Beatrice Lang
In Factorio, electricity is essential for powering the majority of machines. The Electric Network Info GUI provides insights into the performance of your electric network, including the current energy consumption and production. To access this information, you can left-click on any nearby electric pole, which will display data specific to the network that pole is connected to. Alternatively, some players suggest using a hotkey or clicking on a power pole to access the Electric Network Info panel. Understanding the electric network information is crucial for managing your factory's energy consumption and ensuring optimal machine performance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How to access Electric Network Info | Left-click on any nearby electric pole or power pole |
| How to access Production Info | Press 'P' |
| What does the bar represent? | Satisfaction, i.e., the current amount of energy consumed by the network |
| What happens if the bar is not full? | The machines connected to the network are consuming more power than is produced |
| What happens if the bar is full? | The machines connected are consuming all available energy |
| What does the bar represent? | Production, i.e., the current energy produced by the network |
| What happens if the bar is not full? | There is surplus energy available |
| What happens if the bar is full? | The machines connected to the network are consuming all available energy |
| What is the first type of electricity in Factorio? | Steam Power |
| What is the next step of electricity in Factorio? | Solar Power |
| What is the last form of electricity in Factorio? | Nuclear Power |
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What You'll Learn
Accessing the Electric Network Info GUI
Left-Click on an Electric Pole:
The Electric Network Info GUI can be accessed by left-clicking on any electric pole nearby. This includes small electric poles, which are often placed near machinery to provide power. By interacting with these poles, you can retrieve specific information about the electric network to which they belong.
Understand the Network's Limitations:
It's important to remember that each power pole can only belong to one electric network. Therefore, clicking on a power pole specifies which electric network you are inspecting. In most cases, there is usually just one network, but it's not uncommon to have multiple networks in more complex setups.
Use the Hub Menu:
When playing on a space platform in Factorio, the approach is slightly different. If you haven't created power poles on the space platform, you can access electric network information through the hub menu. Look for a lightning bolt icon or a power symbol in the Main Hub menu to access electric network details.
Previous Hotkey Changes:
In the past, players could use the ""P" key as a hotkey to access the Electric Network Info panel. However, this hotkey has since been reassigned to production stats. Currently, there is no dedicated hotkey for directly accessing the Electric Network Info GUI, which has been a topic of discussion among players.
Visualize Your Network:
To effectively manage your electric network, it's essential to have a clear visualization of your setup. This includes understanding the placement of power poles, machinery, and power generation methods such as steam engines, solar panels, or nuclear power sources. A well-organized and optimized electric network will help your factory run smoothly.
By following these steps and familiarizing yourself with the Electric Network Info GUI, you'll be able to monitor and optimize your power generation and consumption in Factorio.
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Energy consumption and production
The GUI shows the current amount of energy consumed by the network, represented by a bar that indicates the level of satisfaction. If the bar is not full, it means that the machines are consuming more power than is being produced, with the colour changing to yellow (>50%) or red (<50%) to indicate this. The GUI also shows the current energy produced by the network, represented by a bar that should not be full, as this indicates that the machines are consuming all available energy. The more empty this bar is, the more surplus energy is available.
Energy consumption refers to the energy consumed by a machine while it is actively performing a task, such as crafting or moving an item. If the electric network does not have enough power generation to supply all the machines, the electricity will be evenly distributed across all machines, and their speed will be reduced proportionally to the power available. For example, if an assembling machine (210kW) and an electric mining drill (90kW) are on a network requiring 300kW of power, but the network only has 3 solar panels providing 180kW, both machines will operate at 60% speed.
There are several ways to produce electricity in Factorio. Steam engines are the most common method, requiring boilers that consume water and fuel. Solar panels provide free energy during daylight but do not generate power at night, so alternative power sources are needed. Steam turbines are high-power steam engines used to generate power from nuclear reactors, acid neutralisation, or heating towers. Nuclear power is the most complicated energy system, requiring uranium mining and the pumping of sulfuric acid into the drills. Another method is through fusion generators, which convert plasma from a fusion reactor into electricity.
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Steam power
Steam engines are the most common way to produce electricity in Factorio. They require boilers, which consume water and fuel. One boiler consumes 1.8MW of fuel and produces energy stored in steam at 100% efficiency. Each steam engine needs 0.5 boilers when running at full capacity, and one boiler can supply two steam engines.
To set up a steam engine, ensure it is connected to the electric system. If not, a small yellow triangle will flash. To fix this, add power poles near the steam engines that lead to machines needing power. Any power pole will work. Next, check that your pipes have water. Look at the windows in the pipes and hover over them. Place some pipes or a tank at the end to see if water is coming through. If not, ensure all pipes or underground pipes are connected.
Steam engines will only generate as much electricity as needed. If you notice the production and consumption charts changing dramatically without any changes to your setup, this is likely because some machines will go idle and stop using power.
To see how much energy is being produced by steam, click on any power pole of your electric network. This will bring up the Electric Network Info GUI, which will display a graph showing the percentage of electrical needs that were satisfied over time. You can also view a plotline showing how much energy came from steam.
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Solar power
Solar panels are a common method of producing electricity in Factorio. They are a top priority source of energy and always work at maximum performance, unless they can cover all the demands of the network, in which case they match the demand. They are free to run but only work during daylight, so they are usually used with accumulators.
The only direct way to measure electricity is the accumulator charge. You can compare the charge from one tick to another to see if you are over or under-producing electricity. You can also compare rolling averages to mitigate random fluctuations. You can measure available power by hooking up all accumulators or multiplying one accumulator by the number of them.
The number of solar panels you need depends on the megawatt requirements of your factory. A "close enough" ratio is 20:24:1 accumulators to solar panels to megawatts required. So, for example, a factory requiring 10 MW can be approximately entirely powered, day and night, by 200 accumulators and 240 solar panels.
It is not possible to directly read power production or demand from an electric network. However, you can get the charge level from an accumulator from the circuit network. You can also use tricks like measuring water and pumps or inserters with counting items.
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Nuclear power
Nuclear reactors operate differently from other power sources in Factorio. Each reactor consumes fuel in fixed units of time, burning a fuel cell completely to release 8GJ of energy. The excess energy can be stored as steam, which can then be used by steam engines or turbines to generate additional power. The most efficient layout for nuclear reactors is an aligned double row, with each reactor providing a heating bonus to neighbouring reactors, resulting in increased heat production. This design allows for scalability and efficient power generation.
To optimize nuclear fuel usage, you can use the circuit network to set up a system that prioritizes the conservation of uranium-235 and uranium-238 for fuel production. This ensures that uranium is only supplied to the assembly machine when the stockpile of nuclear fuel is low, preventing over-production and over-consumption of uranium. Additionally, you can use accumulators, switches, and circuit logic to disable alternative power sources, such as coal boilers, when nuclear systems can cover the demand.
It is important to manage nuclear power carefully due to the risks associated with reactors. If a reactor is destroyed while above 900°C, it will explode with immense force, potentially triggering a chain reaction of explosions. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor the temperature and fuel levels of your reactors to prevent such catastrophic events.
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Frequently asked questions
You can access the Electric Network Info GUI by left-clicking any nearby electric pole.
If you don't have power poles, you can click on the Main Hub where you see the Production menu. There should be a small lightning bolt icon with a power symbol.
You can see the current amount of energy consumed by the network (Satisfaction) and the current energy produced by the network (Production).
If the Satisfaction bar is not full, it means that the machines are consuming more power than is being produced. If the Production bar is full, it means that the machines are consuming all the available energy.
There are several ways to produce electricity in Factorio, including Steam Engines, Solar Panels, Steam Turbines, and Fusion Generators. Steam Power is the first type of electricity you'll unlock, followed by Solar Power, and eventually Nuclear Power.
