Welcome to the RealBattery Wiki!

RealBattery is a realism-oriented plugin that changes how electric power works in Kerbal Space Program. In stock KSP, Electric Charge (EC) is treated as a simple, instantly available pool of energy. Once you have enough EC in your vessel, any system can draw from it at any rate, without limitation. This makes electricity feel more like a passive resource than a real engineering concern.

Philosophy

In reality, electricity flows. Devices don't just "use up" stored energy — they draw power, and the source must be able to deliver it fast enough. Batteries, capacitors, solar panels, and other systems all have specific limits not only on how much energy they hold, but also on how quickly they can provide it.

RealBattery introduces this concept into KSP. It adds a layer of realism and depth to spacecraft design and energy management by modeling both energy capacity and power output.

This brings meaningful consequences to mission planning: a spacecraft that stores enough energy may still fail if it can't deliver power quickly enough when demand spikes (e.g. during ion-engine ignition, attitude control, or night-time operations).

Core Differences from Stock

Stock KSP	RealBattery
EC is instantly available	EC is limited by per-part output rate
No energy delivery simulation	Power flow is simulated per battery
EC storage = energy + power	Separated: SC = stored energy, EC = available power
Design is about "how much EC"	Design must consider "how much" and "how fast"
All batteries are generic	Batteries have distinct characteristics and tech levels

What It Changes

• Electric Charge becomes a dynamic resource: it can fluctuate based on how much power is being delivered/consumed, not just stored.
• StoredCharge tracks actual energy reserves, while Electric Charge reflects moment-to-moment power delivery.
• Battery design, solar array planning, and redundancy become key gameplay considerations.
• Different battery types behave differently, reflecting real-world chemistry and usage.