Power

Power (also commonly referred to as Energy) is, along with oxygen, one of an Astroneer's vital resources. A steady supply of power is necessary to drive vehicles, operate various base modules, and perhaps most importantly, utilize the Terrain Tool when it has augments installed on it.

Throughout the game, power is represented by a bright yellow color.



Unit of measurement

 * Power can be stored in a battery, the capacities of which are measured in bright yellow cylinders called bars. Each of these bars is in turn divided into stacked segments called units.
 * The speed at which a battery's power is drained or replenished is measured in units per second, bars per second, or seconds per bar, depending on the application.
 * Platforms and cables generally only allow up to 4 u/s of power to be directed trough.
 * Meaning platforms requires creative power management, quartering, and splitting.
 * Lastly the largest unit of power is measured via the Power Stacks, Which will be used in the future as a large scale power measurement.

Size Measurement

 * 1 Bar = 4 Units
 * 1 Stack = 8 Bars = 32 Units

Generating
The most common and consistent method of acquiring power is by generating it. Power can be generated by solar panels exposed to natural light, wind turbines exposed to windy weather, or generators fueled with Resources. Attaching one of these power sources to an object capable of using power will automatically stream power to it, allowing it to run. If the power generated exceeds the amount of power consumed by producers of power, excess power will flow to any networked batteries in need of charging. (See more below)

Gathering
Similar to oxygen, power can be found below the surface of planets in patches of olive-yellow baubles, or "seeds" that are located on cave walls. The area around some hazards like Exploders also usually contain these harvestable blobs of energy. Initially, collecting power "beans, or "seeds" with the deform tool will replenish the backpack's internal battery. Once it is full, however, they will stack in the backpack in the same manner as other resources to become Power Stacks. The stack will be slowly consumed when hooked up to any consumer of power.

Crafting
Once an Astroneer has researched Power Cells, they can be created using the backpack's 3D printer. They act essentially like gathered Power Stacks, being consumed when hooked up to a power network with consumers. Power cells are created fully charged instantly and can supplement those with excess compound and high power demands.

List of Power Producers
The following table lists all available power sources and the rate at which they produce, redirect, discharge powers.

Storing Power
When power is being produced but is not fully being consumed, excess power is put into storage to prevent "wasting" the power produced.

Batteries
Batteries are long-term storage for power. They come in large and small sizes and can be fitted to any appropriately-sized attachment point. If they are connected to a network that has an influx of power which is not fully being consumed, The battery will collect and store any excess power being generated for later use. If connected to a consumer of power and any generated power does not fully meet the demands of the consumer, the external battery will utilize its stored power and feed it to the consumer to fulfill it's request. Batteries have the lowest priority within any given power network, they will not be charged until all requests for consumption of power by other sources are met first.

List of Power Storages
The following table lists all items with the ability to store power and their capacities. † This refers only to charging speed. The backpack cannot transfer power outwardly, nor can small batteries in the player′s inventory.

Using Power
Power is used, or consumed, in various ways. The current ways that power is used are:


 * Crafting via the player's Backpack
 * Operations of base Modules
 * Driving Vehicles
 * Using the Terrain Tool when Augments are installed on it

Modules
Modules that require power only consume it while they are running. When idle they consume no power, but still require to be hooked up to a source of power before the player can activate them. Modules have a consumption of power needed to run at full speed, if the power produced is less than what is consumed, the module will run slower than normal. If no power is being fed to them, they will completely cease all function and will not resume until power is restored.

List of Power Consumers
The following is a table of power consumers and the rate at which they consume power to run at maximum speed. Modules always consumes as much power as they are allowed to the max capacity of 2 u/s, the more power is geared trough, the faster it'll work.

Power Cables and Networks
As an Astroneer adds base modules connecting to their initial Habitat, the flat cabling that connects them creates a network, across which power can flow. How this power flows depends on which type of cable the connections are made of.

Currently the two types of cables are:
 * Network cables are solid yellow (or red) and pulse slowly based on how much power is being transferred within it. They indicate a single Network of power.
 * Directional cables have yellow Chevrons running along their length, the direction showing where the power flows through it, while the width determines how much power is flowing through them. They are not considered connected to networks of power, instead only allowing power to flow through them in one direction. If no power is flowing through them, they go dark.

Power Networks
Network cables are created by directly connecting Platforms to each other or to the Habitat. When connected with network cables, they share the same power network, meaning any power produced, stored, or brought in via directional cables is evenly split among any and all consumers of power within that network. If the consumption of power by a networks consumers exceeds any power it is producing or taking in, the network will "brown out" and it's network cables will go red.

Directional cables are made when connecting cables via other means than standard platforms, such as with Extenders, Splitters, or Vehicles. Directional cables are not considered connected to a power network, meaning two networks connected via directional cables are not connected, and the power will only flow one direction between them.

Power only flows through directional cables when production of power exceeds consumption from the network it originated from. This does not include batteries, which do not output power into other networks: Instead they only feed power to any consumers within their network.

No power cables carry Oxygen. Tethers can be used to connect Platforms, but tethers do not carry power except in one specific way: They can feed an Astroneer's backpack, with no distance limit. This means they cannot connect different networks of power. They also will not feed any to the backpack if they are not connected to any power production/storage.

Energie Énergie Power