Music In the site analysis portion of this class,
we looked at the question of “Where am I?” We learned that each region has its own specific
set of conditions that we analyze and design for. When we are designing for the production
of electricity on a Permaculture site, we are asking that same question. What is the
renewable energy source that can best be utilized to satisfy electricity needs? The very first thing to do is reduce the need
to consume electricity. The goal is to create passive systems that require less energy just
because of their design. This is a lot of what we looked at in regards to housing, having
good solar orientation and natural lighting to reduce heating, cooling, and lighting needs;
planting trees around a structure to block out cold winds or shade the building in summer;
growing fresh food all around you to reduce trips to the store and all the packaging involved.
There are several of the Permaculture principles that we learned that apply to this concept:
Apply Self-regulation and Accept Feedback, which means to voluntarily control your own
consumption and live simply. Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services, which is
a call to identify and develop regenerative systems. And Produce No Waste, which urges
us to be frugal and careful with our use of resources. The first thing to do is identify what renewable
resource is in abundance in your area. The main ones are sun, wind, flowing water, and
biomass. Some special places have geothermal energy available, but that’s quite uncommon. The sun can provide both solar electricity
through solar panels, as well as easy water heating. I believe that it’s a crime that
we use coal, nuclear energy, and natural gas to heat water in desert climates where the
sun shines throughout the year. In the nation of Israel, all new homes have been required
to have solar hot water systems since the 1950’s, and 90 percent of them do to this
day. Wind energy has been used for a long time
to pump water and provide electricity. The capacity for wind power is very site specific,
as topography has a big influence on windy and sheltered locations. But there are many
places where wind is nearly constant, often times over plains or on the coast, and with
wind turbines, you can generate electricity day and night. Electricity from flowing water is called hydroelectricity,
and in Permaculture systems we’re looking towards “micro hydro” systems. This is where energy is produced from a vertical drop of water in a pipe, which creates pressure
that can be converted to electricity. An amazing thing about running water is it goes 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week. There are a number of different ways that
electricity can be produced from biomass, including combustion, gasification, pyrolysis
and anaerobic digestion. Biomass can be woody plant material, agricultural wastes, animal
manures, and human manures. When we apply the Permaculture principle of “Produce No
Waste,” we can see how waste can become energy. Biomass energy production is especially
suited to farms, where there is often times a surplus of usable materials. Decentralization is an important strategy
for energy production in a Permaculture system, with alternative energy systems at the home
or neighborhood scale. One reason for this is self-reliance: A network of many small
independent energy systems is not vulnerable to power grid failure. Small-scale systems
are not vulnerable to price fluctuations caused by far flung events beyond our control. Local
energy generation causes us to live within our means, and utilize locally available resources. It’s too easy to leave the light on when
the coal-fired power plant or nuclear reactor is far, far away. But if you’ve got solar
panels and the sun is shining, then blast the stereo, turn on the disco ball, and start
making mixed drinks in the blender because you’re not wasting a thing!
