No matter where you are in your journey to reduce your camp’s reliance on fossil-fuel energy at Burning Man, there are actionable steps you can take. This resource page guides you through strategies to transition gradually to renewable power sources.
Start by conducting an electrical load assessment. This foundational step involves creating an inventory of devices and calculating their power needs.
Electrical Inventory Sheet for calculating your electrical load
Reducing electrical load starts with simple swaps like solar-powered camp lighting and USB-powered LED strings, more efficient air conditioners, or replacing ACs altogether with swamp coolers or power personal cooling off micro-grid solar.
Most camps begin with generators as their primary power source before transitioning to renewable energy. A correctly sized generator minimizes fuel waste, lowers noise, reduces maintenance, and mitigates your generator’s carbon footprint.
Generators are rated by both surge watts (maximum output for short bursts) and rated watts (stable output for continuous use). Picking a generator with the highest power output might seem like an easy failsafe, but it can cause equipment issues and be a potentially costly mistake.
If you already own an oversized generator, consider participating in HUBS and sharing power with neighboring camps so your generator runs more efficiently and you can share fuel costs.
Generator Carbon Footprint Worksheet
If you’ve sized your generator correctly but want to reduce its runtime further, consider a generator/battery hybrid system. By pairing a generator with a battery, you can charge the batteries during set intervals without needing to run the generator continuously, cutting usage by up to 70-90%.
Rental options may be available through OSS providers, making it easier to adopt hybrid systems without major upfront costs.
Discotique Battery Power Report - Burning Man 2024.pdfTransitioning your camp or personal power generation to solar can be a gradual and cost-effective process. To manage upfront costs, consider creating micro-grids to power specific circuits, such as devices furthest from the generator that require extensive cabling, systems that only need to run during daylight hours, or essential systems that can't afford to fail if the generator cuts out.
Start by filling out out this solar-specific electrical load assessment worksheet, which will help you estimate the number of solar panels you need to purchase. If you’re more of a visual learner, here’s a video on how to use the solar estimator.
DO NOT DELETE - Solar Powered System Estimator v2.4.xlsx - LINKED TO WEBSITES - DO NOT DELETE.xlsx
Check out this comprehensive Solar 101 Hive course for a detailed overview of solar systems and best practices for installation.
If building your own system seems daunting, ready-to-install kits for solar shade and container bridge solar shade are available. Camps that would require a large array, can avoid the upfront cost by renting solar systems that also double-function as shade.
Renewables for Artists Team (RAT) has a ton of detailed information on solar on their website
If your solar setup produces excess energy, share with neighbors through the HUBS program or gift to the community. Camps like Hook Up Camp power disability assistance vehicles, and Bao Chicka Wow Wow offers charging for mutant vehicles and e-bikes. Renewables for Artists Team (RAT) provides guidance to artists looking to go solar.
Beyond sharing power, offer educational experiences or unique solar-powered art. The Alternative Energy Village hosts classes on solar, helping others learn how to go renewable themselves. Or take inspiration from camps like Playa Alchemy, which creates art with solar-powered glass kilns that turn playa dust into glass gifts.
Burning Man may only last a few weeks each year, but your solar panels shouldn’t be collecting dust the other 50 weeks. To maximize their impact, consider how these panels can support sustainable practices in the default world.
⚡️ Become a BWB Resource Partner ⚡️
For example, some camps have arrangements with campmates to use their arrays to power homes or community projects year-round. Others, like the SolarPunks, power art installations and public events. Black Rock Solar donates panels to projects in Northern Nevada.