On the subject of Kerbals dying at high warp due to lack of EC, this is what I noticed. If I immediately switch to the vessel, the solar panels are often not aligned to the sun, i.e. they haven't rotated to have the EV side facing the sun. Then the panels quickly rotate and the system re-calculates at full EC. This is a station on a equatorial orbit, positioned facing normal, with the panels in line with the star/sun. As the planet progresses in it's orbit, the panels eventually end up facing opposite what they need to, as when the ship is inactive, the angle of the panels do not update.
Imagine a clock face with the planet at 12 o'clock, and the star at the center. You set up your station as described, and the generating side of the panels is facing towards 6 o'clock. As the planet progresses to the 6 o'clock position, the panels do not re-align as the station is unloaded. Once the planet reaches the 6 o'clock position, the generating side of the panels are facing directly away from the star at the center, generating 0 EC.
