The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a Wave Energy Prize competition with a prize purse totaling more than $2 million available for top ranking teams.
In a keynote presentation yesterday during the joint opening session of the annual National Hydropower Association and International Marine Renewable Energy Conferences, DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Assistant Secretary Dr. Dave Danielson announced the Wave Energy Prize. The prize will encourage the development of game-changing wave energy conversion (WEC) devices that double the energy captured from ocean waves, which in turn will reduce the cost of wave energy, making it more competitive with traditional energy solutions.
“Prize challenges are an effective way to spur innovation and solve tough problems by attracting, untapped talent,” said Dorgelo. “By reaching beyond existing communities of interest, prize challenges source out-of-discipline perspectives that can yield outstanding and novel solutions. This effort brings new perspectives to the table with minimal risk.”
The 20-month design-build-test competition will offer participants seed money and a chance to take part in two rounds of testing, the second being an opportunity for finalists to test their scaled WEC prototypes at the nation’s most advanced wave-making facility, the Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Maneuvering and Seakeeping (MASK) Basin at Carderock, Md., beginning in the summer of 2016.
Registration for the Wave Energy Prize is scheduled to remain open until June 15.
Image: doe