Black Rock Solar

OK, you may be asking, what does a safari company have to do with solar power? A lot, as it turns out, since our philosophy of helping communities in the way that best serves their needs fits nicely with Exquisite Safari Philanthropic Travel’s approach of responsible tourism.

These folks really put their heart, soul, and wallets where their values are. David and Sabrina from Exquisite Safaris live in the Reno area, and when they heard about our installation at the Natchez School came out and helped, working on the concrete base for the racking, among other thankless, detail-oriented jobs. Then they shared the story with their clients via their blog.

Now they’ve taken it a step further, and formally partnered with us to support our work in an ongoing way. They’ll make a $25 donation to Black Rock Solar for every one of their clients who takes a trip with them, anywhere in the world. And in return, we’ll turn every dollar into a watt of solar power for a community in need–and then, as always, let them keep the energy savings and use it as they best see fit.

An unusual partnership? Perhaps. But we’re an unusual non-profit, with an unusual set of guiding principals. Help is often found where you least expect it, folks—you just need to look. And in our case, that turns out to be even on safari, far off in Africa. Check ‘em out, great company, great philosophy, and a great way to support Black Rock Solar!

We’re back from the ROTHBURY festival in Rothbury, MI, and by all accounts it was a great success. Our installation at the Shelby High School got plenty of news coverage,
and our free solar power recharging station got plenty of customs. So many, in fact, that even with 50 charging slots open there were sometimes hundreds more waiting to go.

All the donations are still being tabulated, but it looks like we’ll be able to add another chunk of solar to Shelby High with a the tips and ticket upgrades we received. Photos and video will be posted as they come in, thanks to all who helped make this event happen.

Our crew has been hard at work with our local partners Bauer Power building the solar array for Shelby High School, and got some nice press for it yesterday:. The Muskegon Chronicle.

Our crew has arrived in Shelby, Michigan to begin building an array for the Shelby High School, in conjunction with the ROTHBURY festival and Bauer Power. Here’s an article in a Michigan newspaper that explains what the whole thing is about and how it came to be–check it out!

We hope to have images/video of the installation in the next couple days.

Last Friday the new 60kW array for the Natchez Elementary School was dedicated in a really wonderful, moving event, that really shows how building renewable energy can help build community.

We got great news coverage, from Channel 4 in Reno, as well as Channel 2.

First, each of the classes came out one by one, from preschool to 6th grade, to trace their hand and sign their name on a board posted at the front of the array. It reads “This solar array belongs to the students of Natchez Elementary School.” All were wearing tie-die shirts they’d made the day before…and then stenciled the Burning Man/Black Rock Solar logo on. By the time we were finished, all 170 students, their teachers, the school staff and our crew had signed.


Then, we got together on the lawn of the school for a hot dog picnic, and some speachifying from all our stakeholder partners, like Sierra Pacific Power, the Washoe County School District, and tribal chairman Mervin Wright. All told, some 420 people passed Chef Spoon’s hot dog buffet line, a huge number from such a small town ( population 845 at last count)!

A traditional dancer, accompanied by two young ladies, who were recently crowned “Miss Natchez” princesses, then performed a dance on the school lawn.

Then, in a complete surprise, we were called up to receive a gift: a framed eagle feather, with a beaded quill, and with the eponymous stone pyramid of Pyramid Lake painted on the back. The caption read simply “Thank you Black Rock Solar, from the Natchez Elementary School.”

After gathering the crowd at the front, the two Little Miss Natchez princesses cut the ribbon, and lead the community through the array for a close up look.

Over the next 25 years, the array will save the school district some $360,000 in energy bills, half of which will get to stay in the school for the benefit of these kids.

It was a great culmination to a long, sometimes delayed project. We’ve come a long way in a couple months from a patch of dirt….

…to a beautiful 60 kilowatt solar array, that will still be working when these kids are sending their kids to this school.

It was, in a very real way, the sort of event that is the reason we do this work at all. Because of a solar array, a community came together and celebrated their past and look at the promise of the future, and then gave them some of the resources they’ll need to grab it. All made possible by our fantastic crew, our great partners at MMA and Sierra Pacific, and the donations and support of people like you. From all of us, many thanks.