Decorative generators function with limited charges, which determine the rewards they give. Once positioned in a location, these decorations give rewards multiple times, including energy, gold, and other valuable resources.
To see when you'll get the next reward and how many are left, just tap on the decoration.
Even if you store them away, these generators keep working. When you bring them back out, they might have rewards ready to go.
You'll see an icon above the decoration when there's a reward ready for you to collect.
Once they've given out all their rewards, they just become regular decorations again.
Decorative generators are typically obtained as rewards for completing event expeditions.