Solar Power 101

Online Burning Man Hive Course

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.

How To Do An Electrical Load Analysis

Online Burning Man Hive Course

This course is for Black Rock City installations in general and is geared for meeting the Burner Leadership Achieving Sustainable Theme Camps (BLAST) criteria. An electrical load analysis or electrical inventory is a baseline to help understanding the installation's 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 To Do An Electrical Energy Inventory For Your Camp 

By Bruce Cooper

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?

Solar Powered System Estimator User’s Guide

by Doug Hanson

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. 

RoboTracker

by Bob Wolff

Bob Wolff invented the RoboTracker and deployed the units at Black Rock City in 2024 and 2025 to track power system performance.

What does RoboTracker monitor?

• Power usage (Watts)

• Voltage

• Amps

• Every 5 seconds!

• Several temperatures (ambient, CPU, and power monitor)

• Operates on one battery for ~10-14 days

Bob talks about the RoboTracker in this video. 

RAT Project Handbook

By Doug Hanson

Updated by Scott Williams

For all projects who have been selected by the RAT as candidates for mentoring, and other interested project teams, this short handbook summarizes the steps in the mentoring process, specific expectations, and what should occur between now and burn week.

RAT Mentor Handbook

By Doug Hanson

Updated by Scott Williams

For all RAT Technical Advisors or Mentors, this handbook describes the RAT's Targeted Guidance Mentoring Program.

Hot Topics

Travel with the RAT on our journey of exploration, visionary transformation and self-enrichment through the audio/visual medium known as video.

Hot Topics combines the RAT Skills Sharpening sessions with the annual Renewable Energy Burner Symposium segments.