Hidden solar panels

Quote from Heiselberg

I'm going to make a new base in SMP. I got plenty of everything after a month gathering ressources, crafting solar cells and vice versa.
I'm thinking about building a casual home on the surface and then have a big underground base with all machines, farms, some nice redstone contraptions etc.

My problem is that most of my power source is from solar panels, and they aren't quite easy to hide from surface view.

I was thinking I could cover them up with non-opaque blocks (like torches, glass and reinf. glass to mention a few), but that doesn't work very well.

I guess the solar panels work this way; they need to be in direct sunlight with light level 15. Am I right?

If you guys have any suggestions, feel free to comment below.

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Direct Sunlight = light level 15

But yeah, basically they need to see the sky and it should not be raining. They obviously don't work at night. Based on the mods you use there are other ways of producing energy in caves.

Try slabs, maybe. They are transparent blocks, but I'm not sure if the code is "no blocks above solar panel" or "no opaque blocks above solar panel". Considering that you can cover solars in glass and they still work, I'm pretty sure that a slab would work too. However, I suggest that soon you move to nuclear if you live in an underground cave.

Solar panels arent meant to be used underground i mean did you ever see someone placing solar panels in a cave in reallife?....Switch to nuclear or water power.

Quote from Rick

Solar panels arent meant to be used underground i mean did you ever see someone placing solar panels in a cave in reallife?....Switch to nuclear or water power.

Hes putting the solar panel Above the cavern base not inside, he want a way to hide the solar panels above.

But yeah its not posible, any block you place will most likely block the view from the sky condition.

Quote from FenixR

Hes putting the solar panel Above the cavern base not inside, he want a way to hide the solar panels above.

But yeah its not posible, any block you place will most likely block the view from the sky condition.

I didnt mention cavern i just said you cannot place them underground. Any block except glass stops the energy production. Using glass isnt exactly 'hidden'

Quote from Rick

I didnt mention cavern i just said you cannot place them underground. Any block except glass stops the energy production. Using glass isnt exactly 'hidden'

Well this is minecraft so logic doesnt necessary apply every time...

You could build a pretty big mountain but leave the top uncovered.

If you have Power Converters and teleport pipes installed, you can create a solar relay area at a really high elevation. Then, thru EU-MJ conversion, use teleport pipes to teleport that energy to your base. There will be some losses here and there, so you might want to hook the panels to a Batbox, and then convert that outputing energy into the teleport pipe system...

Not very efficient, but it increases the level of security of your base dramatically with said energy usage, lol...

Edit: Since all of those are add-on's for the mods you already have, you may have to ask the server admin to allow this, though..

If I had red power I wood put them in a tree and run a tin cable down the trunk with RP2 cover plates/strips (surrounding the cable, it would be a bit larger than a regular block but could be quite stealthy).

Or you could have a charging station where you have a set of MSFUs that are filled by solar panels then you can carry lapatron crystals to and from.

Quote from bbqroast

If I had red power I wood put them in a tree and run a tin cable down the trunk with RP2 cover plates/strips (surrounding the cable, it would be a bit larger than a regular block but could be quite stealthy).

Or you could have a charging station where you have a set of MSFUs that are filled by solar panels then you can carry lapatron crystals to and from.

hmm... there's an idea. grow a RP2 rubber tree at the top and run the tin cable straight down the middle of the trunk (no need for covers, the things are 3x3) and the panels themselves in the tree itself.
would be obvious from the top but from the bottom or side it shouldn't be too bad.

Quote from Ook

hmm... there's an idea. grow a RP2 rubber tree at the top and run the tin cable straight down the middle of the trunk (no need for covers, the things are 3x3) and the panels themselves in the tree itself.
would be obvious from the top but from the bottom or side it shouldn't be too bad.

That's a rather cool idea, but a lone tree is suspicious, better plant some more. So really... forget about solar-flowers, solar-trees are the next generation

Quote from Bluehorazon

That's a rather cool idea, but a lone tree is suspicious, better plant some more. So really... forget about solar-flowers, solar-trees are the next generation

Or use one of the tree's in a forest

Actually, that RP2 Rubber Tree idea ain't bad. I think I'll use it once the whole config bug is worked out with Advanced Machines.

Quote from ultimate_omega

Actually, that RP2 Rubber Tree idea ain't bad. I think I'll use it once the whole config bug is worked out with Advanced Machines.

Im also tempted to do that now

Just tested it:
RP2 microblocks are transparent for this matter. You can place as many layers of them above the solar panels as you want.

When I made a secret base on my old server, I made a very long skylight from my energy room to the surface and planted a dense forest around the hole. After the trees grew, I cleared out the leaves that would block the sunlight and then I was done. The only people who ever found my base were told it's location and shown the secret lake bed entrance. It was eventually greifed and destroyed, but only because I was too friendly and insisted all trades occurred at my base. Being the main supplier for the server (I knew all the (at the time) secret recipes), I was bound to accidently invite a greifer in at some point.