Power

In RimWorld, electricity is the key to survival. Most vital structures and buildings require power, and building an efficient power grid is the key to success.

Power generators

Solar generator

See also: Solar generator

Solar panels are a cheap first way of producing power from the limitless energy of the Sun.

The drawback is that they don't work during the night or during eclipses, requiring batteries to power lights and turrets when there is no sunlight available. Template:Clr

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Geothermal generator

See also: Geothermal generator

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A Geothermal generator is a very good and reliable power source drawing its energy from the heat of the planet's core. It is the only power generator which needs research to be built.

It produces a lot of power all day round but it is more expensive to build than the other power generators and it has to be placed on geothermal geysers. Those geysers are placed at random, sometimes not even occurring at all, and are usually positioned far from the initial landing zone.
This makes geothermal generators either a valuable asset far from the safety of the core base, or necessitates a base relocation to a zone harder to defend against raiders.

Power generator summary

Type	Cost	Size	Power output	Day	Night	Placing
Solar	80 Metal	4x4	1700 W	✓	✗	In Sunlight
Wind Turbine	125 Metal	5x2	750 W (1125 W during snow or rain fall.)	✓	✓	In open ground.
Geothermal	370 Metal	6x6	3600 W	✓	✓	On geysers

Power transfers

Power conduit

See also: Power conduit

A power conduit transmits power from generators or batteries to appliances.
It is a big cable that allows appliances to be powered up to 5 squares away from it.
A power conduit doesn't consume any power but takes some space on the floor, as most structures and buildings can't be built over it, except for solar generators, doors, walls and batteries.

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Conduit Walls

Regarding power distribution, a conduit wall works exactly the same way as a power conduit, also powering appliances up to 5 squares away from any powered section.

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Door

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Doors allow passage in a 1 square opening in a built wall or cave wall. It acts like a power conduit and needs a direct link to a conduit wall or a power conduit to distribute power. This door closes and opens slower depending on the material the door is made from.

AutoDoor

AutoDoors allow passage in a 1 square opening in a built wall or cave wall. It acts like a power conduit and needs a direct link to a conduit wall or a power conduit (or another wall)to open and close quickly and distribute power. If not powered, it will still open, but at the speed of the ordinary door.

Power transfers summary

Power storage

Batteries

See also: Batteries

Batteries play a very important part in the power grid of your base as it allows you to use power coming from solar generator all night long and offers a way to store energy coming from geothermal generators closer to your main base.

A battery can only hold 10,000 KJ, but it won't deplete over time if no appliance is connected to it.

If a power generators' output exceeds appliances power consumption, excess power will be distributed evenly amongst all non-full connected batteries, charging all batteries at the same rate. Likewise, if power consumption exceeds power generation, all non-empty batteries will deplete at the same rate to fill the power gap.

Appliances

Appliances are structures or buildings that require power but don't transmit it. Appliances don't require a direct power cable/wall connection, they can be placed up to 5 squares away from them. When connected to the power grid, it can take a few moments before an appliance turns on.

Power transfers summary

Appliance	Cost	Size	Power consumption
Standing lamp	5 Metal	1x1	150 W
Sun lamp	20 Metal	1x1	600 W
Nutrient paste dispenser	90 Metal	4x3	200 W
Comms console	120 Metal	3x2	200 W
Cook stove	80 Metal	3x2	350 W
Auto-turret	90 Metal	2x2	250 W

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Architect

Power

Power conduit (Hidden, Waterproof) • Power switch • Wood-fired generator • Chemfuel powered generator • Wind turbine

(research)

Battery • Geothermal generator • Solar generator • Watermill generator • Toxifier generator • Bioferrite generator

(uncraftable)

Vanometric power cell • Unstable power cell

Related

Ship reactor • Electroharvester