exchanger.png
Heat exchanger
500 20
Steam turbine.png
Steam turbine

Ensuring enough energy is produced

Try this checklist before you completely revamp your power source. You may also use this to rectify brownouts/blackouts.

  • Did you connect the steam engine to the electric system? If not, a small yellow triangle will flash. To fix, Add some power poles near the steam engines that go to machines needing that power. Any power pole will work.
  • Is steam able to reach all steam engines?
  • Do your pipes have water? Look at the windows in the pipes, hover over the pipes! Place some pipes or a tank at the end to see if there is really water coming through. If not, ensure all pipes or underground pipes are connected together.
  • Is the factory producing enough fuel (coal, solid fuel, uranium fuel cells)?
  • Are there enough steam generators (boilers, heat exchangers)?
  • Are there enough steam engines/turbines?

See also the applied power math tutorial to answer the question how much coal do I need?

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