Faculty with the Wisconsin Energy Institute are working with a mechanical engineering professor and industry partners to develop more sustainable heating systems for older buildings. 

The goal is to use lignin to produce valuable aromatic chemicals – hexagonal molecules such as benzene, toluene, and xylene – that are currently derived from petroleum as part of the refining process. What sets the project apart is the new reactor design allows scientists to gather data that will help improve the process at larger scales.

WESTBY, WIS. — The University of Wisconsin­­–Madison College of Engineering is a partner in a major new project led by Dairyland Power Cooperative that will create well-paying jobs, significantly reduce emissions and lower energy costs for rural Wisconsin communities.

Back in 2010, Jeff Vinokur was a college student with an interest in biofuels when he donned a rhinestone lab coat, busted some dance moves and launched a career as a science educator.

Despite thousands of discoveries, patents, and technological breakthroughs, many of the University of Wisconsin–Madison's greatest contributions have been basic research, the quest to better understand fundamental aspects of the world and provide the knowledge that underpin technological advances

Tim Donohue never imagined that he would lead a multimillion-dollar energy research initiative when joined the university in 1986 as an assistant professor of bacteriology.

Research points to environmental, economic, social, and health benefits of shifting energy systems from fossil fuels to low-carbon sources including solar, wind, hydro, nuclear, and biofuels.