Factorio Forums

Need some advice here, please? I'm having problems in that my accumulator banks can't keep up with demand, despite the solar array and the steam generators. When the sun comes up, the steam drops offline, and v/v for the solar. Is there a way to keep the steam generators running at 100% until the accumulators are charged?
Yes, I've tried searching all through everything here. I'm playing pure hammer-and-anvil, no fancy networks or 'combinerzx, or such.
Would a substation help? Or should I re-wire the batteries in series with the panels?

I thought steam engines always ran as long as there were accumulators to charge? I remember having to build in a power switch so that they only turned on if the accumulators dropped below 20%.

What you might be running into is that accumulators can only charge at a certain rate. I think it's around 80% of the output of a solar panel from what I have observed.

Just to avoid some confusion:

- Wiring is completely boolean, something is either connected to the network or not. So wiring serially or parallel makes no difference whatsoever.*

- Substations and power poles are only different in how far they can connect entities, there is no difference in functionality.

- steam generators work as long as there is demand (including accus to charge), and accus will only kick in if the steam doesn't give enough output. So unless you use a power switch connected to the accu level, your steam will always kick in at night even if the accus still have charge.

I think there are two sane ways to combine steam and solar power:
1) The simplest is simply to have both with enough capacity to power your factory and no accus. Solar will work during the day, steam at night, and you save >50% coal use. Simple to setup, no expensive accus or wiring needed.
2) Have steam as backup only. Have enough solar to power your factory 24/7, i.e. have solar capacity well above factory demand so there is spare energy to charge the accus during the day. Steam is normally switched off, but if accu capacity drops below e.g. 10% steam is activated, for example when a biter attack drained the accus. To achieve this, put the steam output network behind a power switch connected to an accu, set to activate if charge < X. To make it less twitchy you can do something like take something out of a chest at power > (e.g.) 25%, put it back in when power < 10%, and activate the power network when the item is in the chest.

*) only possible complication is having two separate networks with an accu connected to both. This allows limited current to flow between the networks

Van, I think you answered my question... I think. Steam->wire->accu<-wire<-solar
V
wire
grid?


No issue aboot rewiring- I set up everything on separate lines. Just a little fry-boy tree-time

patfly wrote:Van, I think you answered my question... I think. Steam->wire->accu<-wire<-solar
V
wire
grid?
)

It doesn't matter how you wire your power, or what's wired first or last, it will always work as described by Vanatteveldt.
Unless you're using some kind of power switch setup.

vanatteveldt wrote: - steam generators work as long as there is demand (including accus to charge), and accus will only kick in if the steam doesn't give enough output. So unless you use a power switch connected to the accu level, your steam will always kick in at night even if the accus still have charge.