Geothermal generator

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Geothermal generator

Produces electricity from geothermal steam geysers. Must be placed on a steam geyser.

Base Stats

Type
BuildingPower
Market Value
945 Silver [Note]
Beauty
-30
HP
500
Flammability
50%

Building

Size
6 × 6
Minifiable
False
Placeable
True
Passability
impassable
Cover Effectiveness
75%
Blocks Wind
True
Terrain Affordance
Heavy
Power
3600 W

Creation

Required Research
Geothermal power
Skill Required
Construction 8
Work To Make
12,000 ticks (3.33 mins)
Resources to make
Steel 340 + Component 8
Deconstruct yield
Steel 170 + Component 4
Destroy yield
Steel 85 + Component 2

The geothermal generator is a power generator that can be built on top of a steam geyser to convert natural heat into electrical power, providing a constant 3600W. Steam geysers are randomly generated per map, sometimes close to each other, others scattered towards the edges or center. Colonies are often seen built in their proximity from early days for future benefit.

Acquisition

Geothermal generators can be constructed once the Geothermal power research project has been completed. They require Steel 340 Steel, Component 8 Components, 12,000 ticks (3.33 mins) of work, and a Construction of 8.

Summary

Geothermal generators are excellent as a sustainable power source, providing permanent, free energy. If you have geysers in reasonable locations, these should be researched* to provide free power for your growing base. As they usually make up a significant portion of a colony's power generation and geysers can spawn in vulnerable locations, care should be taken to defend them from destruction.

(* probably sometime after Fabrication. See recommended tech paths for discussion.)

Analysis

It can be built indoors, but this causes heat buildup and eventually fire. A prevention method is to leave an open path towards outside or intentionally unroof the setup. Vents can be used to pipe the heat into other rooms. An open door will also release some of the heat from its room.

However, in cold biomes, the increased temperature becomes beneficial as the heat can be useful. The amount of heat it provides is only a little more than a normal heater, and is not controllable beyond opening/closing doors and vents, and/or building/tearing down walls with the change of seasons. Depending on the outside temperature, if closed under roof a geothermal generator can heat up to 8 rooms of 6x6 placed symmetrically around it with a 1 tile corridor in between.

A geothermal generator and 2 batteries can power a sun lamp and full set of hydroponics basins.

Geothermal generators have a beauty score of -30.