How to power your base in Subnautica 2

Power management is an important aspect of Subnautica 2. Without power in your underwater base, you won’t have oxygen and all your crafting machines will cease to be operable.

Here’s how to power up your base and keep it powered.

Solar panels

When building your base, the first thing you need is a solar panel — this should be placed on the rooftop exterior of your base.

• Solar panel energy output – 1-8 energy/sec
• Optimal energy output – 8 energy/sec
• Optimal nighttime output – 4 energy/sec

Solar panels are best built as close to the water’s surface as possible.

You can place multiple of the same power source to increase your overhead.

When close to your base, you will see a circle at the top left of your HUD, which shows power coming in (in blue) and power going out (in red). These numbers fluctuate based on a bunch of different factors. Power draw can go up as you craft and use machines, and incoming power can change based on time of day.

As you’d expect, solar panels don’t output as well during the night. That’s where alternative power sources come in.

Hydroelectric turbines

Hydroelectric turbines kick out double the power of a solar panel and do not reduce capacity at night time. However, they have to be placed in a strong water current — you can identify these by wavy wind tunnels dotted around that pull you through them if you swim into them.

• Hydroelectric turbine energy output – 12 energy/sec

Unlike other power sources, the hydroelectric turbine keeps a steady income and doesn’t fluctuate.

You can place more than one hydroelectric turbine inside a current, but you also need to use power transmitters to carry the power back to your base. Think of these as power lines, carrying the electricity. You have to create a chain of them until you reach your base, with the final transmitter placed on the exterior of your base like the image below.

Bioreactors

There are also interior power facilities such as the bioreactor. This needs to be placed inside a room inside your base and must be kept topped up with organic matter — plants or fish.

• Bioreactor power output – 1-20 energy/sec
• Optimal power output – 10 energy/sec
• Overcharged power output – 20 energy/sec

You can also overcharge a bioreactor to make up for a temporary power shortage. This will double its power output to 20 but increase the speed it burns through organic matter — handy for boosting your power during the night when solar panels are working at reduced capacity.