I’m at the end of a long dirt track, at an off-grid eco-community in the hills of Greece. I’ve been here for a couple of weeks now. Let me show you around…
Like living in a van, this is another tie cut from what you may call ‘normal life’. It’s independence – doing things yourself, stripping things down with a few less things to rely on.
This is low impact, self-sustainable living. It’s quality, happy living. It’s a whole different world to the city, yet Athens only about 40Km away.
Power
There are two turbines and an array of solar panels charging. This setup runs everything: fridge, lights and even power tools. Most of the time there is too much power and one turbine has to be turned off.
Projects
There’s a lot of work to do here, but it’s up to you to do it. If you have an idea for a project, then go for it. One project at the moment is to design an efficient heat exchanger to heat a caravan using the heat from the compost.
Food
This is a world away from having no time to eat properly. My whole attitude to food has changed since travelling – I cannot believe that I used to think it wasted my time. See an off-grid lunch
Play
Learn
Keep warm
And dogs… of course
My Eco-community conclusion
I’m not really a serious environmentalist kind of person, but I do think there is something hugely satisfying about being responsible for generating your own electricity, dealing with your own waste and growing your own food. Doing this in a communal environment with a dynamic pool of talent and knowledge is a pretty powerful setup.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments
