University of Wisconsin–Madison

Category: Energy

Partnering Towards a Renewable Future  

One of UW–Madison’s five institutional sustainability goals, first announced by Chancellor Mnookin in February 2024, is to reach net-zero emissions by 2048. Campus leadership set an interim target of 100% renewable electricity by 2030 as an important step on the path to this ambitious goal.   Through a strategy that includes working with electric utilities, supporting …

Can energy storage and generation be made more efficient? Mark Anderson hopes to find out

Dr. Mark Anderson and the thermal hydraulics laboratory leverage heat transfer and fluid dynamics to develop engineering solutions that make energy production systems more efficient. Systems of energy production primarily rely on first generating heat and subsequently harnessing this heat to drive processes that range from powering an electrical grid to driving a car. Heat generation necessarily consumes natural resources so minimizing waste generated during energy production is essential to making energy accessible, affordable, and enduring.

When it comes to sustainability, UW–Madison earns STARS Gold

Sustainability at UW–Madison: 2024–25 Highlights

In February 2024, Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin announced a university-wide environmental sustainability initiative centered around five goals: launching the Sustainability Research Hub to accelerate interdisciplinary research and external collaboration; attaining STARS Gold as a framework to drive cross-campus involvement; creating widely accessible sustainability educational experiences for all interested students; becoming a zero waste campus through improved systems, engagement, and materials management; and …

My Green Lab Certification Program Seeks More Early Adopters

Over the last three years, 21 labs on the UW–Madison campus have committed to becoming more sustainable by limiting waste, reducing energy consumption, and using greener chemicals. Through the Office of Sustainability (OS), these labs have completed the My Green Lab Certification Program to reduce their environmental impact and become early adopters of a system …

Free Energy-Saving Kits Available for UW–Madison Students and Employees

UW–Madison is participating in the Focus on Energy Higher Education Kit Challenge, encouraging eligible students and employees to claim a free home energy-saving kit using the code "HE-UWMD" by 10/31/24.

15 Ways Students Can Get Involved with UW–Madison’s New Sustainability Goals

In February 2024, Chancellor Mnookin announced a groundbreaking commitment to sustainability. Mnookin laid out five goals across fields of sustainability that will guide UW–Madison over the next two decades: achieve net-zero emissions by 2048, create a zero-waste campus by 2040, achieve STARS Gold by 2025 through cross-campus involvement, foster sustainability education, and catalyze sustainability research.   …

“Our mission is to try to save the world”: Karen Oberhauser heightens sustainability at the UW Arboretum 

This article, by Emily Morton, is part of a series highlighting members of the Office of Sustainability’s Experts Database. In a collaboration with instructor Madeline Fisher’s course, LSC 561: Writing Science for the Public, students interviewed campus sustainability experts and produced short feature stories. The landscapes and diverse plants and animals bring visitors to the …

UW–Madison Joins Focus on Energy Challenge, Encouraging Badgers to Claim Free Energy-Saving Kits

UW–Madison is participating in the Focus on Energy Higher Education Kit Challenge, encouraging eligible students and employees to claim a free home energy-saving kit using the code "HE-UWMD" by 10/31/23.

Where are they now? Narayani Varanasi interviews Cora Klemme

In our “Where Are They Now?” series, current student interns interview former interns about their experience at the Office of Sustainability, and in particular how that experience has helped them since graduation. In the following entry, Narayani Meghna Varanasi relates her conversation with Cora Klemme. Cora Kelmme interned with The Office of Sustainability (OS) from …