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 capacity of which is visually represented by bright yellow cylinders called columns. Each of these columns is in turn divided into stacked segments called bars.
 * The unit of measurement for power transfer over time for reference is A, for Amps or Ampere (Or even Λ!) One Small Battery for example can charge or discharge up to exactly 1A, which reads as 1.00 in a Splitter. All machines have specific input and output limits which can usually be measured as 1A, 2A, 3A, etc.
 * Platforms, cables, and extenders do not appear to have any significant throughput limit.

Size Measurement

 * 1 Column = 4 Bars
 * 1 Small Battery = 2 Columns = 8 Bars
 * 1 Power Stack = 2 Columns = 8 Bars
 * 1 Medium Battery = 8 Small Batteries = 16 Columns = 64 Bars

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. Before 0.4.10221.0, it could be found in spires.

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 are helpful in early-game as a space-efficient automatic power source that is mobile and requires no generator.

List of Power Producers
The following table lists all available power sources and the rate at which they produce power. † Only the Habitat created by the "drop pod" you land with at the start of the game produces power.

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 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.

†† These numbers are based on the visual representation of bars and columns in small batteries as a metric; the rover display appears larger than it is.

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.

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 long flat cables that light up yellow to indicate how much power is flowing through it. Their coloring changes in width according to the proportion of power being produced versus power being demanded. In situations where both supply and demand are zero, cables will go entirely dark. If for some reason supply is zero but demand is non-zero, network cables will flash red.
 * Directional cables have yellow chevrons running along their length in the direction power is flowing. Relative chevron width is determined by the amount of current passing through. They can be used to separate one network from another, since they only allow power to flow through them in one direction. If there isn't enough power to meet all demand in the host network behind the chevrons, the cable will power down temporarily and stop sending power. Directional cables are made when connecting cables via other means than standard platforms, such as with Extenders, Splitters, or Vehicles.

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.

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. Theoretically, one can craft a Small Battery, charge it with the Tethers, and place the battery onto a platform, but this is more resource consuming.

Power Gauges
All cables display their current available energy compared to the amount of energy being demanded on both internal network cables and side power gauges located on every port on every type of platform.

These Amp sums are just for example; you can multiply them and the gauges will read the same results.

(0A Demand, 0A Produced) --

This platform is likely not plugged into anything, or whatever connects it to a power source has been unplugged.

This can occasionally happen in isolated networks if no machines are turned on or working, and no widgets or devices are producing power.

This is the only situation where connecting cables will remain dark and unpowered.



(>0A Demand, 0A Produced) --

Something attached to this platform is demanding power, but nothing is available to provide it.

Most often this only happens because Astroneer backpacks suck up power before machines can grab it, causing them to see nothing at all.

If not however, this just means the machine or platform cannot find any power-producing widgets or devices.

This is the only situation where connecting cables will color themselves red.

(2A Demand, 1A Produced) -- (or any 2:1 ratio)

Something is generating power, but only half as much as is being asked for.

This often isn't a symptom of a problem, but simply most generators don't produce the 3A that many modules ask for, leading to unequal demand.

For example, Small Generators only produce 1A each, and Small Solar and Small Wind Turbines only make 0.5A each.

A Mineral Extractor demands 3A power, and a Research Chamber demands 2A.



(1A Demand, 1A Produced) -- (or any 1:1 ratio)

All power that is being demanded is being satisfied perfectly, with no extra whatsoever.

This is actually fairly uncommon, and any network with Batteries will appear to have extra supply even if they aren't being utilized.



(2A Demand, 3A Produced) -- (or any 2:3 ratio)

All demand is being satisfied, and a specific proportion of leftover power exists.

This is the best time to turn off one or more organic or coal generators to save energy if no batteries exist to absorb it.

With a 0:>0 ratio, something is generating power, but nothing needs it.

Trivia

 * The Astroneer's backpack appears to hold ten Bars of power, but its energy density is 1/4th that of other batteries in the game. Consequently, a small battery can fill the backpack more than three times over tethers, or supply gun augments power for more than three times longer than the backpack alone can.

Energie Énergie Power