Watt's Up, Wisconsin?

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. W...

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...

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...

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...

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 p...

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 w...

When extreme weather hits, energy grids can suffer, with power outages displacing communities from essential services. However, microgrids can be a solution. In this episode of  Watt's Up, Wisconsin , we break down what exactly microgrids are, and how they create community resilience in the wake of extreme weather. We talk to Henry Hundt, UW–Madison graduate and sustainability lead at Hoffman...

Solar and agriculture have one thing in common: they both need sunlight. Oftentimes, this puts them on opposing sides, competing for land space. However, what if solar and agriculture could live together?  In this episode of Watt’s Up, Wisconsin?, we explore the field of agriculture and photovoltaics, known as agrivoltaics and the possibilities in WI. We speak to UW-Madison’s Henry Hundt and Josh...

The energy landscape is a web of interconnected systems, but that landscape is changing. New technologies are raising big questions on where we get and how we use energy. It can be difficult to understand what these technologies are, let alone how they impact you. This show tackles these big questions in energy in Wisconsin.