Assuming that the consumed star was even 10 percent the size of our sun, Starkiller base would have more than enough energy to decimate the five planets that meet their ill-fate in the film. However, the law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot simply disappear. In converting the matter of the sun into usable power, much of the excess energy would be converted into thermal energy. This is a vast amount of heat, capable of evaporating everything on the surface of the base. For such a disaster to be prevented, the base would need to have an immense cooling system to handle the heat. Perhaps this is why the First Order chose an icy planet as the base of operations for its super-weapon. The villainous faction’s disregard for the laws of nature has a high cost, culminating in the loss of countless innocent lives.
Though the Star Wars films may have moments of major scientific implausibility, these do not diminish the sense of wonder and awe they evoke. Films like The Force Awakensfuel the desire to achieve what seems impossible. Such an impulse can lead to great innovations in the world—and, perhaps one day, in galaxies far, far away.