Articles
The Direct Drive DC Microgrid: an Energy Future the Whole World Can Afford. Communities Magazine published this article, written by Debbie LEF, in their spring 2025 issue, Ecovillage Visions. The article explains how and why our Microgrid is so affordable- both financially and environmentally- compared to conventional off-grid systems.
Direct Solar Power: Off-Grid Without Batteries. Low-Tech Magazine (based in France) published this lengthy, well-researched article, mostly about LEF. It talks a lot about optimal utilization, AKA “community is the magic bullet that makes renewable energy work.”
Power Shift, Award-winning Living Energy Farm Makes Living Off-grid Sustainable. This article by Matt Dhillon at Cville Weekly is one of the best brief summaries of LEF we have ever seen.
Decolonizing Puerto Rico Through Solar Power. Article by Megan McGee, published by Truthdig, an excellent review of our work in Puerto Rico.
On a Virginia Farm and Abroad, DC Microgrids with a Twist. An article by Microgrid Knowledge about the DC Microgrid at LEF, and our outreach projects.
Bringing DC Solar Systems to Native American Reservations. An article from Electrical Contractor Magazine about our work on the Diné and Hopi Reservations in 2020.
International Permaculture has done 2 articles on LEF. One is in issue #93, Autumn 2017, and the second is in issue #94, Winter 2017.
Article about LEF at the Atlantic Online Magazine
Article about LEF in The Central Virginian
LEF on CNN
Cville weekly in Charlottesville VA
Slideshow produced by Alexis a while ago
Videos
Cooking and Heating with Direct Solar Power (no batteries). Produced by our friend Sam Butler
How to Live Without Fossil Fuel (Introductory Video)
Powering a Community with Solar Electricity (LEF has the only DC powered community that we know of, here’s how it works)
The Best Way to Store Off-Grid Energy
Batteries that Last (almost) Forever
Virginia Homegrown created a program at LEF (the LEF part starts at the 29 minute mark in the program)
Featured on Eco Commune Tour – Living Energy Farm (circa 2015)
Running a machine shop with solar energy
How to never pay an electric bill
Podcasts
Building Home Scale DC Grids: Living Energy Farm’s Journey Explained, with Debbie Piesen on The Urban Farm Podcast
Living Without Fossil Fuels with Alexis Zeigler, on Agrarian Futures Podcast. Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.