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Hi all,
We are making a big push towards renewable energy at our camp this year, going for a combined wind/solar solution. However, we've hit a snag with our wind generator tower - specifically, the plans call for a 2x2' concrete-filled hole in the ground. (A) We didn't include that in our camp application, and (B) we don't want to dig a 2x2 hole in the playa and fill it with concrete anyway! =]
We are wind-generator newbies, and are well aware we are playing with dangerous toys. So it's a problem!
So, can anyone connect me with people who have experience with wind generators at Burning Man, so I can benefit from their experience? Is there a good tribe for this kind of question? I have already pinged the AEZ mailing list, but we're running out of time and so I'm going wide...
We are making a big push towards renewable energy at our camp this year, going for a combined wind/solar solution. However, we've hit a snag with our wind generator tower - specifically, the plans call for a 2x2' concrete-filled hole in the ground. (A) We didn't include that in our camp application, and (B) we don't want to dig a 2x2 hole in the playa and fill it with concrete anyway! =]
We are wind-generator newbies, and are well aware we are playing with dangerous toys. So it's a problem!
So, can anyone connect me with people who have experience with wind generators at Burning Man, so I can benefit from their experience? Is there a good tribe for this kind of question? I have already pinged the AEZ mailing list, but we're running out of time and so I'm going wide...
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Re: Need practical advice - wind power at Burning Man...
Fri, August 8, 2008 - 10:56 AMwhat purpose does the concrete serve? is it just as an anchor, or........ -
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Re: Need practical advice - wind power at Burning Man...
Fri, August 8, 2008 - 12:54 PMYep, it's an anchor. Additionally, the plan calls for guy wires and some other stuff at the base. But yes, the hole/concrete is anchoring and stabilization. I don't doubt that it's possible to secure the tower without it, but because of the safety considerations we have to get it right first time! So I want advice from someone who knows a lot more about it than I do =] -
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Re: Need practical advice - wind power at Burning Man...
Fri, August 8, 2008 - 1:04 PMwhile this is not a shade structure, i'd take your question over to the shade structures tribe and the shade geeks tribe.... both of these tribes are filled with knowledgeable and experienced playa people.
i've not set something like this up before, but my first thought is to beef up and add to the recommended guylines, and instead of doing a single point anchor, triple those ..... i.e., instead of one guyline to one rebar hook, take that one guyline to a rebar 'set' ..... each set consists of one rebar at the normal angle you'd set an anchor at, then two more crossing that at complementary angles, all three wired together, then the guyline tied onto this 'anchor set' .... this spreads the forces out into three places in the playa, making it harder to pull out
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Re: Need practical advice - wind power at Burning Man...
Fri, August 8, 2008 - 2:05 PMHmm, some good thinking there, thanks. I'll try the shade structure people.
We did the "multi-rebar" thing for our art project last year (the alphabet cubes near Crude Awakening), and they survived pretty well. I hadn't put two and two together, but that's a good idea. Thanks. Still a lot more thinking to do, though - losing a wind generator in the middle of our camp is a little more dangerous than losing a cube on the open playa! -
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Re: Need practical advice - wind power at Burning Man...
Fri, August 8, 2008 - 2:12 PMI have some friends that set up a slack-line/rope bridge throughout the week on playa, and they use the multi-rebar setup twice on the same rope/per end..... i.e., line gets tied to one multi-rebar, then continues and is tied into second multi-rebar. this rope bridge can support many people at the same time.
and agreed, since you're in new territory, it's best to get as much advice as you can... we dont want to have accidents out there, we want to have FUN!!
best of luck with this setup ... would like to see it and hear how it works -
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Re: Need practical advice - wind power at Burning Man...
Fri, August 8, 2008 - 9:06 PM>best of luck with this setup ... would like to see it and hear how it works
Come visit us at Frogma... it's Hoppy Hour every afternoon @ 5PM (playa-adjusted), so there's a chilled Frogarita in it for ya, too =]
>we dont want to have accidents out there, we want to have FUN!!
Amen.
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Unsu...
Re: Need practical advice - wind power at Burning Man...
Fri, August 8, 2008 - 6:03 PMmiddle of our camp is a little more dangerous................
which is part of why , putting them in a thickly settled area might not be the best idea. with the potential for 60 mph winds , depending on the type. some shut down others go into free wheel mode. can be very noisey also. -
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Re: Need practical advice - wind power at Burning Man...
Fri, August 8, 2008 - 9:10 PM>middle of our camp is a little more dangerous................
Yeah, that's why we're kind of fretting about it. I got some great replies from AEZ, where basically guys who installed this:
www.flickr.com/photos/jon...2508679890/
...are giving us advice on how to avoid this:
www.ae-zone.org/dokuwiki/doku.php
The Shade Geeks are helping too! -
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Unsu...
Re: Need practical advice - wind power at Burning Man...
Fri, August 8, 2008 - 9:32 PMwell that 200 foot tower was nice, but should have had a light on it., looks like it was way out too. nothing in sight. , the light weight emt conduit will not hold , has to be sch 40.
i will be on the hushville , aez border. look for a realllllllllly ugly homemade wooden rack, with 1000 watts of solar panels. solar oven, solar shower, hand cranked washing machine. , aluminet siding. on the 26' travel trailer.
solarcharlie
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