Power Shutoff

Power Shutoff is an automation building used to interrupt an electrical wire segment when it receives a green signal. It is one of the simplest ways to make a power grid respond to automation, allowing sections of a circuit to be enabled or disabled without duplicant intervention. Like other automation-controlled buildings, it fits naturally into systems meant to reduce micromanagement and save both time and power.

A Power Shutoff can be paired with an automation output building such as an Atmo Sensor, letting it switch on and off automatically based on environmental conditions. It can also be controlled by other automation devices in the same way, so it is commonly used wherever a circuit needs to be gated by a sensor or logic condition. Power Transformers and Large Power Transformers can also be used in similar setups, and they are often already placed in useful positions for routing and control.

A few practical points make it especially convenient:

• It continues to function while entombed or submerged, so it remains reliable in cramped or flooded areas.
• It is useful for cutting power to a section of a base when that section does not need to run continuously.
• It works well in fully automated systems, where Duplicant input is removed to conserve time and energy.
• Because it is a straightforward on/off control point, it is often placed between a power source and the machines or subgrid that need regulation.

The building also has a notable sound behavior: its activation and deactivation sound changes pitch depending on the length of the automation wire connected to it. Each additional wire length lowers the note by one semitone, which makes it possible to use Power Shutoff devices as part of simple music-box style contraptions.