Large Solar Panel

Free power with no fuel runs, but only while the sun is up and the angle is right. Without a battery behind it, your base goes dark the moment night falls.

Table of contents

Characteristics

Category: Electrical

Stack size: 3

Durability: 100

Workbench: Level 1

Craftable: Yes

Researchable: Yes · 30 Scrap

Health: 100

Overview

In-game description

A solar panel which converts sunlight into energy. The amount of energy generated is dependent on the sun's intensity and angle to the panel.

A few of these on the roof and nobody has to make fuel runs again. Each takes a Level 1 bench, five high quality metal and one piece of tech trash, about as cheap as base power gets. The catch is in its own text: output depends on how strong the sun is and its angle to the panel. At night that means nothing.

The classic mistake is three panels wired straight to the turret. It works all afternoon and goes quiet at dusk, right when the night raids start. So a panel charges a large rechargeable battery during the day, and the battery feeds the base after dark. Put the panels where the sky is open and nothing shades them.

Source	Runs on	Weak spot
Small generator	Low grade fuel	Someone has to keep it fed
Large solar panel	Sunlight	Nothing at night
Wind turbine	Wind, stronger up high	Output rises and falls
Water wheel	Flowing water	Only where a river runs

Raid cost

Explosive	Quantity	Sulfur
Explosive 5.56 Rifle Ammo cheapest	34–35	850–900
Rocket	1	1,400
High Velocity Rocket	7	1,400
Satchel Charge	3	1,440
Beancan Grenade	12	1,440
Timed Explosive Charge	1	2,200
Other ways: siege weapons, vehicles and loot
Torpedo	17	240
Propane Explosive Bomb	1	900
Mortar Shell	4	1,200
Survey Charge	25	1,500
Homing Missile	20	2,000
MLRS Rocket	1	—
40mm HE Grenade	6	—
Hammerhead Bolt	8	—

Direct hit, hard side, no duds. Satchel Charge is a dud 20% of the time. Beancan Grenade is a dud 15% of the time. A range runs from point blank to the far end of the bullet's falloff, fired from an Assault Rifle.