Environmentally conscience electrical power

[devolankershim]

I'm just wondering where everybody gets their electrical power? If they mostly get it from gas generators, then has anyone tried making a green power plant. I'm truly interested in setting up a installation/power plant. What I call the portable power plant that is safe to the environment. Powered by wind, solar, bio-diesel, bio-mass, and thermal. I would like to get a hold of the person in charge to see if this is possible because I think it would take a lot of space and also I would need a lot of cable. The main problem for designing and putting together such a system would be funding and man power.

I would like to be in charge of it.

[Dustdevil]

Are you refering to the power that runs center camp or the entire event? If you are refering to center camp, they use several diesel generators. I believe they were in the range of 250KW each. The cabling for that is extensive. If you are refering to the entire event, most people use small generators, invertors run from automobiles and some solar for recharging. It would not be practical to put the entire event on a grid. Some of the larger villages, IE: Illumination Village have enough citizens who collectively rent and use a large genny. Usually 50-75KW. Most often a whisper watt or MQ power system. The cost of renting spider boxes and cables can exceed the cost of a genny. Unless you are in this field and have the resources and knowledge to put this together the idea is not workable. While wind and solar may work at times, you would still rely on the diesel genny for the evenings when the current draw is the highest. Several of the services on the center camp grid need a reliable source of current, ESD for example, would be in trouble as would medical in a power failure. A modern diesel genny is as effective as you are going to get....for the money spent. Some of the diesel units out there are running bio diesel however.

[scotto]

http://www.ae-zone.org/

[Zhust]

http://www.ae-zone.org/

Also look into the Alternative Energy Zone discussion list: altenergy-list-info@burningman.com ... the website will be helpful for a lot of things, but if you've got a question about, say, building your own windmill, you can try asking the list.

[HughMungus]

If you are refering to the entire event, most people use small generators, invertors run from automobiles and some solar for recharging.

AND deep cycle batteries + inverters.

[Chai Guy]

I would like to be in charge of it.

<poof!>
You're in charge of it! Report back here and let us know how it all turns out.

[robotland]

In case you were considering building a wind generator, there's a very comprehensive article on the subject in the current MAKE magazine. Very, very easy to build, unless you're one of those people who has to wear goggles to operate a screwdriver.

[Ink_Burn]

If im not nuts the camp i was with last year, ran a bio-diesel

[Desert Duck]

Anyone interested in any of this should hereafter contact any of the following: Recycle Camp, Earth Guardians, Hope Village, Alternative Energy Zone. A number of people have formed a group called "Greening the Burn" dedicated to decreasing the overall "footprint" of the event. Sign up for the discussion list by contacting myself or Blue directly, or through any of these other channels. I'm not in charge, but I'm involved.

[devolankershim]

Let me give a little bit of my background. I work in a Physics dept. working on my degree in Mechanical Engineering and minor in Physics. I think my vision may be too grand, but consider this. The size and the shape of burning man. Then electrical lines fed from the center opening running out of the clearing side of the city into another same shape power plant. With wind, solar, thermal, sterling, and whatever I could design to make energy.

It would be something like this C---------?

Maybe it's just a dream too grand or bold for it to be done. Needing too many resources, manpower, and maintenance.

[Dustdevil]

Have you been to the festival?

[Desert Duck]

If you can fund it, you can build it.

What we're currently working on is converting individual camps in order to get them off the grid. Think fancy swirly wind turbines mounted on top of the Cafe', solar panels at many camps, generators running on biodiesel, and education resource centers providing info on higher efficiency lighting solutions, etc.
If you're interested in being part of this, we'd certainly love the help. PM me your email, and I'll fwd it to the list administrator to get you signed up.