Allow Batteries to only charge from renewable energy sources
Normally, I would relegate this to something that can be automated via scripting... however, given recent developments...
What I'd like is an option for batteries to only charge from renewable sources. Right now this means solar panels, but I phrase it that way to keep it open for any future development.
Here's a scenario:
I have a station on a planet. I have enough solar panels that the entire station can run off it under normal circumstances during the daytime. However at night I have to drain the batteries.
If I'm refining during this process, then the solar panels will never output enough to supply the grid. If I complete refining at night, now I'm running on what little battery is left, if any. If I have no power, I have to run a reactor. However the batteries charge at a loss, so I'm wasting a lot of uranium to charge batteries at night, when I can just wait for the sun to rise and let the solar panels charge batteries.
The issue is without the PB, there's no way to automate this, so I have to babysit the batteries all the time. This is a problem I'd like to solve.
To put it another way:
I want to run my station/ship off renewable energy where possible, but in cases where it's not, I want to have a reactor always running (since it consumes no fuel when not outputting) to automatically handle any brownouts.
However if I dip into the battery during high power usage, I don't want the reactor to immediately recharge the battery. I'd prefer the battery to remain lowered, and wait for solar (if present) before charging that battery (to avoid uranium losses).
I suppose this requires a rework of the power system.
I like this feedback
I just made a post about this not knowing that you had already posted this.
https://support.keenswh.com/spaceengineers/general/topic/prevent-reactors-from-charging-batteries
but this is 3 months old so I guess it went unnoticed.
I just made a post about this not knowing that you had already posted this.
https://support.keenswh.com/spaceengineers/general/topic/prevent-reactors-from-charging-batteries
but this is 3 months old so I guess it went unnoticed.
This is already ingame, Solar panel power has priority over battery power. reactors have priority over both, so you will need to manage reactor usage when mixed with solar. If you have batteries draining with solar or reactor power available, its because power needs are higher than solar or reactor output.
Helps if I read the whole post. What your wanting is something that would not be best for everyone. You could request an ingame script from the workshop to do just that. Just be a matter of automating the battery functions (on\off, recharge, discharge) Isy's Solar Alignment Script is perfect for power management on bases, (and autoaligning your ships with gyro's) just requires one solar panel on a rotor to track the day cycle. Also Isy's Ship Refueler can manage the reactor on large and small grid ships with ease. If you dock this ship regularly, make sure to set the script to leave one battery floating when docked, incase of brownout.
This is already ingame, Solar panel power has priority over battery power. reactors have priority over both, so you will need to manage reactor usage when mixed with solar. If you have batteries draining with solar or reactor power available, its because power needs are higher than solar or reactor output.
Helps if I read the whole post. What your wanting is something that would not be best for everyone. You could request an ingame script from the workshop to do just that. Just be a matter of automating the battery functions (on\off, recharge, discharge) Isy's Solar Alignment Script is perfect for power management on bases, (and autoaligning your ships with gyro's) just requires one solar panel on a rotor to track the day cycle. Also Isy's Ship Refueler can manage the reactor on large and small grid ships with ease. If you dock this ship regularly, make sure to set the script to leave one battery floating when docked, incase of brownout.
Unfortunately this may be difficult to implement, but I like the idea. Besides which, there are situations where you'd rather pull the reactors at full power rather than the batteries, for example in combat with energy weapons.
Actually, here's a unique thought. You could freely set the power priorities of the ship through the Info tab, or to make a new terminal tab for grid "Power." The power tab can also list total power consumption over production, break it down by block, etc..
It would be a nice feature addition after the old righthand indicator that showed you which priorities need power when your ship was fully drained got removed from the game.
Unfortunately this may be difficult to implement, but I like the idea. Besides which, there are situations where you'd rather pull the reactors at full power rather than the batteries, for example in combat with energy weapons.
Actually, here's a unique thought. You could freely set the power priorities of the ship through the Info tab, or to make a new terminal tab for grid "Power." The power tab can also list total power consumption over production, break it down by block, etc..
It would be a nice feature addition after the old righthand indicator that showed you which priorities need power when your ship was fully drained got removed from the game.
For the majority of my power I want to come from batteries that where charged by renewable energy. And for the reactor to burn fuel only when I don't have enough battery power. Because I want to burn as little fuel as possible.
I do not want the reactor to charge batteries because uranium is a much better form of energy storage than batteries.
So I mostly use uranium as emergency power. But it's a pain Turing on or off reactors manually.
Useing a script to do that for you kina helps. But it's not a perfect solution.
For the majority of my power I want to come from batteries that where charged by renewable energy. And for the reactor to burn fuel only when I don't have enough battery power. Because I want to burn as little fuel as possible.
I do not want the reactor to charge batteries because uranium is a much better form of energy storage than batteries.
So I mostly use uranium as emergency power. But it's a pain Turing on or off reactors manually.
Useing a script to do that for you kina helps. But it's not a perfect solution.
I'm going to be frank, and just say use Isy's Solar Alignment Script in a Programmable Block, with the Reactor Fallback option turned on. That solves two problems at once: automates your base's power, and optimizes your solar arrays. One script solves both problems. I'm using it on my planetary base right now.
I'm going to be frank, and just say use Isy's Solar Alignment Script in a Programmable Block, with the Reactor Fallback option turned on. That solves two problems at once: automates your base's power, and optimizes your solar arrays. One script solves both problems. I'm using it on my planetary base right now.
Perhaps there are those who are against changing the current system of energy consumption from different sources, perhaps it is more convenient for them. For this, I would like to suggest an alternative and ask to add to the game the ability to adjust the priorities for the energy consumption of batteries, reactors, etc. It can be implemented with the help of a new unit (transformer for example), it is possible to add another checkbox or list to the already existing units that are able to give energy, to implement such mechanics; use a new or existing tab menu (control panel, info panel) to add this mechanics.
PS I am in no way opposed to the use of scripts for energy management where it is possible, but I think that similar mechanics should be implemented in the stock version of the game. Let everyone use the most convenient option for themselves, the main thing that was a choice.
Perhaps there are those who are against changing the current system of energy consumption from different sources, perhaps it is more convenient for them. For this, I would like to suggest an alternative and ask to add to the game the ability to adjust the priorities for the energy consumption of batteries, reactors, etc. It can be implemented with the help of a new unit (transformer for example), it is possible to add another checkbox or list to the already existing units that are able to give energy, to implement such mechanics; use a new or existing tab menu (control panel, info panel) to add this mechanics.
PS I am in no way opposed to the use of scripts for energy management where it is possible, but I think that similar mechanics should be implemented in the stock version of the game. Let everyone use the most convenient option for themselves, the main thing that was a choice.
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