Generator (Fallout 4)

Generators are settlement objects in Fallout 4 and its add-ons Vault-Tec Workshop and Wasteland Workshop. Generators are used to produce power in a settlement.

Characteristics
Generators are required to produce electricity for settlements. Once a generator has been constructed, it is necessary to connect it with copper wires to a power grid to harness its power. The power can then be used to power other settlement objects such as lights, turrets, water purifiers and other utilities.

The base game includes four types of generators; three other types are added through add-ons.

Windmill
This generator is silent but is noticeably more expensive in the power-to-cost ratio.

Small, medium and large generators
Those noisy generators appear to produce power through the combustion of some sort of fuel. The large generator may have nuclear as a secondary form of power generation, as it requires nuclear material to build, unlike the other two. They are the cheapest source of electricity for settlements of small and average size.

The small and medium generators are the only generators to easily fit inside regular wooden structures.

Fusion reactor
This reactor was introduced by the Wasteland Workshop add-on. It is a near-silent power source. It provides 100 units of power, 10 times as much as the large generator, its closest contender.

The fusion generator is a fusion powered electric generator that uses a fusion core to produce electricity. Its appearance and animations are identical to the fusion generators found throughout the Commonwealth. Despite this, it is not possible to have the generator interact with fusion cores in any way, neither for recharging cores nor slotting them in as additional power source. Unlike the fusion generators found around the wasteland, player built fusion generators do not have the light above the main control panel.

Fusion generators can be shut down and powered back up by pressing upon the fusion core in the main panel. This type of generator can be found at some buildings across the commonwealth.

Vault-Tec reactor
This reactor was introduced by the Vault-Tec Workshop add-on. The production of this virtually silent reactor represents a 50% increase over the fusion generator. However, it requires more resources and requires much more open space in settlements.

The Vault-Tec reactor has the ability to power floors and walls that have direct connection to it even without cables. The power can be used by attaching an electrical outlet on the connected wall.

Despite its appearance, the reactor's underside, which looks like part of the flooring, is vulnerable to damage from under it, so you may want to avoid using the reactor's underside as a ceiling in places which may be attacked by enemies.

Vault Star super-reactor
The Vault Star super-reactor (named Vault-Tec super-reactor in game) was introduced by the Vault-Tec Workshop add-on. The Vault-Tec super-reactor greatly surpasses the fusion generator as the greatest source of energy available. It is virtually silent as well; these advantages come at a cost, however. The reactor takes up a large amount of space, much more than the fusion generator, and requires many parts to build.

Even though the Vault-Tec super reactor gives 5 times more power than the fusion generator, it costs 8.3 times more nuclear material to build. Like its smaller variant, it has the ability to send power through floors and walls of the vault variant of materials. Likewise, the reactor's underside 'floor' is vulnerable to damage which can knock the reactor out if hit enough times.

Crafting

 * Small generator


 * Medium generator


 * Large generator


 * Windmill generator


 * Fusion generator

This item is limited to Vault 88 until Overseer Barstow chooses her path at the end of the quest Lady Luck.
 * Vault-Tec reactor

This item is limited to Vault 88 until Overseer Barstow chooses her path at the end of the quest Lady Luck.
 * Vault Star super-reactor

Locations

 * Small generator at Outpost Zimonja
 * Medium generator outside University Point
 * Medium generator in the western part of Quincy ruins
 * Vault-Tec reactor in Vault 88

Bugs

 * Upon returning to a settlement powered by a fusion generator, its power output will be 0. Replacing the wire connected to it in workshop mode can temporarily fix this.
 * Occasionally upon returning to a settlement, the wires that power the generator will not display as being connected to the generator. This can be fixed by opening up the Workshop menu and pick the generator up and then placing it down again.