The Energon Pub

Forgive me if this has been discussed before -

Why don't the Transformers use solar power as a source of energy for themselves? Even on Cybertron, they could have collected it. Has this been explained in the comics or cartoons?

IIRC, in the comics Cybertron didn't orbit a star, it was wandering through space. The Ark was launched to clear the way through a meteor shower that Cybertron was going to pass through.

In the cartoon, not sure. I don't recall ever seeing a sun on Cybertron's horizon.

Big Oil Lobbyists...

Optimus Prime may be a master tactician on the battlefield, but his BS detector isn't so hot.

I have no idea. other than oil lobbyists?

I wrote a fic where they did use Photo voltaic panels all over their buildings to collect energy. Having a photo-voltaic dermis might be good for a transformer if he starts having a critical need for energy. With that said, some panels, more notably the lower end ones, will not work properly if part of it is in shadow.

Now I think about it, Starscream, in a fic I just wrote, used a reflecitve dish to concentrate solar heat energy into a cube, which was a survival tactic.

So, it could work, but not as a primary source of energy. Transformes move around and would burn more energy than they would produce in the best conditons. But it does give enertaining images of Decepticons at the beach bitching at each other to keep out of thier sun.

i was thining earlyer about how energon must be some kind of radiation/neclior energy - i wont pretend to know anything about it but surely they mine some kind of space plutonium on cybertron, neather oil nor solor energy would be enouth to fuel them especialy some of the big guns (megatrons fusion cannon)

Don't go blaming GB Blackrock, Snarl has been using Solar Panels on his back for years.

ponycorn wrote:Don't go blaming GB Blackrock, Snarl has been using Solar Panels on his back for years.

Snarl is also borderline retarded.

Stormrider wrote:Forgive me if this has been discussed before -

Why don't the Transformers use solar power as a source of energy for themselves? Even on Cybertron, they could have collected it. Has this been explained in the comics or cartoons?

In the G1 episode "The master builders" Grapple and Hoist build a solar power collector...

Credit goes to...

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/archive/i ... 16246.html

Submitted By: The_ONE

THE MASTER BUILDERS



Powerglide is attacked by the Starscream and Thundercracker, he puts up a good fight, but finally he crashlands. Grapple develops a Solar Tower, this tower will be able to produce large quantities of energy out of sunlight. Optimus Prime is impressed, but he is against building one, it would be to vulnerable for a Decepticon attack. Teletran One reports Powerglides troubles and Optimus Prime sends Grapple and Hoist to repair Powerglide. After repairing Powerglide Hoist and Grapple discuss Grapples plan, the Constructicons overhear them talking. The Constructicons attack and capture the two Autobots, Scrapper doesn't finish them off. He tells them that the Constructions have deserted the Decepticons and that they will help Grapple to built the tower. Grapple demands proof of their desertion, Scrapper agrees and frees them again. Back in Decepticon headquarters Megatron questions the Constructicons about this betrayel. Scrapper tells him that it was a list to get the designs of the tower. Megatron gives them energon to convince Grapple. The Constructicons head back to the two Autobots and convince them with the energon. Together they start building the Solar Tower, they are noticed by Powerglide who informs Optimus Prime. The tower is almost finished: Devastator helps Grapple to place the last part. Then the Decepticons attack Grapple and Hoist. The Autobots arrive some time later and attack. Thanks to Smokescreen the Autobots manage to make Devastator fall through the tower. The Decepticons retreat and the Autobots start searching the rubble in search for Grapple and Hoist. Finally they find them, Grapple and Hoist give offer apologies, Optimus Prime excepts them. He orders them back to base and tells them to clean up the rubble the next day.

In the G1 episode "The master builders" Grapple and Hoist build a solar power collector...

Ah yes, and Optimus won't approve the project because the Decepticons could possibly get their hands on it.

And yet in the next episode, they help the humans build and test a giant death ray...which is promptly stolen by the Decepticons.

Izanami wrote:

In the G1 episode "The master builders" Grapple and Hoist build a solar power collector...

Ah yes, and Optimus won't approve the project because the Decepticons could possibly get their hands on it.

And yet in the next episode, they help the humans build and test a giant death ray...which is promptly stolen by the Decepticons.

Priorities!...Solar power=bad! Death rays=Good!

Sledge wrote:IIRC, in the comics Cybertron didn't orbit a star, it was wandering through space. The Ark was launched to clear the way through a meteor shower that Cybertron was going to pass through.

In the cartoon, not sure. I don't recall ever seeing a sun on Cybertron's horizon.

Your right about the comics.

Solar power might work on Earth, but they travel all over the galaxy. Some planets they go might not have enought sunlight to keep them functioning. But who knows, they might make a hippyformer who runs on sunlight and hemp with an old beat up VW van alt mode.

There was also the G1 episode called "Changing Gears" and the Decepticons made a solar "needle" as they called it to draw power directly from the sun.

That's a good question!! They should use something like that more often though.

You'd think a super advanced race of giants robots would figure out a power source that they don't have to go hunting for.

Even if Cybertron DOES drift randomly through space, the Transformers have warp machines!! They could just zip to the nearest star and set up solar farms like the ones here on Earth.

I know I've said it before...and I STILL can't remember where I heard it - but I believe it was stated at some point that the movie TF "feed" off ambient energy in their environment, one could probabaly assume this includes solar / UV possibly via some form of photo-voltic or heat transfer process (maybe??)

Sentry Prime wrote:I know I've said it before...and I STILL can't remember where I heard it - but I believe it was stated at some point that the movie TF "feed" off ambient energy in their environment, one could probabaly assume this includes solar / UV possibly via some form of photo-voltic or heat transfer process (maybe??)

Maybe...

if they did theyed constantly run out of energy at night and look like this

Wheelimus Prime wrote:if they did theyed constantly run out of energy at night and look like this

Hahahaha!! That's true.
Although they could use more than one source. Whichever is more convienient at the time.

Have it,just not in the sense that we know it. Generators,backups..
but not on themselves..unless swoop...

But as body structures...it a minus in battle. Decepts..well..
autobots...yas never saw them...matter of function. Cybertron..
all the gaps....gen stations...either...take what...blow it...
Logical..... .

GremlinGrimlock wrote:Have it,just not in the sense that we know it. Generators,backups..
but not on themselves..unless swoop...

But as body structures...it a minus in battle. Decepts..well..
autobots...yas never saw them...matter of function. Cybertron..
all the gaps....gen stations...either...take what...blow it...
Logical..... .

What?

he he solarprime he gets his powers from a yellow sun hmm.
why ask about just one power sorce the could be solar, gyro, nuclear,powerd transformer nuclear would be quite cool but they would need a way to cool the rods unless they where a aquatic transformer
you could count out hydro power because they would need to be stationary primaraly for that. solar power has to many draw backs to be used on something as mobile as a transformer you would have to have the panels placed so they where facing the sky in both modes. i think a cool way would be fusion by resperation but that would not work in outerspace or any where there is not a element in the atmosphere that would react. nuclear transformers mom can i get a transformer no dear it will give you cancer.

There's really been no reason given why the don't use solar power. You'd think if they would set up solar power 'farms', either on a planet or in space, they could fill up a lot of energon cubes, with very little effort expended. Especially if they kept quiet about it, and didn't let the other side know of it's location.

MagnusPrimal wrote:There's really been no reason given why the don't use solar power. You'd think if they would set up solar power 'farms', either on a planet or in space, they could fill up a lot of energon cubes, with very little effort expended. Especially if they kept quiet about it, and didn't let the other side know of it's location.

Well it would make for an abundant power source yes but solar power is still turned into steam power or other means to turn the generators etc...also you need vast solar arrays covering many acres or miles of land or in this case space but it would make for a large and tempting target for any decepticons ( evil plan formulating ) that either want to steal it or obliterate it.

It would obviously have to be heavily defended.

***Galvatron*** wrote:

MagnusPrimal wrote:There's really been no reason given why the don't use solar power. You'd think if they would set up solar power 'farms', either on a planet or in space, they could fill up a lot of energon cubes, with very little effort expended. Especially if they kept quiet about it, and didn't let the other side know of it's location.

Well it would make for an abundant power source yes but solar power is still turned into steam power or other means to turn the generators etc...also you need vast solar arrays covering many acres or miles of land or in this case space but it would make for a large and tempting target for any decepticons ( evil plan formulating ) that either want to steal it or obliterate it.

It would obviously have to be heavily defended.

Not if you accept the premise that Cybertronian tech is much more advanced than Terran tech, and their solar absortion devices would be much smaller and more efficient. Heck, look at what they did with Grapple's tower! Have a few of those, hidden, do it quietly, no fuss, no muss, you've got a nice little energy source that no one knows about!

I don't think it has to do with the solar panels, Hoist's idea amplified the sun's energy. Making it something the 'Cons wanted, given that I'd say the solar plants just didn't generate enough energy to make them useful like a dam or oil rig.

On the flip side,

The Constructicons were there to build it, and it was them who brought the energy and materials to create the first one, why not just build another at an other location? Guess that just would have made too much sense.