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Safety First, then Understand & Reduce Your Power Needs

Responsible Generator Use

Transition to Renewables

Share the Sunshine

Mentoring, Education and Assistance

Power

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.

Safety First, then Understand & Reduce Your Power Needs

Safety First

SHOCKING OR ELECTROCUTTING PEOPLE AT BLACK ROCK CITY BY ACCIDENT OR NEGLIGENCE MEANS SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR ALL INVOLVED!

If you are not yet competent in analyzing, designing, building, and operating electrical systems, then:
- First, review the Introduction to Renewable Power - Renewable Energy Systems Suitable for Use at Black Rock City provided by the Renewables for Artists Team.
- Second, review the Theme Camps Builders Electrical System Guide on the Burning Man Project Hive.
- And/or you can consult with a licensed electrician about your power needs.

Electrical Load Assessment

Then 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

Energy Efficient Appliances

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 evaporative coolers, or power personal cooling off micro-grid solar. Providing shade over tents with adequate air flow or ventilation may eliminate the need for air conditioning or evaporative coolers.

[Reducing Energy Usage in Staff Camps SOP]

Responsible Generator Use

Right-Size Your Generator

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.

Share Power via HUBS

If you already own an oversized generator, consider participating in HUBS (Humans Uniting for Better Sustainability) and sharing power with neighboring camps so your generator runs more efficiently and you can share fuel costs.

HUBS is built to co-locate camps who have partnered to efficiently share resources such as water, power, tools, and transportation.

Estimating Carbon Footprint

You can calclulate how much carbon emissions your camp currently produces and your reduction in carbon output when you implement the transition from generators to renewable energy sources.

Estimate emissions by using this camp generator carbon footprint spreadsheet
This Burning Fuels Carbon Dioxide Emissions Calculator is an easy-to-use calculator that can help you estimate carbon dioxide emissions

Battery Hybridization

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 Outside Services (OSS) providers, making it easier to adopt hybrid systems without major upfront costs.

Transition to Renewables

Solar Case Studies

Solar Micro-Grids

Transitioning 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.

Load Analysis

For solar, wind, or solar/wind hybrid renewable power, the most appropriate, efficient, and cost-effective system requires a comprehensive installation electrical load analysis to determine the desired system capacity. Portions of this spreadsheet are helpful for all projects.

Solar Powered System Estimator - User’s Guide

If you’re more of a visual learner, here’s a video on how to use the solar estimator.

Purchasing / Renting Solar

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.

Share the Sunshine

Gifting Renewable Power

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. The Renewables for Artists Team (RAT) provides mentoring, educational materials, and assistance to artists, camps, and other interested persons looking to switch to renewable energy (see below).

Beyond sharing power, offer educational experiences or unique solar-powered art. The Alternative Energy Zone (AEZ) 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.

Plan for Off-Playa Use

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.

Mentoring, Education and Assistance

The Renewables for Artists Team is a leader in transitioning Black Rock City from generators to renewable energy.

The team provides mentoring, educational materials, and assistance to artists, camps, and other individuals.

The RATs 2026 Targeted Guidance Mentoring Program will open for projects to apply for assistance on January 1, 2026.

2025: RAT Co-Leader Steven Queen at the new RAT Solar Generator Trailer that powered the art installation "Nova" by Chuck Summerville - Scott Williams

Watch Steven Discuss the Installations

⚡️ Learn More ⚡️

GOING SOLAR by Profiles In Dust

The Burning Man Project aspires to power the infrastructure and art of Black Rock City via energy from the sun by 2030. Organizations, camps, and artists are heeding this call, engaging Black Rock City and neighboring communities as a testing-ground to research and develop ways to harness and utilize solar power, not only during the annual event on playa, but throughout the rest of the year. As they learn to power The Man, The Temple, camps and MORE, emerging systems, networks, and best practices mark this endeavor to make Black Rock City a carbon-neutral model for future civilization.

Tales of Dreamers: Burning Man 2022

Set in Black Rock City 2022, this latest project from the International Wood Culture Society delves into sustainability initiatives in BRC — from Burning Man Project and from a variety of theme camps, artists, and participant groups. Through a series of interviews, “Tales of Dreamers” tells the story of how sustainability projects are coming to life in diverse and innovative ways, and highlights some of the technology being used to make it all happen.