What comes to mind when you think of energy?
Power plants? Coal stacks? Solar panels? Whatever imagery comes to mind, the truth is that energy is around us all the time.
The dictionary definition for energy is “the ability to do work”, and this is a good definition.
In permaculture, we use nature based forms of energy, like the wind, sun, and water, to design homes and communities that are integrated with their environments.
We have some big problems to tackle when it comes to energy, primarily how we can get our modern lifestyles Off Fossil Fuels (OFF). In the same way the certain plants only grow in certain climates and areas, not all types of renewable energy systems will work everywhere we want them to. There are no silver bullets.
Our research has led us to study how plants will help us produce the energy, materials and products that our communities need.
