Wave energy devices receive $10M in funding for testing

The U.S. Department of Energy, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy recently announced funding for the testing of a wave energy device using marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) technology. These tests will be conducted to fully determine the viability of this device in helping America achieve its renewable energy goals. Two companies, the Ocean Energy USA and Northwest Energy Innovations will be the recipients of the $10 million fund and are expected to test their innovative wave energy conversion (WEC) equipment for one year.

The tests will be conducted in new deep test berths at the Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) located off the water of Marine Corps Base in Hawaii.

Wave energy technology in America on the rise

This wave energy device can be a source of clean energy since the technology it uses can convert the energy of waves, tides, rivers and ocean currents into renewable electricity.

Homes and businesses across the country could potentially be powered by the electricity generated by this device. The United States is blessed with one of the widest and longest coastal areas in the world and the MHK technologies have the capacity to realize their full energy potential.

With the $10 million grant, the device will be put into all the paces to see if it can really provide the amount of renewable electricity that the country needs.

Government funded testing to confirm viability of wave energy in the U.S.

The comprehensive test will collect vital information about its performance, reliability, and cost data. This will confirm if indeed WEC devices, which are in their late stage of technological development, can really provide ample, reliable clean energy.

One of the two companies receiving the grant, Ocean Energy USA, will use the lessons it has learned from previous quarter-scale test deployments. This previous test has led the company to make design improvements for a full-scale deployment of its Ocean Energy Buoy at the WETS.

The other wave energy company, Northwest Energy Innovations, is set to build and test its full-scale model of the Azura WEC device. To maximize energy capture, this machine extracts power from the vertical and horizontal motions of waves.

Hawaii’s grid-connected open water test site set to be the location for testing

The tests will be done in the U.S. Navy’s WETS in Hawaii because it is the country’s only grid-connected open water test site. Therefore it is a critical step in gathering performance data that will determine the cost drivers that will help in the development and commercialization of MHK technologies.

The Navy also sees the need to assess the performance, durability, and environmental impact of the WEC device. It intends to do this by managing the required infrastructure and testing opportunities to assess the feasibility of using WEC technologies in areas where costs of electricity are high.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the U.S. Department of Energy is prioritizing this test because it is tasked with fast-tracking the development and deployment of viable and feasible technologies that focus on renewable energy sources.

Its responsibilities also include identifying market-based solutions that will ensure the security of U.S. energy, its environmental quality and economic viability.

 

AmericanSolarQuotes.com
This article was originally published by Eddy Buckley on AmericanSolarQuotes.com

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