Few people have a more diversified portfolio when it comes to custom car builds than Gary Castillo. From being a race car and show car builder to a unique concept vehicle constructor, the latest creation of Gary for “Burning Man” is sure to top this list. Using Go Power! products, he built a one-of-a-kind solar-powered "art car" designed to meet the harsh demands of the Nevada desert and the quirky challenges of this unique festival. From the innovative solar technology down to eccentric design elements, Gary shared with us his path to bringing the incredible, green vehicle into being.

THE MAN BEHIND THE CAR

Gary's automotive journey began with his passion for race cars. "I was a technical editor for car magazines; I wrote and built cars, mainly race and concept cars," he says. In working with giants like Toyota and Honda, he developed his skills on custom vehicles that paired beauty with high-performance technology. But this latest venture into creating a solar-powered art car for Burning Man represents a new kind of challenge. For the first time, he says, "I built something for Burning Man specifically, merging race car engineering thoroughness with the creativity of an art installation, fully aligned with the ethos of the festival: creativity merges with environmental awareness.

WHAT'S "BURNING MAN"?

Gary's automotive journey began with his passion for race cars. "I was a technical editor for car magazines; I wrote and built cars, mainly race and concept cars," he says. In working with giants like Toyota and Honda, he developed his skills on custom vehicles that paired beauty with high-performance technology. But this latest venture into creating a solar-powered art car for Burning Man represents a new kind of challenge. For the first time, he says, "I built something for Burning Man specifically, merging race car engineering thoroughness with the creativity of an art installation, fully aligned with the ethos of the festival: creativity merges with environmental awareness.

Built on the Base of a Polaris Ranger EV

At the base of Gary's project was a Polaris Ranger EV, an electric utility vehicle normally used in rural settings. But he transformed it far beyond its original purpose. "We had to extend it by five feet and then built a hexagonal frame around the chassis." The hexagon shape wasn't just for aesthetics but a practical choice based on trailer dimensions. "Our goal was to keep it within 8 feet 6 inches wide so we could fit it on a standard trailer without needing a special permit."

THE SOLAR POWER SYSTEM

The more substantial part of the conversion, however, had come with the integration of solar panels and a system of house batteries to power the car's many features. The goal was to make it a sustainable, solar-powered vehicle that could cruise in the desert all night. "The vehicle is powered by 2,400 watts of solar energy, collected through Go Power! panels," Gary explains. “Some houses do not even have that much in terms of installed solar capacity.”

The solar setup was designed using 24 of the Go Power! 100W modules to charge a series of six 200ah house batteries that then power everything from the EV motor to the LED lights and sound system. The setup ensures that, during the day, the vehicle can fully recharge to have the power available for the night. The house batteries store the power harnessed by the sun's rays, with capabilities to charge the electric vehicle drivetrain batteries. "It is a quick charge; we can go from 30% to a full charge in less than an hour."

Engineering the Solar Setup

Gary admits that he ventured into solar simply because of the owner's enthusiasm for sustainability. "The owner wanted something that didn't rely on gas or frequent charging, especially given the daytime heat and nighttime cold of the desert," he says. Most of the activities in Burning Man happen in the dark, and the car needs to be charged during the day and hold that power in order to run all night. "We realized that just a traditional fixed panel setup wasn't going to be enough," he adds.

With that in mind, Gary's team designed a pretty complex system in which solar panels can be repositioned throughout the day to capture maximum sunlight. "We have panels on the roof and sides but can move them to track the sun," he explains. If the sun is on the passenger side, those panels remain fixed in place, but the panels on the opposite side of the vehicle pop up for full exposure. Keeping the panels oriented towards the sun effectively doubles the capability of charging the vehicle.

Challenges and Innovative Solutions

The kinematics of the solar array were no small feat themselves. "Each panel array weighs nearly 300 pounds, so lifting and repositioning them required significant engineering." To address the weight, the team borrowed from the mechanics of garage doors, utilizing tension rods to prevent the arrays from bending.

The result is an effortless, motorized system that can be adjusted with the touch of a button or even from outside via a smartphone app. "It lets the driver control everything from the door and panel movements to the LEDs," Gary says. This level of automation means that the driver need hardly lift a finger to change the vehicle's configuration throughout the day.

A Solar-Powered Desert Adventure

The art car's main job is ferrying its owner and guests around Burning Man's sprawling desert metropolis, which can extend several miles across. But apart from the solar panels, the car boasts an enviable collection of creature comforts powered by the house batteries. "The vehicle has smart LEDs all around, a high-quality stereo system, and even a bed in the back," Gary says. The latter is a particularly practical touch, considering that festival attendees might be out foraging around for hours at a time. It was designed to give the owner a place to rest up before returning to camp. In adding that comfort, the vehicle has practically become a mini-RV with all the desert road trip essentials..

Why Go Power?

When it came time to choose a solar power solution, Gary already had a strong reason for choosing Go Power! "I used Go Power! panels on my own Sprinter van and I know they work really well as an off-grid solution on RVs.” Critical factors included durability and effectiveness of the panels to ensure the art car would not fail in festival performances, even through weather, wind, and dust.

Lessons Learned and Future Plans

This year's success at Burning Man has inspired Gary and his team to take their designs even further. "We're planning on building two more cars for next year, as well as upgrading this one," he said. Among the many areas for improvement is the weight of the solar arrays. "For next year, we're looking at using flexible solar panels, which are drastically lighter than the rigid panels we used this time around," he says. That alone could reduce the weight of the adjustable arrays by two-thirds, which should make for a far more efficient and much easier-to-handle vehicle.

Gary is also considering taking a more custom-built design approach. "Starting with an existing Polaris Ranger EV made design tricky because it wasn't built for what we had in mind," he said. "Next year, we're building the EV from scratch, so we streamline the solar and battery setup from the beginning." A custom approach will allow the team to optimize the layout of the vehicle, freeing up space for additional features while shedding weight and complexity.

Significance of Renewable Energy

The solar panel-powered art car is an astonishing creation of engineering but also a symbol of innovation in sustainability. With solar power, Gary and his crew prove that renewable energy can play a part in projects that seem so unlikely. In the context of an event like Burning Man, the solar car serves as a standard of how technology can merge with sustainability. "We only used a generator once, on the first day, just to be on the safe side," Gary remembers. “After that, the batteries were fully charged by solar panels every day.”

Festivalgoers loved it: "People loved the sound, the LED light show and the adjustable solar panels," Gary says. This type of enthusiasm has inspired Gary and his crew to continue innovating, pushing the boundaries of what can be done with solar technology in mobile applications. Gary is also considering taking a more custom-built design approach. "Starting with an existing Polaris Ranger EV made design tricky because it wasn't built for what we had in mind," he said. "Next year, we're building the EV from scratch, so we streamline the solar and battery setup from the beginning." A custom approach will allow the team to optimize the layout of the vehicle, freeing up space for additional features while shedding weight and complexity.

Looking Ahead: More Green Art Cars

As Gary prepares next year's builds, he is already thinking of all the ways he can create functionality and sustainability in his art cars. "We've learned so much from this first experience, and we're ready to apply those lessons to make an even better, lighter, and more efficient vehicle.” With each new project, he is redefining the limits of renewable energy, bringing sustainability to the foreground of festival culture.

Creative projects like the Burning Man vehicle underscore Go Power's commitment to quality and innovation. The art car tells what is achievable when vision and craftsmanship come together with renewable energy, a powerful reminder that thinking of solar technology is not only practical but also transformative, even in the middle of the Nevada desert.

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