Catch and Store Energy

Energy comes in a myriad of forms. It can be suttle or explosive, calming or deadly. However much of society views energy as a one dimensional entity, believing that it only can be used for mechanical means. The truth is energy is in everything.
The second principle of permaculture is Catch and Store Energy. We use this principle in many ways in day to day life, often without even thinking about it. Our goal is to maximize this in all of our systems, creating redundancies to ensure a broad spectrum of energy storage for times of low production or crisis.
Catch and Store Energy
Water, wind, earth and fire. The four elements that sustain life. Each one can come in different forms and can have a multitude of effects, singular or combined, beneficial or destructive. Our main focus in this principle is how we can focus these energies and extend their benefit over a longer duration.
Water is life. It is the elixer of all existence on earth. We prefer if possible to catch water high on our landscape and slow it down, maximizing it's edge, allowing it to sink into the soil, storing it in the soil, ponds, swales, cisterns and rain barrels so we can share it back into the system. The goal is to create a surplus of water,  therefore recharging the aquifer and creating abundance downstream while controlling erosion of the soil.
Wind is often caught in turbines and stored in batteries. A sailboat catches wind for propulsion. We often overlook winds' effect on our landscape as it can help us in micro-climate location and creation. We can use wind to help naturally cool our homes in the summer by opening windows at appropriate times. Each site will have different ways to use wind to help build a resilient energy source.
Earth offers us many forms of energy as well and is naturally slow release. We are only begining to scratch the surface with thermal mass technology, soil building and geo thermal power. Fixing the soil should be top of the priority list here as it is critical in a successful ecosystem. A healthy soil environment will give you an abundant yeild, with little outside input.
Fire can be the sun, or a cozy woodstove. Either way we want to catch and store that energy. Solar passive homes, annualized solar inertia,  solar pv panels and battery banks. Solar power is all the rage and for good reason, it's free. Fire used to heat our homes can also be stored through efficient designs that stack functions. Rocket Mass Heaters are a burgeoning technology in the field of permaculture, incorporating thermal mass, efficient burning and beauty into the home.
There is no way I can cover all of the ways to catch and store energy in one short blog post, but I will let you in on a little secret. The best way to catch and store energy in your system is to simply plant trees. Trees turn all of the above elements into life. They store solar energy, hold back water on the landscape, use wind to create a strong fibrous backbone, a habitat for insects and animals and strengthen soil by dynamic accumulation of minerals and nitrogen fixation. Fruit trees take all of these elements and convert them into another energy source that we can catch and store.
Thanks for joining me on this look into the principles of permaculture, tomorrow we will discuss ways to Create a Yeild.