Power Guide: Generation, Shafts & Gravity Batteries

Power is the colony’s mechanical energy used to run workshops, pumps, bots, and actuators. Managing generation, transmission, storage and automated distribution is central to colony survival—especially during droughts, badtides, and other seasonal swings.

Basics: units and networks

Power is measured in horsepower (hp). Generators list current output; buildings list consumption. A network functions when total generation >= demand. If demand exceeds supply the network underperforms: buildings run below 100% efficiency or flicker.
A power grid is any connected set of generators, consumers, storage and Power Shafts. Any building connected to the same shaft network shares the same power pool.
When planning, check each building’s hp requirement before construction. As a rule of thumb, plan for 130–150% of expected demand when relying on variable sources (Water Wheels, Wind Turbines).

Generation: what produces power

Generators vary by faction and by whether they are weather/fuel dependent.

Water Wheels (Folktails & Iron Teeth variants)
- Produce power from flowing fluid. Output scales with current speed concentrated under the axle. Place them in narrow, fast channels to maximize flow per wheel.
- Water Wheels are undershot only: they react to horizontal flow beneath the axle. If fluid rises to the axle level, the wheel floods and stops. Channel width matters — narrow channels concentrate flow; multiple adjacent wheels can be used to capture flow in wider rivers.
- Compact Water Wheel: small footprint; useful early/for tight spaces.
- Large Water Wheel: larger and more efficient; requires supports when placed over shallow channels.
- Best practice: design dams/levees to funnel flow into single-tile-wide channels for maximum output.
Wind Turbines (Folktails only)
- Produce variable power based on wind strength and season. Large Wind Turbine has a high peak (up to 300 hp) and an average output around 144 hp; however output can drop to zero in calm periods.
- Wind power is drought-proof and pairs well with Gravity Batteries to buffer calm periods.
Engines / Steam / Geothermal / Aquifer Drills (Iron Teeth)
- Engine: constant output (200 hp) while burning logs. Engines do not consume fuel if the connected grid has zero need. Sustaining engines full-time requires a dedicated logging operation.
- Geothermal Engine: placed on Geothermal Fields; provides steady power (useful long-term, no fuel) and is ideal when available.
- Aquifer Drills: provide power when placed on Aquifers (400 hp for normal, 200 hp for Ancient variant) and also produce fluids during Temperate seasons.
Power Wheels / Large Power Wheels
- Beaver-powered treadmills produce power that scales with assigned beaver movement speed. Base Power Wheel is ~50 hp; Large Power Wheel stronger (can reach higher with movement speed bonuses).
- They require worker assignment and sacrifice those beavers’ productivity elsewhere; use as emergency or very early-game power.

Storage: Gravity Batteries

Gravity Battery is the game’s mechanical energy storage. It lifts a heavy weight with excess power and releases energy by lowering it when generation is insufficient.
Base storage depends on build height. A typical Gravity Battery on flat ground stores 4,000 hp; with deep placement under the lifting weight the maximum possible per battery can reach tens of thousands of hp (practical max when built at the highest allowable foot and with the terrain under the weight at the lowest map level is large—design accordingly).
Gravity Batteries start fully charged because the lifting weight is built at its highest position. They are essential to smooth seasonal variability (wind/water) and are recommended in multiples (a working guideline: at least two batteries per active Water Wheel cluster).
Use Gravity Batteries to size backup power for droughts: calculate essential daily hp demand (water pumps + food processing) and provide enough stored hp to cover the expected drought length.

Power Shafts transmit mechanical power across distances. Horizontal Power Shafts connect at the same elevation; Vertical Power Shafts (research unlocked) allow vertical transmission between levels.
Shafts automatically connect to nearby networks and rotate visually according to the ratio of supply to demand (rotation speed indicates how full the network is).
Many buildings can share power when stacked or connected; check building-specific sharing behavior (some share only from particular faces or levels).
Plan shaft routes conservatively: although shafts can be reworked more easily in recent updates, long single-location clustering of generators creates single points of failure. Distribute generation across the map and connect via shafts for redundancy.

Control and automation

Clutches are controllable switches in shaft networks. When disengaged they isolate parts of the grid. Use Clutches to segment your grid (e.g., disconnect non-essential industry during drought) and to automate prioritization.
Connect Clutches to sensors (Depth Sensors, Relays, OR/AND logic) to implement cascading shutdowns: as conditions worsen, low-priority districts are automatically cut off, preserving power for water and food systems.
Use hysteresis patterns (two sensors with offset thresholds) to avoid rapid on/off cycling of Clutches and actuators.

Ironbots (Iron Teeth) — electric worker considerations

Ironbots are mechanical workers that recharge at Charging Stations and draw their energy from the colony’s power grid. Charging Stations require a constant power connection and draw power continuously even when idle.
Each Charging Station can charge only one Ironbot at a time. To avoid queue delays, build roughly one station per 2–3 Ironbots and distribute stations near work areas.
The Idle draw from many stations can be substantial; include Charging Station idle consumption in your power budget.

Practical strategies and common mistakes

Early game: transition away from Power Wheels to Water Wheels as soon as flowing water is available. Water Wheels provide free power without tying up beavers.
Redundancy: distribute generators across locations rather than centralizing everything. Floods, contamination, and seasonal effects can otherwise cripple your colony.
Drought planning: before drought, close all Floodgates, maximize reservoir/water tank capacity, and build enough Gravity Battery capacity to cover essential systems for the expected drought duration. During droughts, use Clutches/automation to shut down non-essential districts.
Fuel vs renewable trade-offs (Iron Teeth): Engines provide stable, drought-proof power but consume logs. Maintain dedicated foresters and lumberjacks (recommended planting/logging ratios) if you rely on Engines. Geothermal Engines or Aquifer Drills are preferable when available.
Overbuilding: do not build heavy industry before ensuring sufficient generation and storage. An unpowered factory wastes resources and space.
Optimization tips for Water Wheels: narrow, shallow channels with concentrated flow and properly placed dams/levees maximize current. Use terrain supports and platforms to position wheels and create long, straight canals in the late game for huge output.
Buffer sizing: when using variable generators, aim for generation capacity > demand and Gravity Battery capacity large enough to bridge calm/dry periods. Practical planning: sum the hp deficit over working hours to estimate storage needs.

Numbers and quick references

Power Wheel (single beaver): base ~50 hp (scales with beaver Movement Speed modifiers).
Engine (Iron Teeth): 200 hp, consumes logs when the grid requires power.
Large Wind Turbine: peak up to 300 hp, average roughly 144 hp (variable by wind).
Water Wheel: output scales with flow; top-class Water Wheels can produce up to ~180 hp in ideal flow setups (use narrow channels to approach max).
Gravity Battery: typical flat-ground capacity around 4,000 hp; maximum per-battery capacity increases with build height and terrain below (very large when placed at map-top with deep clearance).
Aquifer Drill: provides 400 hp (Ancient variant 200 hp) plus fluids when on Aquifer.
Planning multiplier for variable sources: build 130–150% generation relative to expected demand.

Keep power architecture modular, automate priority switching with Clutches and sensors, store surplus in Gravity Batteries, and match generation choices to your faction’s strengths (Wind + batteries for Folktails; Water + Engines/Geothermal for Iron Teeth). Properly designed, your power network will keep pumps, food, and factories running through whatever Timberborn’s seasons throw at you.