Low-maintenance or maintenance-free solar alternatives?

[Matthew83]

SC tree farm > line of sawmills > solid fuel LP36 boiler = all MJ needs satisfied.

Once boiler gets up to temp you will very quickly be swimming in excess wood, so :

Planks > array of IC generators > MFSU = 10 EU/t x however many generators you have.

We have a wall of 50 generators taking the excess wood = 500 EU/t 24/7. Taking into account night time cycle and rain, that's way more than what a HV array will produce and can be knocked up in about 15 mins assuming you have a reasonable supply of tin and iron (+ some copper, rubber, cobble and a bit of redstone). If your boiler is running on solids there is simply no point in making a steam turbine as you're just adding about 3 extra steps into the process to get the same end result (not to mention the crazy amount of steel needed for the rotor and the babysitting for when it breaks every other day).

Really nice setup! I've been hooked on lava for a long while and I've been thinking about something similar to this just to be different.

 

[Dafuq?]

Personally, I'd love to see water mills and windmills become multiblock machines, like steam turbines. I'd love to set up a huge hydroelectric plant full of 6x6x6 watermills.

This. Or even better, some contraption where you have to direct flowing water onto giant wheels, which would then turn and power a generator block, something like a water version of RP2 windmills. Basically, a real water mill.

 

[Chocorate]

This. Or even better, some contraption where you have to direct flowing water onto giant wheels, which would then turn and power a generator block, something like a water version of RP2 windmills. Basically, a real water mill.

This is freaking genius. Like, it'd be maybe a 3x3x3 cube with the middle cut out to make a wheel-like shape.. and then the middle would have the block that's powered? Anyway, I'd love this. I'd also like to see windmills accept blocks around them and let us build around it for a more aesthetic machine than a uh... cube.. on a giant cable pole..

 

[Dafuq?]

Like, it'd be maybe a 3x3x3 cube with the middle cut out to make a wheel-like shape.. and then the middle would have the block that's powered?

Yeah that's exactly what I meant! Wouldn't necessarily have to be in the middle though, the more customizeable, the better...

I'd also like to see windmills accept blocks around them and let us build around it for a more aesthetic machine than a uh... cube.. on a giant cable pole..

I usually compromise on efficiency a bit in favor of half-decent looks, but you're right, it would be nice if there was no penalty as long as one side is completely open to the wind.