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Shedding Light on the Power Grid

How does power get to the people who use it?

In this episode of Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast, we talk about one of the greatest engineering accomplishments of the 20th century -- something we use every day, but often take for granted: the electric grid. 

We talk to an expert about how power travels to our electric sockets, and hear about how one city -- hit with major power outages during Superstorm Sandy in 2012 -- is preparing for the next storm with something called a microgrid. 

* CORRECTION: Superstorm Sandy happened in October 2012, not October 2014 as we said in an earlier version of the podcast. We apologize for our error.

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Infographic: Understanding the Grid

In the episode, we talk with Liz Dalton about how the grid works, but if you're more of a visual learner, we have an infographic and a video all about understanding the grid. 

How Microgrids Work

Even with the help of experts like Abraham Ellis, microgrids can be hard to understand. Get more detail and more examples of microgrids at work in this blog post about how microgrids work.

SURE House: Solar Decathlon 2015 Winner

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Stevens University took home first place at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015, a grueling two-year competition that challenged students from 14 colleges and universities around the world to design and build energy-efficient, solar-powered houses. 

Based in Hoboken, New Jersey, the Stevens team drew on the experiences of team members like Allison Outwater (hear her story in this episode) during Superstorm Sandy to create their storm-resistant "SURE House" design that could also help a community recover from a disaster.

Interested in learning more about the Solar Decathlon? Check out the website for photos, video and the latest news about the upcoming competiton in 2017.

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