User blog:Malsf21/Convincingly Awesome Power Setups

Huyro. I am malsf21, not a special person in any means at all. Today, I will bring you the wonder of IC2's most viable energy setup functions, IN ORDER OF EFFICIENCY, and why we should use 'em. I shall detail why Wind Mills don't suck as much as everyone else says they do, the overrated-ness of Nuclear Reactors, and who I believe should win the EU game.

Note: These setups are for factories and "home" use alike. I have clearly stated which one I am talking about.

These are opinions, not factual in any way. Do not link to this page as proof for something in a Wiki Article. This is simply the opinion of a could-be imbecile, could-be Einstein. It's basically a half-narrative, half-tech insight article, designed to humour and inform.

5. The Windy City (No. Not Chicago)
Everyone says Wind Mills suck. I plead to disagree (for home-use only).

Of course, Wind Mills are limited. They work great at high altitudes, but become expensive Dirt at Bedrock. Why should we use them? Well, mountain bases themselves have been growing in popularity. Low-Game players can't get in, there are millions of concealment opportunities, and the ore veins underneath them are rumoured to be giant. Yet there's something missing with this picture: Wind Mills.

On a very succesful private server, I controlled a mountain base, aptly named Mt. Schweirg (or something like that. It means hard in Danish/Dutch: I also can't remember that either. Sorry John: i'm not Danish/Dutch). It had several benefits, including a giant cave converted to a Nuclear Bunker/Black Ops meeting place. The trouble was, this was smack in the middle of a Snow Biome.

Why is this horrible? HV Solar Arrays are destroyed by those tiny little flurries! Of course, I don't want to put torches right beside my Arrays, especially since they were in a Square. So, I switched to the Dutch way: Wind Mills. I strategically placed these sky high in the air, and had some sort of Ender Chest Recharge system, which charged Lappacks in the sky, Ender-Chested them to the ground, got placed into MFSUs, then got sent back up. It basically created a Wireless EU system. And it worked.

On April, a Nuclear Attack rained down on us. ComputerCraft Turtles running GPS Bombing Routes with Nukes are deadly. Luckily, we could cower in our MFFS Forcefield. But not for long. Soon, the sheer amount of Nukes would overpower our EU setup. Suddenly, I had a Relevation! Activate the floating Wind Mills!

Why would they need to be activated in the first place? Well, World Anchors take heavy tolls on servers, but that ain't gonna matter now. Our floating Wind Mills, unlike Solar Panels, Nuclear Reactors, or Geothermal Generators, do not have to be close to the base. They can be so remote that your opponent can't find them, somewhere that they will never look. Nevertheless, we won, activating our Sleeper Nuke on their base. But that's a story for another day. The real hero was Wind Mills.

Techincal Briefing: Use these babies for low-cost EU Production. Like powering your Macerator. Alternatively, use them as remote support power. The narrative above demonstrated this method. They were REMOTELY used, so enemies can't take'em down. They provided SUPPORT!!! Not the main power (that was Geothermal Generators), but they helped out in a way no other Generator can.

4. The Truly Everlasting Fountain of Water Mills
Water Mills. They are the beginner's dream. But it's not only beginner's who use them; pros use them, but with a different use. Let's take a look at another boring Narrative!

Back to my private server. Of course, Mt. I-Forgot-Its-Name wasn't my only stronghold. I also had one underwater, using MFFS as my aid. I ran into a predicament though: someone will notice any other type of energy being produced: Geothermal Generators create Red Flashes when producing power, and a dirt cover will look quite suspicious if its in a straight line. Nuclear Reactors destroy Source Blocks, and Solar Panels/Wind Mills are out of the question. So what do I do?

I came up with Water Mills. I switched to a Dome Upgrade, and allowed water to "flow" into the bottom of he base. I then put Water Mills there, and voila! My underwater retreat was now powered, at a quite amazing 1024 EU/t, at the price of a lot of Water Mills. Luckily, they aren't as expensive as a HV Solar Array. This allowed me to have a truly concealed base. Now all I need is the Ghillie Suit.

Techinical Briefing: Water Mills have limited uses above ground, but those with sub-zero bases should consider them, especially as they create concealed super-powered generators, which require no intervention. They also work well for home use, as I used one early-game to power my Compressor.

3. Nuclear Power- Why James Buchan is right.
Nuclear Power is great. It produces your hulking 2048 EU/t, and you get super HV Cabling to make your UU-Matter. But it comes at three costs: So, I do use these lumberjacks for mass operations, in the middle of nowhere (my private server had 4 different reactors, some in the most remote of areas, including the sky). I used them to make UU-Matter and power MFFS. I also shortly used them to power my Customize-Your-Own-Armor Factory. But I realized: why wouldn't I use Solar Panels? After all, Nuclear Power mostly is waste EU- I don't really need that much at such a great cost. So in the words of James Buchan...
 * 1) Cost. Look at the price needed to make those Hulks. My Solar Panel Factory used less materials to churn out 5 Stacks of HV Solar Arrays!
 * 2) Management: I hate making Uranium Cells, Breeder Reactors, Reactor Plating, and everything. I can't have machines automate Nuclear Reactors; they'll blow sky high. But this isn't a Developing Country. Minecraft's labour don't come cheap.
 * 3) Firepower: Nuke. 'Nuff said.

All UK Nuclear Power Stations should be shut down without delay.

Technical Briefing: I am a tad bit biased here, but here it goes: Nuclear Power should be used factory-wide. It's tremendous output makes it great for continuosly running operations, but unless you have at least 25 MFSUs, most of the output goes to waste. Use sparingly, and be extremely careful.

2. It's Getting Hot in Here! The Geothermal Generators are Coming!
While the real world isn't so keen on using Geothermal Generators, Tekkit Classic will play your share. Thank the subsidaries called Equivalent Exchange 2 Corp., Industrial Craft 2 Industries, and Red Power 2 Management and Services. These three mods streamline the process even more: I'll explain why in a moment. First, let me explain to you why its so efficient.

Geothermal Generators output 20 EU/t. While that's measly compared to the 512 and 2048 EU/t from HV Solar Arrays and Nuclear Reactors, they have one benefit: no management required. A Stack of Generators output a friendly 1280 EU/t at LV Voltage, and work through day and night, for all of those tinkerers. It is ideal for powering MFFS Systems, as well as being the foundation for GIANT power structures. They even work for home use, and don't make excess energy (they shut off when power isn't needed, saving your Lava Cells). So they are the next Generation (and were given a bump in later versions of IC2, making them even more useful)!

Why do they work? EE2's Condensers provide infinite Lava Cells/Buckets. These get pumped into the Generators via RP2, and create seemingly infinite energy. Shazam! Great power.

Technical Briefing: Geothermal Generators are the all-in-one source to epic awesomeness. They work as a utility workhorse for both home and factory usage, and are customizable to fit usage needs. They are the epitome of the scantly equipped EU producer.

Solar Power *boom boom*
Solar Power. It is the most recognized symbol of renewable energy. It is by far the best in Tekkit. Why? Awesomeness.

And the fact that it has 4 versions. The regular Solar Panel is outfitted for home use: power your Macerator right now! The LV Array gives an upgraded home-use, and can power small factories. The MV Array gets on par, providing cost efficiency as well as enough power to power almost all machines. The almighty HV Array works as a team, powering super-large factories, and creating UU-Matter at blazing speeds. They even work better than most Reactor setups, and don't require EU Losing HV Cables.

But why are they the best? Why do they oust all other types of specialized Generators. Let me explain.

Wind Mills: These guys are even more eccentric then Solar Power. Additionally, Wind Mills don't make 512 EU/t

Water Mills: These need a little more space than the Lone Ranger HV Array, and don't come close to 512 EU/t

Nuclear Reactors: HV Cable is the demise of these guys. You need to make a HV-Transformer, HV Cable, and clear out a lot of space. In addition, you need cooling methods, Uranium Cells, and more. The 4 HV Arrays don't cost nearly that much.

Geothermal Generators: Solar Panels/Arrays pack more punch. While similarities occur, an HV which produces 512 EU/t for half a day beats a Generator which produces 20 EU/t any day.

Simply, Solar Panels are the idol of EU production. They require grit to make, but the advent of Solar Panel Factories has eliminated this cost. So switch now. For utter domination.

Techinical Brieing: Solar Panels Rule. They dominate home usage on lower variants, and upgrade to super monsters. The fact that only Sun is needed make them relatively simple to operate, and don't require piping, or external materials, or super-special conditions. They  are more flexible then Silly Putty.

Epilouge
So that's it. If you disagree, post a comment, and I'll heartily reply. Any questions? Post on my Message Wall,

Join me next time on my Blog for a RP2 vs. BC3 Piping comparison. Bye bye!

