Solar Arrays

An array is a group of 8 lower level solar panels/arrays. They are used to reduce the size of solar farms, which can quickly become invasive.

They work exactly as their basic counterpart, except for the output EU/t. Due to their high output, Arrays are excessively expensive and time consuming to make, requiring 512 Solar Panels to create one HV solar array.

The preferable method of construction involves the setting up of automated crafting tables to perform these tasks for you as otherwise creation would become tedious. (Example here)

Like Solar Panels, Solar Arrays will not work at night, and will have reduced output during a thunderstorm.





LV Solar Array
Outputs 8 EU/t (160/sec)

8 solar panels.

Requires PER 1 LV Solar Array
 * 106 copper wire (104) (2 for LV transformer)
 * Breaks down to: 104 rubber, 52 copper ingots, and 2 extra insulated copper wire
 * 48 redstone
 * 80 refined iron using machine blocks to make generators OR 104 iron (40 refined/64 normal) if you use iron furnaces to make generators.
 * 32 tin
 * 64 cobblestone
 * 24 glass
 * 24 coal dust
 * 3 copper ingots
 * 4 wooden planks

MV Solar Array
Outputs 64 EU/t (1280/sec)

64 solar panels = 8 LV arrays.

requires:
 * 10 stacks of refined iron + 8 (mv transformer)
 * Compressed into 1 stack + 17 machine blocks
 * 8 stacks of cobble (furnaces for generators)
 * 13 stacks of copper cable + 16 copper cable
 * Breaks down to: 13 stacks + 14 rubber, 6 stacks + 39 copper ingots, and 2 extra copper wire
 * 24 copper ingots (lv transformers)
 * 6 stacks of redstone (re-batteries and circuits)
 * 4 stacks of tin (re batteries)
 * Compressed into 24 tin blocks + 4 tin
 * 3 stacks of coal dust (solar panels)
 * 3 stacks of glass (solar panels)
 * 32 wood planks (lv transformers)
 * 2 2xIns. gold cables (mv transformer)

By using the extra space of a Crafting Table III and compressed items it's possible to make one without any premade solar arrays or solar panels.

HV Solar Array
Outputs 512 EU/t (10240/sec)

512 solar panels = 64 LV arrays = 8 MV arrays.

Note that a Mk V Nuclear Reactor completely full of uranium produces 2400 EU/t, and will explode in 7 seconds. The most powerful design possible which remains safe puts out 2030 EU/t. Five HV Solar Arrays (equal to 2560 Solar Panels) will produce more power (2560 EU/t) with no risk. However, you must also remember that Solar power is only supplied during the day time, while reactors generate power night and day, so you would actually need 8 HV Solar Arrays (4096 Solar Panels and EU/t) to equal the 'safest' powerful reactor design, day and night.

Note that a high voltage or glass fibre cable is required to receive power from a HV Solar Array; At 512 EU/t, any other cable is melted. However, there is no limit to how many HV Solar Arrays can be attached to a single HV or Glass Fibre cable; because the EU is sent in packets per tick, the actual EU going through the cable never exceeds 512 EU per packet and is thus not exceeding cable limits. This extends to all other grades of solar panel, as long as the single cable can tolerate the EU/t from that grade of panel.

Constructing a single HV Solar Array requires an incredible amount of materials Total EMC: 2,623,649 EMC per HV Solar Array.
 * 6810 Rubber (~107 Stacks) = 2270 Sticky Resin (~35.5 Stacks) = 2270 x 24 EMC = 54,480 EMC
 * 5193 Refined Iron Ingots (~81 Stacks) = 5193 Iron Ingots = 5193 x 256 EMC = 1,329,408 EMC
 * 2048 Tin Ingots (32 Stacks) = 2048 x 256 EMC = 524,288 EMC
 * 4096 Cobblestone (64 Stacks) = 4096 x 1 EMC = 4096 EMC
 * 1536 Glass (~24 Stacks) = 1536 x 1 EMC = 1536 EMC
 * 1536 Coal Dust (~24 Stacks) = 1536 Coal = 1536 x 128 EMC = 196,608 EMC
 * 3597 Copper Ingots (~56 Stacks) = 3597 x 85 EMC = 305,745 EMC
 * 256 Planks (4 Stacks) = 256 x 8 EMC = 2,048 EMC
 * 3082 Redstone Dust (~48 Stacks) = 3082 x 64 EMC = 197,248 EMC
 * 1 Diamond = 1 x 8,192 EMC = 8,192 EMC

Youtube Tutorial
Click here to watch some videos explanining how to use Solar Arrays:

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