# 213: Electricity Doesn't Act Like an Apple

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2017-08-31
- Length: 1h 17m
- Episode: 213
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-31-213-electricity-doesnt-act-like-an-apple
- Listen: https://makingembeddedsystems.libsyn.com/213-electricity-doesnt-act-like-an-apple

## Summary

Gretchen Bakke, a professor of anthropology at McGill University and author of The Grid, discusses the physical and cultural realities of the US power grid. She explains that electricity must be balanced second-by-second, creating challenges as variable renewable sources like wind and solar replace controllable fossil fuel plants. Bakke argues for a shift from centralized, brittle infrastructure to resilient, modular microgrids and smart devices that can manage demand and storage locally.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-31-213-electricity-doesnt-act-like-an-apple#t=6) Introduction: Gretchen Bakke and The Grid
- [6:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-31-213-electricity-doesnt-act-like-an-apple#t=385) The Physics of the Grid: Balancing Generation and Load
- [15:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-31-213-electricity-doesnt-act-like-an-apple#t=914) The Storage Problem: Batteries vs. Demand Response
- [27:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-31-213-electricity-doesnt-act-like-an-apple#t=1639) Grid Complexity, Blackouts, and Resilience
- [37:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-31-213-electricity-doesnt-act-like-an-apple#t=2240) Microgrids, Islanding, and Community Resilience
- [44:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-31-213-electricity-doesnt-act-like-an-apple#t=2662) Building-Level Innovation and Swarm Electrification
- [51:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-31-213-electricity-doesnt-act-like-an-apple#t=3083) Molten Salt Storage and Renewable Integration
- [1:00:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-31-213-electricity-doesnt-act-like-an-apple#t=3649) Writing The Grid: Anthropology and Engineering

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Batteries & low-power design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/batteries-and-low-power)
- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future (other)
- McGill University (other)
- Enrail (company)
- Kodak (company)
- Rocky Mountain Institute (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [The Smart Grid with Paul Zawada](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-03-28-the-smart-grid-with-paul-zawada) (The Amp Hour)
- [Smart Grid](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2018-09-21-smart-grid) (EE Times Current)
- [Managing Energy At The Edge: Navigating The Modern Grid With Itron](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2024-09-05-managing-energy-at-the-edge-navigating-the-modern-grid-with-itron) (Over the Air)
- [What the grid can learn from the internet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-03-11-what-the-grid-can-learn-from-the-internet) (Catalyst)
- [Renewable Energy Policy with Ari Gerstman](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-05-02-renewable-energy-policy-with-ari-gerstman) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-31-213-electricity-doesnt-act-like-an-apple. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Embedded.fm.