Electricity
Electricity is a system and resource in Space Engineers that is used to power most devices. It is created using a large or small reactor, or by using a Solar Panel. It can be stored in a Battery. Any device that has a direct block connection to a reactor will be powered by a reactor; that is, if a reactor is on a ship, all devices attached to that ship should receive power granted there is enough power to receive. Electricity can pass through rotor blocks, pistons, and locked connectors (incl. small-to-large connections), but not landing gear. Most blocks have off switches if you want to save electricity temporarily.
Contents
Reactors
Reactors are the main source of electricity. They are powered by Uranium Ingots. 1 ingot produces 68.76 MWs or 0.0191 MWh of energy. Consumption of Uranium is solely decided by your current energy consumption. There is no difference in efficiency between large and small reactors. It also makes no difference how many reactors you have online.
The maximum amount a reactor can power:
| Reactor | Small Ship [MW] | Large Ship [MW] |
|---|---|---|
| Small Reactor | 0.1 | 5 |
| Large Reactor | 3.5 | 100 |
| Solar Panel | 0.03* | 0.12* |
(*) Solar Panels have a maximum output depending on their angle to the sun and the amount of actually lit surface. Given values are the maximum achievable output with perfect conditions.
Power Usage
Thruster power usage
| Ship | Thrust | Minimum Power [MW] | Maximum Power [MW] | Inertial Dampeners [MW] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | Small | 0.0002 | 0.0336 | 0.0504 |
| Small | Large | 0.0002 | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| Large | Small | 0.0002 | 0.56 | 0.84 |
| Large | Large | 0.0002 | 6.72 | 10.08 |
Machinery power usage (Individual Usage)
| Machine | Idle [MW] | Operational [MW] |
|---|---|---|
| Arc Furnace | 0.001 | 0.33 |
| Assembler | 0.001 | 0.560 |
| Refinery | 0.001 | 0.560 |
Other device power usages
| Device | Small Ship [MW] | Large Ship [MW] |
|---|---|---|
| Gravity Generator | N/A | 0 - 0.56713** |
| Artificial Mass | 0.025 | 0.6 |
| Interior Light | N/A | 0.0004 |
| Medical Room | N/A | 0.002 |
| Door | N/A | 0.00003 |
| Gyroscope | 0.00003 | 0.0015 |
| Spotlight | 0.012 | 0.0112 |
| Beacon | 0 - 0.2 | 0.1008 |
| Antenna | 0 - 0.02 | 4 |
| Laser Antenna | 0.06 | 0.186 |
| Ore Detector | 0.002 | 0.002 |
| Drill | 0 - 0.002 | 0.000018 - 0.002 |
| Gatling/Missile Turret | N/A | 0.1008 |
| Interior Turret | N/A | 0.1008 |
(**) The power cost of Gravity Generator is directly proportional to the field size and acceleration (absolute value, so 1G consumes the same as -1G).
