I've been building power generators here and there, then I started to wonder if having certain settlements dependent on multiple units is inefficient.

I would prefer to build one massive generator that could power a settlement all by itself instead of having to build generator chains.

Also, I don't think it's practical to have a fuel driven generator to power settlements.

If you run out of the fuel, no power!

Nuclear would be preferable.

Just as long as they don't try to pinch my fusion cores for the generators, I need them to run my power armor.......

Go Green and harness the Power of Nature with a Windmill

The large generator used nuclear material, it however only provide 10 electricity.

Yes its scales horrible, the small one is pretty realistic its an portable generator capable of powering a few things.

The medium is 6-8 times larger and can only provide 5 power or 2 more, yes its still cheaper than 2 small.

An obvious mod item would be an larger one with high capacity like 50 or 100 but it would be far more expensive to build.

Ok heres my question, whats the point of the windmill? Didnt look at its costs to closely, but it seemed to require lots of different material, for a very low return in power. Are they more resistant to damage?

It looks really cool and doesn't make an annoying loud engine sound, but that's about it. I built one to decorate the top of a building. I'll probably build a few more on other buildings. The lack of engine noise is a pretty huge advantage IMO.

Of the three mods I've installed, one reduces generator and turret sound volume to 10%. Were I on console, unable to utilize early mods, I'd probably build a lot more windmills just to avoid the annoying sound. I also use a mod to break the town object limit and another to recolor combat armor from ugly slightly yellowed white to a stylish metallic dark grey. Yay mods!

Don't build them in the middle of your settlement. Pylons exist for a reason. I have 3 large generators powering the entirety of my sanctuary down by the river, out of the way.

Also mods can be pretty dangerous atm so I'd avoid anything that messes with scripts.

Yeah, I have my generators out of the way currently. Of course, stringing wires for distance takes a fair amount of copper which I've run out of a few times (finding the statue book to build copper statues didn't help). Building sheds for biggest generator is a pain...and I refuse to just build generators outside in the open. Windmills avoid all that and look cool. Of course, it's all an aesthetic advantage. There is no tangible benefit to windmills.

As for mods, none of the three mods I mentioned are dangerous .esp files imported from Skyrim. Those are the big problem. The generator/turret sound dampener is just a sound asset modification. Combat armor recolor is just a texture. The object limit breaking mod is just a text file of console commands that you can run as a console batch file. They're all safe. Of course if you go crazy and build too many objects for your system to handle, crashing and slowdowns will result... but I'm doing fine so far.

It was just a friendly warning I use a few mods myself. Namely the listed dialogue one.

Definitely good to get out the word about those messy converted .esp mods! I expect those will get safer as people figure things out though. I might chance a few after I finish all the major plotlines if they add more settlement stuff. I've already seen a mod that adds buildable planter boxes... the temptation will be too much!

Like current power systems, your major cost in a centralized power system is the cost of distribution....copper is NOT cheap.

Particularly when copper prices are driven up by a demand for more statues and lightboard signs.

I put a simple lightbar BAR sign yesterday... the prices was huge between the many lightboards, wires, poles, and four medium generators (couldn't use 2 large because the generators had to fit in a single-high house that acts as my nearby generator shed). Seriously...why do lightboards eat an entire unit of power each!? It should be tenth of that maybe! Regular lights are brighter than lightboards... geez... but the people wanted 'one of those stylish old timey neon signs' so I did the best I could.

I've grab everything with copper I can... from the wastes, from vendors, from scrapping some weapons. Copper goes fast the way I build.. oh yeah, and I found a magazine that gave me new types of fancy lights. Copper is now more valuable than 2mm EC cartridges! My priorities are skewed....

I think they look awesome lol