The RAT Sponsors Online Courses, Renewable Energy Burner Symposiums, Skills Sharpening Sessons and Participate in Burning Man Project Camp Symposiums
The online Solar Power 101 course covers how to analyze, design and build solar power systems. The lectures are broken down into bite size, self paced, modules. Each video module is about 10 minutes long. If you are interested in additional information you can click on the Dig Deeper buttons for a deeper dive into solar. At the end we have a Q&A session to help wrap up the lecture.
This course is for Black Rock City camps in general but it is also geared for the Burner Leadership Achieving Sustainable Theme Camps (BLAST) criteria. An electrical load analysis or electrical inventory is a baseline to help understanding the camps electrical usage. This opens the door to become more energy efficient and that, in turn, helps reduce air pollution and our carbon footprint. Once understood it is a simple process to do. Also, it's the first step in building and acquiring a solar or wind power system.
How much electrical power does your camp consume? What size generator or solar power system do you need? Can it power a refrigerator, freezer, lights, or sound system? What other devices will your campers need to power, such as 2-way radios, water pumps, or electric bikes? What else? How much will it cost to power everything? How can I reduce my carbon footprint?
Complete a system or installation electrical load analysis to determine the desired system capacity.
This user guide is intended to help the novice or mid-level builder use the Solar Powered System Estimator spreadsheet (currently v2.4). The spreadsheet will help the builder to quantify their solar power needs in a step by step fashion and ultimately output the key system parameters of a system design based on those figures. This guide will take you through each section.
Sustaining & Surviving with Solar-Hybrid Power on Playa
Electricity powers our life on the playa, yet the rain in 2023 and dust in 2022 reinforced our need to be prepared for anything. This session will focus on how hybrid power for camps and artists — combining solar, batteries, and generators — can provide safe and sustainable energy in any weather. Topics include lightweight yet rugged multi-use solar structures, portable battery systems, and minimizing fossil fuel generators.
Power: Using Less While Living Large
Sustainability is an important focus for many camps. However, many don’t know that you can reduce your power usage and carbon footprint without materially reducing all the good things generators and their electricity provide. Hear from our experts on how solar, LED’s and other technologies can help you have your cake and eat it too.
At many weekly RAT meetings we record a Skills Sharpening mentoring session. As of December 2023 we have thirty-seven sessions available for viewing.
What is happening with renewable energy on the playa?
See the "Symposiums" drop down menu in the header for accessing the 2022 and 2023 symposiums.
For the Burning Man Hive online courses login using your burner profile:
Anyone can view the RAT's Hive activties. Go to this link to sign-up for a Burning Man profile: