Watt's Up, Wisconsin? Wisconsin Energy Institute
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- Science
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The world of energy is a confusing and ever growing field. Microgrids, agrivoltaics, alternative battery storage, bioenergy – it can be tricky to understand what these new technologies are, let alone how they impact you. Produced by the Wisconsin Energy Institute, Watt’s Up, Wisconsin? takes on these big topics in energy, breaking down what they are and what they mean for Wisconsinites.
Do you have a question about energy in Wisconsin? Ask the Wisconsin Energy Institute at communications@energy.wisc.edu or tweet us and tag #WattsUpWI.
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Shining a Light on Energy Justice
Every time we flip a switch, it's connected to an energy bill. But, the impact of that energy bill isn't the same for everyone. For many Americans, they experience unaffordable energy bills and undue energy burden–spending a greater portion of their income on energy bills than the average household.
In this episode, we look at energy justice and ways we can make energy equitable for all. We spoke to Jaime Garibay-Rodriguez about his research into carbon lock-in and the barriers to adopting cleaner, and cheaper, energy technologies. Then, we turn to Slipstream, a Madison-based organization working to accelerate clean energy adoption with an equity lens. -
Battery Storage: Combatting the Duck
Solar energy is made during the day, but energy demand is highest when the sun sets. In order for intermittent energy sources, like wind and solar, to help in these peak periods, we need a way to store energy.
In this episode, we look at energy storage, understanding how we will store energy for a renewable energy future and what ducks have to do with it. We speak to battery researcher Eric Kazayk about how battery storage fits into this picture, from grid scale storage to electric vehicles. -
Bioenergy Basics: The Big Picture
We have talked about the basics of bioenergy and how we access energy from plants, but how does this fit into our lives?
In the last episode of our series on bioenergy, we focus on how exactly biofuels fit into our lives, and ways they have already made an impact. We spoke to researcher Tyler Lark about the big picture of biofuels in the United States, from past and future policy to its effects on the ecosystem. -
Bioenergy Basics: the Conversion Conundrum
So many parts of our daily lives could be made more sustainable with bioproducts and bioenergy. Fuels and products made from plants. How do we make these sustainable alternatives? With the help of some friendly microbes, like yeasts and bacteria.
In part two of a three part series on bioenergy, we focus on how we extract energy from plants for bioproducts. In part one, we followed the energy from the sun to a plant. Now, we are accessing that energy in the conversion step. We spoke to bioenergy researcher Ben Hall on how yeasts and bacteria are used to eat up plants and produce fuel.
In part two of a three part series on bioenergy, we focus on how we extract energy from plants for bioenergy. In part one, Bioenergy: Planting Photons, we followed the energy from the sun to a plant, the first step in the bioenergy-making process. Now, we'll take a deep dive into the conversion step, accessing that plant's stored energy. We spoke to bioenergy researcher Ben Hall on how yeasts and bacteria are used to eat up plants and produce fuels for our energy future. -
Bioenergy Basics: Planting Photons
Bioenergy utilizes energy from plants to create fuels. But, how exactly do plants get so much energy? In part one of a three part series, Bioenergy Basics, we focus on how plants store energy, what crops are best for bioenergy, and how researchers are working to make these plants better. Bioenergy researcher Cullen Vens takes us on a photon's journey, following the energy from the sun to a plant.
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How to Build Better
Buildings are unavoidable. We all use them. We turn on the lights, heat and cool our homes, run refrigerators, charge our devices. But buildings use a lot of energy.
In this episode of Watt's Up, Wisconsin, we break down why buildings consume so much energy and ways we can make buildings more efficient. We speak to UW–Madison's Joy Altwies about what makes a building efficient and ways we can make buildings more sustainable, both for the environment and for the people that occupy it. Then, we talk to the founding director of UW–Madison's School of Computer, Data and Information Sciences (CDIS), Tom Erickson, about the new CDIS building on the university's campus, which is striving to be the most sustainable building on campus.
Customer Reviews
Entertaining and informative
A smart and interesting show. I learn something new every episode. The show focuses on new innovations that are occurring right in our own backyard.