First of all, hello everyone on this forum. Just created account, but was into IC since 5.xx (IIRC) version. English is't my native, so excuse me any spelling errors, please.
Matter that made me to create topic is about "price" for getting same amounts of Solar and Nuclear energy.
For example, a simple Mark I-O (B) reactor with 3 efficency, giving 60 EU\t, using 1 Reactor Chamber and surrounded by water (25 blocks):
To create this installation, you will need following materials in total:
- 32 Rubber
- 171 Copper Ignot
- 16 Tin Ignot
- 80 Iron Ignot
- 32 Redstone Dust
- 8 Cobblestone
- 10 Glowstone Dust
- 10 Lapiz Lazuli
And you will need a breeder and/or 4 Uranim per full cycle (4 MC days, as i understood?)
For the same 60 EU\t You will need 60 Solar Panels and 2 Batboxes (2 Solar Flowers of 30 panels each, using template from this forum, for i.e.), which will require following in total:
- 140 Rubber
- 130 Copper Ignot
- 264 Tin Ignot
- 580 Iron Ignot
- 132 Redstone Dust
- 580 Cobblestone
- 160 Coal
- 160 Sand
I am not even counting energy/time you will need to create both, because Solar way will get much longer. And, if to count that Solar power is "active" only 1/2 of MC day, you can double required resources to maintain stable 60 EU\t from it. Nuclear Power is a LOT cheaper, easier and faster to create, then any other source of energy. Which made me to totally "throw away" solar panels, wind and water generators. Only Geothermal Generators could match Nuclear power in very short term, since you could use Nether for Lava Cells.
Currently best way is: 1 Geothermal Generator, 1 Macerator, 1 Electronic Furnace, 1 Compressor -> Mark I-O (B) Nuclear Reactor -> Profit.
TL/DR: My point (question?) is - don't you think, that such cheap and easy to acquire energy makes 1/3 (other types of generators) of IC2 kinda absolutely useless?