[Spaceships] Query: Area of a Solar Panel Array

[DaltonS]

Originally Posted by Ejidoth

A fixed area per ton would be more realistic, but you can run into problems if you try to work out realism for Spaceships solar arrays, as they seem to be implausibly efficient.

Given that, using the SM+3 that's used for targeting them seems like the most workable compromise, since it will prevent contradictions with other game mechanics.

Probably closer to one half the square of that length rather than the full square of that length, though, for area: remember, when converting SM to surface area, that the default assumption for SM 0 is a human-ish target that's at least twice as tall as it is wide.

Okay, lets go with that. My SM+11 Martian “Gas” Station has three Solar Panel Arrays (one won't cut it at 1.5 AU) which have an SM+14 targeting modifier. That corresponds with a 1,500 foot length. Squaring that and multiplying by 3/2 gets me 3,375,000 square feet or 77.47934 acres. Wow, talk about a solar farm! Keeping it dusted would be … very hard!

Dalton “And think of the Windex!” Spence