Steam to build Self Esteem

I make rocket mass heaters which are wood fired heating devices that burn so hot they are smokeless within 10 minutes. Wanting sovereignty I moved to the rain forest in Costa Rica nearly ten years ago with the goal of being a benefit to my environment. To go off grid takes a experimental spirit coupled with a bunch of determination. After tons of research I determined that for my area making use of Rocket Mass heating technology coupled with Bio-Char making retorts would supply me with all my power needs, independent of the weather.
Speaking of weather, Costa Rica's hydrological cycle is something to behold. I thought I knew what rain was growing up in South Florida but I was mistaken compared to the frequency of deluges that we get sprinkled with. Vast amounts of water increase the complexity of installing reliable power systems. If you have ever read Nassim Talib's 'AntiFragile' you will know the importance of systems that benefit from chaotic variables. Micro Hydro Power plants and solar panels are the usual suspects when it comes to off grid living but after witnessing many of my cohorts failures it became clear that I had to convert some other natural resource into power, cleanly.
I settled on Thermal mass heating with a few modifications as the most reliable way for consistent power generation for the least amount of investment. The premise is simple: Use fire as efficiently as possible to convert biomass into hot water, and electricity while cooking and warming a space. There's a neat byproduct of these hybrid systems called biochar which greatly increases garden yields.
Stacking all these functions is the hallmark of Permaculture, a system of 'Permanent Agriculture.' My neighbors are fellow up cyclers and tinkerers who are always up for a good experiment as long as they get some tasty morsels out of it. Making bio-char every time we cook is a great way of integrating totally into the food cycle.
My company's tagline is: 'Health, from the ground up.' Creating fertile soil is a essential activity that responsible adults will have to implement in mass if we are to ensure our survival. Generating power while creating the substrate for healthy organic food engenders a confidence that can only happen by benefiting our surroundings.