Factorio Forums

Solar is nice, but has two problems: it takes lots of space, and layout doesn't matter. All the best parts of factorio involve work to get a good layout. I propose a tier two solar system, with similar capacity, complexity, and space to nuclear.

There would either be a central tower that generates heat, or each panel would generate heat. Heatpipes would lead to exchangers and turbines/engines, like in nuclear power. Restrictions like limited range for the tower and line-of-sight (no tall buildings between) would lead to a variety of possible layouts.

The fact that this would give new ways to use+arrange existing items is its biggest strength. It would add depth to the electric system, so that heat+turbines feel like general reusable concepts instead of nuclear specific buildings, but with their own solar-specific problems to solve, like overnight energy storage.

Rather than a late-game solution, perhaps solar-thermal should be an earlier option for solar and the photovoltaic panels should be moved up the tech tree? After all, it's a lot easier to build mirrors than it is to make semiconductors (of which photovoltaic cells are one example).

From a technology standpoint, yeah, but I'm more concerned about gameplay. The fact that solar is so simple to design and deploy doesn't fit well with it's real world counterpart, so the existing photovoltaic panels fit better with midgame.

I just saw this suggestion about how to make solar production chains interesting: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=49958 I think if something like that existed to make late game solar feel satisfying, this mirror suggestion could be good for midgame.