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.

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 [KW]	Large Ship [KW]
Small Reactor	100	5000
Large Reactor	3500	100000
Solar Panel	30*	120*
Battery	1440	4000

(*) 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.

Conversion table:

                 1 MW = 1000 KW = 1000000 W 
                 1 W = 0.001 KW = 0.000001 MW

Power Usage

Thruster

Ship	Thruster type	Minimum Power [KW]	Maximum Power [KW]	Inertial Dampeners [KW]
Small	Small	0.002	33.60	50.40
Small	Large	0.002	400	600
Large	Small	0.002	560	840
Large	Large	0.002	6,720	10,080

Production (Individual Usage)

Machine	Idle [KW]	Operational [KW]
Projector	0.100	0.198
Arc Furnace	0.999	330
Assembler	0.999	560
Refinery	0.999	560

Weaponry and tools

Device	Small Ship [KW]	Large Ship [KW]
Drill	2	2
Welder	2	2
Grinder	2	2
Gatling Turret	N/A	2
Missile Turret	N/A	2
Interior Turret	N/A	2
Reloadable Rocket Launcher	0.2	N/A
Gatling Gun	0.2	N/A

Communication

Device	Small Ship [KW]	Large Ship [KW]
Beacon	0 - 10	0 - 10
Antenna	0 - 20	0 - 200
Laser Antenna	181**	577**

(**) The maximum power usage of laser antenna include both beaming and rotating at once. Beaming alone would be 180 for Small and 576 For large.

Other device power usages

Device	Small Ship [KW]	Large Ship [KW]
Gravity Generator	N/A	0 - 567.13***
Spherical Gravity Generator	N/A	0 - 44800***
Artificial Mass	25	600
Interior Light	N/A	0.06
Spotlight	0.200	1
Medical Room	N/A	2
Door	N/A	0.031
Gyroscope	0.001	0.03
Ore Detector	2	2
LCD Panel	0.1	0.1
Wide LCD Panel	0.2	0.2
Button Panel	0.1	0.1
Rotor	0.2	2
Advanced Rotor	0.2	2
Piston Base	0.2	2
Collector	2	2
Connector	0.05	5
Camera	0.03	0.03
Sensor	0 - 30	0 - 30
Remote Control	10	10
Programmable Block	0.5	0.5
Sound Block	0.2	0.2

(***) The power cost of Gravity Generator is directly proportional to the field size and acceleration (absolute value, so 1G consumes the same as -1G).