Generator overproduction mechanics

[MatthewCline]

I've just noticed that the daily reports show a "generator overproduction" shown if you hover the cursor over that day's power loss, and it showed that 75% of the power produced the previous day was wasted due to overproduction.  What exactly determines how much or how little a generator will overproduce?

[BlueLance]

If your batteries are full and the generator still keeps working then that is overproduction. Same goes for is you have a coal Gen 600W directly hooked up to things such as two massage benches which is 480W thats a 120W overproduction per second essentially if there are no batteries or automation to stop the generator

[MatthewCline]

35 minutes ago, BlueLance said:

If your batteries are full and the generator still keeps working then that is overproduction.

I thought that the generator was supposed to stop once the batteries got over X% full; I set the generator to stop when the batteries are 65% full.  I have two tiny batteries that are connected in serial: the coal generator connects to one tiny battery, the output of the first tiny battery connects to the input of the second tiny batter, and then the output of the second tiny battery powers everything else.  Is that setup causing the problem?

[Kasuha]

3 minutes ago, MatthewCline said:

thought that the generator was supposed to stop once the batteries got over X% full

Coal generator will not stop when batteries are full. It will stop asking for more fuel. So your duplicants or sweepers will stop feeding it fuel but it will still burn the remaining fuel in it. You can only get better results using automation and smart batteries.

[PhailRaptor]

As Kashuha said, the Coal Generator doesn't stop running when Batteries exceed it's activation threshold.  It simply stops calling for new fuel (coal) to be loaded.  To achieve what you want, you need to build a Smart Battery, set active and shut-off percentages, and connect it via Automation Wire to the Coal Generator.  This will completely shut off the Coal Generator when the Smart Battery goes above whatever capacity % you set it for.

5 minutes ago, MatthewCline said:

I have two tiny batteries that are connected in serial: the coal generator connects to one tiny battery, the output of the first tiny battery connects to the input of the second tiny batter, and then the output of the second tiny battery powers everything else.  Is that setup causing the problem?

Power doesn't work like Liquid or Gas Pipes, in that there is a source that flows in a direction to outputs.  Power doesn't flow.  Things are either connected, or they aren't.  The only way to establish a directional transfer is through a Transformer -- the upper input is the "high" side, the lower one is the "low" side.  The Transformer will transfer up to 1 kW each tick of the game engine, which occurs 5 times per second, so a circuit isolated by a Transformer can sustain a combined consumption total of 5 kW, as long as no single device consumes more than 1 kW.  The 1 kW limit can be exceeded by simply connecting a Battery of some description on the same wiring.

[MatthewCline]

Is there any way to control how much coal is delivered to the generator every time it runs out of coal?

[Kabrute]

6 minutes ago, MatthewCline said:

Is there any way to control how much coal is delivered to the generator every time it runs out of coal?

technically yes but it requires two compactors and 3 doors plus micromanaging which dupes can get through which doors

[TheExceed]

39 minutes ago, MatthewCline said:

Is there any way to control how much coal is delivered to the generator every time it runs out of coal?

Just get smart batteries ASAP.

[KittenIsAGeek]

Smart batteries rock.  Its one of my early training trees now.  Often I've got them researched (along with the rock crusher) and built by cycle 20.  Life is SO much nicer with smart batteries keeping the power stations in check.