Battery Banks - Yes or No

[DemainaNyx]

Obviously it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but I'm curious to see what people say.

 

Since forever, I always set up a system like: Generators > Battery Bank > Distribution Center > Consumers

 

I liked it cause it kept the heat and bad decor out of my base.  One design I ran a lot early was storing a few batteries in my oxygen cooling hydrogen loop.  I normally get a SPOM set up pretty early off excess toilet water to buy me extra time (and save algae) to find a geyser.  I normally set up a hydrogen cooled wheezewort room along with it and would store a few batteries in there, one exclusively for the SPOM and a few others (depending on space) for a mini battery bank in the mean time.

 

With the addition of Smart Batteries I use those to shut down my generators to save on resources, but always continued to build my battery banks (included that mini one) with the larger batteries.  However, since automation is quick, it's almost like battery banks aren't necessary any more.

 

So, do you still use battery banks?  If so, do you use the large batteries or smart batteries?

[ruhrohraggy]

If you run a big central power network, I can't see it being a bad idea. Need a larger buffer for a larger potential peak power load. Nobody likes brown-outs :S.

Haven't done one of those yet. Never really needed one. Seems like a fun thing to do though. I usually run local power or self powering modules though.

Running localized power systems, I find myself only needing 1-2 smart batteries per system.

Only drawback to more batteries is more runoff, but with smart batteries, it's really not all that much. And if you're doing a big end-game central power-system, runoff will be a drop in the bucket.

I would use smart batteries for my bank, less drain, ability to automate. Should be swimming in refined iron by the time i'd need one anyway.

[dallion]

since forever I never build a battery bank, with 4000kj power consumed per circle but only less than 5kj power lose join all generator with a high-v-line, but I don`t use solar energy, at current save, I want to build a battery bank with solar energy

[SackMaggie]

You need a lot of batteries just for solar panel (and turbine if you have) and nothing else need a lot of it.

And you even can have 1 battery for your whole colony. You just need more production than consumption but with enough amount of batteries can save you a lot of headache and giving more flexible on how you manage your power with low drawback.

So have more is good and more than needed is not good.

[Coolthulhu]

I'd only consider building a battery bank if I had so much solar/steam energy surplus that I couldn't use it all even with all other generators shut down.

With current energy generation and usage stats (and lack of good power sinks), I usually waste more power than I use, just so that the geysers and electrolyzers don't get overpressurized.

[JonnyMonroe]

I only do a large battery bank with solar or steam as you generally don't shut those down and it's nice to have the buffer. In my last few colonies I've avoided centralised power production as I had having huge stretches of pipes running everywhere. I'll generally consume fuels at source with each power building being controlled by it's own smart battery, with fuel buffers in place where needed (a reservoir full of Nat gas stores waaaay more potential power than the equivalent space in batteries and doesn't have a power runoff)

[chemie]

1 hour ago, JonnyMonroe said:

I only do a large battery bank with solar or steam as you generally don't shut those down and it's nice to have the buffer. In my last few colonies I've avoided centralised power production as I had having huge stretches of pipes running everywhere. I'll generally consume fuels at source with each power building being controlled by it's own smart battery, with fuel buffers in place where needed (a reservoir full of Nat gas stores waaaay more potential power than the equivalent space in batteries and doesn't have a power runoff)

yes, store petroleum, nat gas, and even coal vs storing energy in batteries.  gens spin up immediately and is easy to have as many as needed

[Nitroturtle]

I don't build large banks until I have my solar array setup.  Once it's setup, a large battery bank is required to store the crazy amounts of power it generates.

[KittenIsAGeek]

I think it depends, really.  Most generators benefit greatly from having a smart battery attached to them, so right there you're adding in a partial battery bank.  If I have a large large consumer, I'll stick a battery on the consumer side of the circuit to help with burst power usage -- especially if my total power I can potentially produce is relatively close to the amount I'm using on average.  Or if I have a circuit that is used very infrequently, I'll stick a smart battery on the consumer side to turn the transformer off.

Lately, the only time I've used a large battery bank is for solar -- though its probably just easier to let the generators kick in during the night or when the blast doors are open.  Steam might benefit, depending on how you've set it up.  Especially if you're starting and stopping due to either pressure or temperature issues.  It takes a lot longer to spin-up than other generators.

 

[onebit]

I have enough batteries without a big bank of them.

[oosyrag]

Batteries are useful after automation when the total power draw of your base exceeds your maximum generator capacity, generally for limited amounts of time (time it takes to finish the task that is overtaxing the grid, by using the energy stored in the battery buffer).

Automated smart battery generators are useful when your generation capacity is greater than your average power use.

Considering smart batteries are also batteries in that they store charge and can handle the first case to a limited degree, and that power generation capacity is easy to ramp up while conserving resources is usually the bigger concern, there really isn't a necessity for batteries outside of solar.

[Lilalaunekuh]

1 hour ago, chemie said:

yes, store petroleum, nat gas, and even coal vs storing energy in batteries.  gens spin up immediately and is easy to have as many as needed

I like to use electrolyzer for most of my oxygen prodcution, so there are 2 possible benefits:

1. Build all battries/hydrogen generators/power transformer inside a room "cooled" by incomming hydrogen

(My current power generation area is stable at 80-90°C, so no need for additional cooling)

2. I use hydrogen tanks and "enough" hydrogen generators to act as batteries, just do reduce the small power loss each cycle^^

[chemie]

17 minutes ago, Lilalaunekuh said:

I like to use electrolyzer for most of my oxygen prodcution, so there are 2 possible benefits:

1. Build all battries/hydrogen generators/power transformer inside a room "cooled" by incomming hydrogen

(My current power generation area is stable at 80-90°C, so no need for additional cooling)

2. I use hydrogen tanks and "enough" hydrogen generators to act as batteries, just do reduce the small power loss each cycle^^

my hydrogen gens burn all h2, even excess with bats at 100 because I run low power base consumption and it would back electros up otherwise.  at least, I used to.  now I need h2 for rockets so it all goes there once that is up and running

[scaldinghotcarl]

I used to have a battery for each stage of generators. Five stages with three gens each, but like everyone is pointing out they spin up instantly so as long as you can satisfy demand there isn't a reason to have a lot of batteries. 

However, I finally made a solar farm and now I have about 100 batteries, and I still over charge them. My generators are now staging from ~5% up to ~15% so less is wasted when the sun comes out.

[MorsDux]

Better to build coal generators than batteries, because coal gens dont waste power just "being".

If you (would) run out of power, coal gens kick in and keep the power level safe. Same situation with a battery bank not only means constant leaking of power, but in case the power peak is high enough you have brownouts.

[impyre]

I typically use about 60-120 seconds worth of power storage. I also use coal as a backup... I have a set of 10 coal generators that kick on when the battery array gets below 15%, (which almost never happens).

[Sheo]

Running all my bases with mostly 1k wires, most parts use their own energy storage (smart batteries), no downs at all and independent of other parts or power plant black outs. On the other hand less material needed an ni decor loss by heavy wires.

[greggbert]

Batteries waste power and produce heat so it's best to have as few as possible.  Usually I will have no more than 2 per generator and only smart batteries no large. If I want to store energy for the future petroleum works nicely.  I don't store them in a bank.  I put them near the generator so (1) Can be cooled by whatever I'm using to cool the generator (2) Shorter distance for automation wires (3) can see the battery level in the grid while I'm zoomed in on my generators.

Solar panels obviously warrant more batteries, but even then as few as possible!

[Nitroturtle]

11 minutes ago, greggbert said:

Solar panels obviously warrant more batteries, but even then as few as possible!

I'll just leave this here.. 

[melquiades]

The only real need for batteries is when you get all of your power from solar.

Otherwise you just have to make sure you are producing way way more energy than you consume, and all of that is regulated by a single smart battery.