Solar: external energy source and sink

[Master Miner]

Vacuum at the top of the map (instead of neutronium).

Solar (stellar) irradiance  (cosmic radiation, UV, light, IR) during the "day".
Cold during the night.

Solar panels - two types:
- for electricity (during the "day", maximum power at "noon")
- for liquids: heating during the "day" and cooling during the night (maximum heating at "noon", max. cooling at "midnight")

Glass tiles.

Farms up there require careful thermal setup, but profit from free energy.
Plants receive enough light during the day so they don't need it during the night.

[ImpalerWrG]

I've been thinking about how a true vacuum surface in space would be useful and if it might be too easy as it is by definition an infinite dump and energy source.

First off the Asteroid belt gets far less sunlight then Earth dose, at best you would be looking at 1/5th and 1/10th of Earth normal sunlight for a main belt asteroid which I think should be considered inadequate for plants to grow (we might consider it 'dim' a halfway state between lit/unlit).  We also need radiation to be dangerous out their so again it is not easy to got to.

Solar output should be low and the solar panel made from some high energy cost material (silicon/refined metal).  Their should be small meteorite (few kg at a time stones) that will smash the panels on occasion and require you to repair them, the radiation should also degrade and break them over time.  Your tapping unlimited energy but it's gonna cost some hefty labor and material inputs.

Radiating heat is going to be tricky, A thermal cycle on the surface would mean you need a timed system to dis pate heat at very specific times so I could see this being OK.  I suspect a special building is going to be needed as none of the other buildings are capable of actually radiating in the infer red and shedding heat in a vacuum.