Power Runtime Calculator
Estimate a directly connected battery's outage runtime with 5 × charge ÷ downstream devices = seconds. The default unpowered period is 270 seconds.
Every device drains 1 charge per 5 seconds
Default settings use a 270-second night. Change this for custom world settings or a measured outage.
Quick Ref
Worked examples
Early base: one Industrial Battery
An Industrial Battery has 100 charge. One device drains one charge every five seconds, so one device runs for 500 seconds. Two devices run for 250 seconds, which fails the default 270-second unpowered period by 20 seconds.
Practical fix: keep the refrigerator or charger on its own backup line, or upgrade before adding a second always-on device.
Mid-game base: Carbon Battery margin
A Carbon Battery has 350 charge. Four downstream devices last 437 seconds, leaving a 167-second margin against a standard night. That margin is enough for routine variance, but it is not a reason to keep adding devices to the same cable.
Practical fix: use the margin as an alarm threshold. If a fifth or sixth device is needed, split the circuit first.
Formula and source scope
The official Wiki documents one charge lost every five seconds per downstream device, the standard 270-second night, and capacities of 50, 100, 350, and 700 for Makeshift, Industrial, Carbon, and Quantum batteries. The calculator applies those values directly; it does not infer hidden efficiency or simulate series wiring.
Abiotic Factor is updated over time. If the game or cited mechanics page changes, treat the result as a planning estimate until the calculator data is rechecked.
Common mistakes this avoids
- Counting only visible appliances and forgetting that batteries wired in series also become downstream drain points.
- Treating a one-night survival result as stable after adding more devices to the same cable path.
- Using a single backup line for cold storage, chargers, and crafting benches when only one category needs overnight power.
How to use the result in a real base
Treat the safety margin as a routing signal, not just a pass/fail number. A negative margin means the line needs an immediate fix: remove a downstream device, add capacity, or split the cable before the next outage. A small positive margin can still be risky if the same branch powers food storage and a charger, because the next device added during a busy crafting session may silently erase the buffer.
For early Office Sector bases, keep the first Industrial Battery tied to the device that matters most overnight. Refrigeration is usually a better backup target than a workbench, because spoiled food creates a recovery problem while an unpowered bench only delays crafting. Mid-game bases can afford wider circuits, but the cleaner habit is still to group devices by consequence: cold storage, chargers, defenses, and convenience stations should not all depend on one cable path.
If the calculator says the setup survives with less than a minute of margin, mark that circuit for inspection after each expansion. That threshold gives enough time to notice a weak branch before a later upgrade creates a confusing failure where some devices drain power but the player cannot remember which cable changed.
What the calculator does not simulate
- It does not model every branch in a large base. Enter the devices downstream from the battery being checked, not every powered object in the facility.
- It does not judge whether two batteries are wired in a sensible topology. If a battery is downstream from another battery, count that downstream relationship before trusting the result.
- It does not replace a post-patch check. When the cited mechanics page changes, the formula should be reviewed before using the tool for high-value storage or defense circuits.