Factorio Forums

Hey guys i wanna compliment on this superb game. tons of hours already wasted in to it

I have a problem and that is i don;t know how to read the energy usage statistics. it's unclear for me.



i've made a screenshot and what i see is; production and consumption. I asume production is power produced and consumption is power used.... right.
but then i see on the next table the amount of power produced by my steam engines. (3.9MW)

On the left table both numbers are the same (2.6MW)
Consumption bigger green bar then production and showing the same numbers.... i'm so confused


So how do i read these statistics to know when to build more power producing structures?

then the fact the energy production (right table) shows spikes, it should be stable power production right?

This actually suggests that you have two different electricity networks, one using 2.6(the one shown) and another using 1.3. Probably all of your power poles are not connected to each other.

Consumption should always be full, if not you need more power buildings. Production is a percentage of how much or your max power is being used, so the lower the better.

As for the spikes, they'll happen when buildings go idle and stop using power(or use considerably less).

I agree with you that it is a bit strange, but let me explain.

The consumption/production bars shows data in percentage: you're using all energy you are producing, so consumption is 100%
Production is strictly related to consumption in a way that you never produce more than you need (except when loading accumulators, but also in this case you "need" energy to load them).
So in your case your production is lower than maximum available production (because you don't need more than current power) so you bar is only partially full.

In other words, you can ignore consumption bar and focus on production one: when it is almost full is time to build another power plant (engine, solar panel, ...)

Regarding different values shown in graphics, I suppose it's because you selected 10m interval, so you're seeing the average production.
Switching to 5s interval should align your values

Ale poles are connected, i use the north of my base for power production, guid with a couple large poles to my base, extend from there with large poles to the south where my ore harvesting is happening, everything is connected
Thanks for the explanation it makes somewhat clear for me now.

This is me standing with a 5s delay at the final electric pole in my base

arl85 wrote:I agree with you that it is a bit strange, but let me explain.

The consumption/production bars shows data in percentage: you're using all energy you are producing, so consumption is 100%

Actually this is misleading, and incorrect, it is NOT saying that you are consuming 100% of what you are producing. It is actually saying you are meeting 100% of your energy consumption needs.

This is a slight difference, but with your explanation a 50% full consumption bar would mean you are only comsuming half of what you are producing, meaning you are producing more than you need, which is incorrect because it actually means you are only meeting half of your demands and you need more energy.

Now the real curve ball is that production isn't shown the same way, the production bar does not measure your production 'needs' it measures your production capabilities. For example a half full bar at 5mw means you are producing the needed 5mw and to do that you are working at half efficiency, this shows that you are actually capable of producing 10mw when needed.

The misleading part is that one bar shows NEEDS the other bar shows CAPABILITIES. Hope this helps!

okey so if i understand correctly; (i'm not talking about accumilators.)

- full consumption bar means i'm using 100% avaible power i'm producing from steam engines.
- a half consumption bar or 75% = means im lacking 50% / 25% power needed for my structures which are using power.

and on the production bar which is 25% give or take means i have plenty power spare to increase my power usuage for 75% more right?

currently 25% 2.9MW power left for my total capabilities is 11.6MW.

3*2.9= 8.7MW (that is the 75% left) + 2.9MW = 11.6MW total power capability

20 x 510kw steam engines, 11.2mw. But close enough. :p

Factorian wrote:

arl85 wrote:I agree with you that it is a bit strange, but let me explain.

The consumption/production bars shows data in percentage: you're using all energy you are producing, so consumption is 100%

Actually this is misleading, and incorrect, it is NOT saying that you are consuming 100% of what you are producing. It is actually saying you are meeting 100% of your energy consumption needs.

Thanks for pointing it out, I was wrong, not it's a lot more clear.

arl85 wrote:

Factorian wrote:

arl85 wrote:I agree with you that it is a bit strange, but let me explain.

The consumption/production bars shows data in percentage: you're using all energy you are producing, so consumption is 100%

Actually this is misleading, and incorrect, it is NOT saying that you are consuming 100% of what you are producing. It is actually saying you are meeting 100% of your energy consumption needs.

Thanks for pointing it out, I was wrong, not it's a lot more clear.

No worries, glad I could help!