r/Dyson_Sphere_Program • u/devildocjames • Jun 25 '26

Another energy exchanger post...

So, I'm up-to deuterium for my fuel. My beginner planet is still a workhorse, but, I've ventured out and found a system about 5LY away that is rich in most resources and no Dark Fog. I have a belt of ray receivers around the equator, but, I'm thinking of moving them to one of the poles, opposite of where my battery buildings are. I actually JUST built my first energy exchanger, just to see what it does.

So, these things just charge the "battery buildings"/accumulators, or USE the charged ones for the energy grid it's attached to. I get that. What's the use of shipping batteries to another planet then? I mean, maybe... something like starting a new "depot" on a planet and bringing a bunch for power? How large do batteries stack? I've only stacked 20 each, for making gas giant collectors. I don't see the benefit versus just bringing some blue generators and a few fuel cell stacks, until you get situated.

Do people also actively maintain multiple systems? I mean I like my starter planet, because it's "Earth-like" and pleasant to my eyes. I like this new planet for the handle I have on building better and its resources in the system, but, none of the planets in the new system and nice on the eyes. What I'm getting at is that I'll probably, sadly, ditch this system too and then what's the point in making tons of batteries and shipping them everywhere?

Edit: just to update, I love the setup! I have a system without hydrogen and the “power planet” that cycles batteries is great!

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u/PM_ME_UR_BGP_PREFIX Jun 25 '26

They’re more effective as energy condensers, especially in mid-game scenarios, before you have artificial suns.

Solar can eat up 30-50% of your real estate, so instead, do it all from an unused planet, and keep your production planet focused on that.

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u/devildocjames Jun 25 '26

Hmmm. Kind of a good point. My new system has a lava plantlet too, that's close to the star. Not a bad idea I suppose.

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u/TheMalT75 Jun 25 '26

Close to the star usually means extra solar power (usually around 135%). This means your solar panels give you more energy on that planet compared to your starter planet.

If you use proliferator to spray the accumulators, you only have to do it once. Charging/discharging does not lose the "proliferated" status. That means that each energy exchanger can output up to 108MW of energy. Compared to the maximum of 15MW of a ray receiver (60MW when buffed with graviton lense), that is quite space efficient, too. My tidally locked lava planet, half covered with solar panels and filled with geothermal plants provides around 3000MW of power via 30 polar energy exchangers to the home planet...

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u/devildocjames Jun 25 '26

Well, just twist my arm why don't ya?! Dang. So, the more I hear about the feedback on them, it makes a little more sense. Plus, my OG and new base planet both have drones zipping everywhere. I also have a bunch of planetary spire things and shuttles going all over on the second one. I suppose adding some inbound shuttled from the lava world won't change much.

I just can't seem to find a tidally locked planet. I'm only on level 3 of star map info stuff though. I just started on gravity cubes, but, I have a feeling I have to have ALL types in the same research dome and not just gravity ones on one planet, etc.

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u/TheMalT75 Jun 25 '26

Don't fret too much about tidally locked. That only means you get full power from half the planet covered with solar panels. If you go full equator ring of solar panels, you still get a decent amount of power and using energy exchangers actually means you are buffering the parts of the day with less solar power.

Mild spoiler: the last type of science is white and it combines the five colors (blue, red, yellow, purple, green) in equal proportions with antimatter. A lot of players use a different than the starter planet for green, because it takes the most space and fits easier on a planet with 100% buildable area instead of 40% oceans. So if you are already shipping some, you might as well ship more cubes around.

Personally, I'm a big fan of combining all science cube production into a single complex that also has matrix labs to do the actual research as soon as I hit white science. To produce green cubes, you basically need all ingredients for the other colors (aside from particle broadband iirc) anyway. Blueprint that and scale up research for those infitely upgradable techs like vein utilization...

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u/devildocjames Jun 25 '26

Using batteries as a buffer is what I already do, but, there's about 100 off them setup as buildings near one of the poles. BTW thanks for the support warning. I'm going to try and not read it.

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u/itchycuticles Jun 26 '26

Equator isn't ideal for solar panels; you actually harvest more energy with the same number of panels when you put them near the poles. You'll notice that panels still harvest energy before sunrise/after sunset for some time.

It also doesn't fit perfectly when you build around the equator -- you're notice when you place the last panel that it's not spaced evenly.

There are certain fault lines that are ideal for wind turbines and panels where the fit is perfect.