The capacitor solar is a base device used mainly to store and distribute power produced by solar panel blocks.
Empyrion using solar panels.
Solar panels get power from the sun during the day and store their excess in the solar capacitor for when the panel isn t producing power.
And 2 or even 4 small solar panels isn t enough.
You can combine solar and generators and the solar gets used first.
Each capacitor can hold a finite amount of energy meaning that adding multiple to your base will increase the maximum amount of power that can be stored.
It must be paired with the capacitor solar to store the energy absorbed by the blocks.
If there are generators present the base will draw power from the capacitor s before using the generator s.
Solar is used first then generator power.
In addition to storing solar power the capacitors can also burn fuel stored in tanks in the base making them a feasible alternative to generators.
Having a backup generator is probably a good idea.
For more power add more panels or replace your small solar panels with regular solar panels.
Get at least a dozen solar panels up and turn off things not in use and one should see batteries actually charging.
Add non essential devices or those which use large amounts of power to a generator power group.
Panel placement panel size weather and time of day all affect the output of solar panels.
Next add a switch to power on off the items which you want to use generator power for.
Generators do still need a fuel tank and battery power overflow does not get stored as fuel.
So if your panels are enough you won t use any fuel.
The best way to make use of solar energy is to set up device grouping in the control panel.
So if your solar output is not more than your consumption your batteries will never charge.
There are no infinite sources in empyrion other than the trusty survival constructor and water so not dying and spending most of your time not just mining is pretty much about using energy efficiently.
Generally love thy survival constructor.