New to Tekkit; I need advice on a new power source

[ShameWillFollow]

I just started playing the Tekkit modpack a few days ago, and I think it's time I upgrade my power source. Currently, I'm using a pump along with water strainers to power the few things in my house that need power (macerator, electric furnace, other basic machines), but I realized the energy output of these water strainers is extremely low when I was unable to power an induction furnace successfully. Bottom line: I want to upgrade my power source.

I like the sound of renewable energy sources (water, wind, solar, etc) so I don't want to deal with generators that require constant input of coal, but I'm also not far enough into the game to even consider something like a nuclear reactor. As I see it, my 2 feasible options are solar or geothermal, but I'm not familar with either of them, so I have a few questions:

Can I set up a large enough solar panel farm to generate more than enough energy for the machines in my house? Does a typical lava deposit last for a long time (if I were to pump the lava to a geothermal generator)? Are there other renewable/almost renewable options that I have not thought of?

[LazDude2012]

Basic machines should be fine with 3 solar panels and a BatBox, as long as they're not in constant use. In my current world, and this is the setup I recommend you work towards, I have the Advanced Machines equivalents to the basic machines, and the power comes from 9 LV Solar Arrays. Also, when it rains, I turn on my basic 30 EU/t nuclear reactor. Power is stored in 3 MFSUs and an electrolyser.

For "renewable" options, if you're not against EE, you could use an Energy Condenser to create Charcoal to burn in your generator. If you are, use a tree farm. Charcoal is renewable, and you can just pipe it in with RP tubes or BC pipes.

[ShameWillFollow]

So with solar energy (whether I use panels or arrays) the best way to wire it up is to have power going from the panels to a batbox/mfsu (3 inputs, i believe?) and wiring my machines from that?

As for using EE for charcoal, I had never thought of that. I'm definitely not against using EE, as I have a cobblestone generator that is constantly condensed, so maybe a generator would be a viable option after all.

[LazDude2012]

From the panels to any side on an energy storage block that doesn't have the dot. The dot side is the output, which you wire to the machines. Be warned: MFE outputs MV, and MFSU outputs HV. This means to hook an MFE to basic machines you'll need an LV Transformer or Transformer Upgrades, and to use an MFSU, an MV Transformer then an LV Transformer, or 2 Transformer Upgrades per machine.

[Lothos]

arrays are made from panels. its an upgrade process.

my typical startup is a single line of ultra low tin out from a batbox on the roof. string single panels on that till you have about a dozen. then I start to consider upping to LV arrays from those panels usually about when I am making the transition from batboxes to mfe's i'll upgrade wiring to gold inside the house and then get an mfe for the roof and inside and a lv transformer to continue feeding the machines.

lv arrays put out 8 eu/t each

the reason I do a storage on the roof with the setup and one inside the house is to increase total storage to weather the night loads as well as to have a charging station for tools inside. plus the storage device outputs are steady so the machine don't burp when running.

[LazDude2012]

And never use wind generators. They are terribly implemented and just don't work.

[Lothos]

And never use wind generators. They are terribly implemented and just don't work.

i tested them on flat creative and I think they're fine. i plan to use them my next go around as they are exceptionally cheap. Layer 155 seems to be the sweet spot to get them up to though.

[warpspeed10]

Well if you are early in your world and cannot afford a small one chamber reactor, I recommend you stay away from solar panels. Remember, solar panels produce the same as a manned water mill or water strainer. However, solar panels cost much much more than a water mill, and they only work half the day. The one benefit to solars is that, with the compact solars add-on, you can magically squish up to 512 of them down into a single block.

In terms of limited resources though, I recommended looking for a lava lake as you mine for diamond, or go pump from the nether. Geothermals produce the equivalent EU/t of 20 solar panels, and they only cost a generator, four glass, two iron, and two empty cells. That is compared to the 40 electronic circuits, 60 glass, 60 coal dust, and 20 generators for solar panels.

The only downside to geothermals running off lava, water mills running off a redpower water bucket system, generators running off charcoal, scrap, or filled fuel cans, and oil powered engine generators is that these forms of power require effort to set up. With solar panels, all you have to do is plop one down outside and hook a wire up.

[LazDude2012]

They would be excellent in a flat world. Any blocks within a certain radius and they are less effective. (yes, this includes the cables to get the power from them)

[warpspeed10]

They would be excellent in a flat world. Any blocks within a certain radius and they are less effective. (yes, this includes the cables to get the power from them)

Like all generators, the use of a wind farm is dependent on both your supplies, and your terrain. If you are on a mountain or large hill, I would recommend going for a wind farm. If you are in a cave, or a relativity low plain, I recommend going for a different form of power.

But, for you to say that wind farms are useless is just silly.

[LazDude2012]

I never said they were useless, I said they were badly implemented. Personally, solars are ok, but reactors are the best. None of this SUC crap by the way, as that's going by the wayside in the new IC2 anyway. Good ol' reactors.

[warpspeed10]

I never said they were useless, I said they were badly implemented. Personally, solars are ok, but reactors are the best. None of this SUC crap by the way, as that's going by the wayside in the new IC2 anyway. Good ol' reactors.

Ah, I agree with that, wind gens could definitely be implemented better.

As for SUC reactors, I always felt that setting one of those up was both more fun, and felt more like an actual reactor then the simplified version in the core mod. I never did like the old 5 by 5 boxes of reinforced stone with a fully functional nuclear reactor at the core. It just seemed boring without the need for a cooling tower and an advanced control system. Having a tower with snowmen sitting on top of block breakers, or a field of pumps/compressors making snow and then ice is unfathomably more fun then making a boring ol' 5x5 grey box with a lever.

[LazDude2012]

I suppose. The new system is even more awesome!

[atimeforglory]

My preferred method until I get a reactor going is auto-manned water mills. What you do is set up a bank of water mills. Then run pneumatic tubing under it, and glass fiber or ULV tin cable along the top, and connect it to a storage device. Then set up a deployer next to an infinite water source. Then set up a filter that pulls filled water buckets out of the deployer and sends them to the pneumatic tubing which fills the water mills. Then set up a retriever that pulls empty buckets and sends them back to the deployer. And you will need a timer to run the 3 redpower machines, and the retriever needs bluetricity from either thermopiles or redpower solor panels.

I know it's complicated, but one set of redpower machines like that can manage 50 water mills. With 60 water mills running on this set-up I can power an auto-process line running 3 rotary macerators, 4 induction furnaces, a singularity compressor, and an advanced extractor. And still have EU left over to charge a bank of MFSU's. When I fill those up I can even run a mass-fab for a while.

[Sacrieur]

I do love starting out with solar, usually I'm fine on energy because of beds (lol ). They are a bit expensive though, and it's going to be a pretty slow start until you can crank out some decent EUs. In my latest world I just got my MV solar array out and cranking just yesterday.

But hey, that's hooked up to a MFSU that's actually pretty much full (adding a second one soon).

If you don't really use a lot of power to begin with, and not worried about journeying down into the mines a bit later than you normally would have to, then it's viable.

[Adlersch]

If you happen to live near a jungle (Or giant rubber tree, at any rate), until you can afford making a good solar array, just use a generator(s) and fuel it with sticks. The rubber tree's wood is literally only good for that, unless you feel it has some sort of aesthetic appeal - not to mention one of those gigantic trees will give you power for a long, long time this way.

[ShameWillFollow]

I actually just installed a new system that "abuses" EE. I'm using a cobblestone generator hooked up to a condensor which creates lava cells. The lava cells then get pumped to a geothermal generator. Until i decide that i don't like abusing the EE system, I will continuously use this method, as it generates way more than enough for my house

[LazDude2012]

Rubber trees are good for hiding backup bases. Or giant solar flowers. Or missile silos. :)

[Xylord]

If you happen to live near a jungle (Or giant rubber tree, at any rate), until you can afford making a good solar array, just use a generator(s) and fuel it with sticks. The rubber tree's wood is literally only good for that, unless you feel it has some sort of aesthetic appeal - not to mention one of those gigantic trees will give you power for a long, long time this way.

Rubber trees are good for hiding backup bases. Or giant solar flowers. Or missile silos.

Uh. Is nobody aware that they're one of the best source of rubber? One tree gives a bunch of stacks, and each block gives you a good rubber.

[Sacrieur]

Turning the rubber wood into rubber is far more useful than using it for like, wood.

[LazDude2012]

As I said, missile silo. They'll never expect that. :D

[Kohle]

I'm personally a fan of geothermal generators, but if you are powering a lot it's not the best. It can also be a pain if you can't find a large lake of lava.

[Adlersch]

Turning the rubber wood into rubber is far more useful than using it for like, wood.

To me, especially early-game, power is more important than rubber. I skip past copper/gold/tin/all those other cables, and go for high-efficiency, high-cost, place-it-and-forget-it glass fibre, every time.

Might be my OCD (As compared to others'), but I can't have any inefficiency in my power grid if I can help it. Plus the uniformity of almost all wires (Until late-game, super-high-voltage power is being used) being glass fibre feels nicer and works better with compact storage.

[LazDude2012]

LOL, Adler. Wasting diamonds much?

[Adlersch]

LOL, Adler. Wasting diamonds much?

I wasn't aware that diamonds had use beyond machinery, EE (EMC storage), early-game equipment, and cables. :s