On Playa Electrical Grid

On playa we rent a large 56 kW (70 kVA) generator that has ample power for our needs and all the camps in our hub. In 2024 we received a Multiquip DCA-70SSIU4F generator that looks like this:

(ours is not usually delivered on a trailer like that so it doesn't have wheels).

Expand to learn more about big generators at Burning Man

Brad Templeton's Guide to Burning Man Power Grids with Big Generators

Electrical Systems training course at Burning Man Hive

and join the Burning Man Generators group on Facebook.

The generator outputs three phase power which requires five banded cables to distribute the three phases to distribution boxes around our camp and others. For example in 2024, we had three distribution boxes around the camp, and provided one to 8-bit Bunny and one to Gender Blender, our neighboring camps, for a total of five.

The distribution boxes job is to take that three phase power and break it down into 50 Amp California Twist Lock (also known as CS63xx) outputs. Each of these outputs can be fed, via a single 50-amp cable, into a Spider Box. A spider box takes the 50 amp cable as input, and contains a whole bunch of household-style electrical outlets that you can actually plug things into.

Our camp owns 20 Spider Boxes, so we place these near where a lot of power is needed. In many cases, instead of plugging appliances directly into the spider box, we end up using some outdoor-rated extension cords and power strips to further distribute power.

The following figure shows our 2024 electrical layout in purple. Thick lines show five banded cables leading to # distribution boxes. Thin lines show 50-amp cables leading to $ spider boxes. 2 and 3 designate "hard twofers" and "hard threefers" used to split five banded cables. Y indicates a 50-amp y-splitter. We always let 8-bit Bunny and Gender Blender lay out their own cable inside their camp however they see fit so those cables are not shown connected.