Wave Energy Prize challenge, launched by the US Department of Energy, will unveil the winner(s) of the 18-month long competition on November 16.
The winner(s) will be revealed during the Wave Energy Prize Innovation Showcase to be held at Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock, Maryland.
The competition, which started back in spring 2015, saw 9 finalist teams overcome several challenges including writing technical submissions, test plans, and build plans; construction of 1:50 scale models; small-scale testing; and numerical modelling of their WEC’s performance.
Finally, after building 1:20 scale WEC prototypes, the teams completed the testing of their devices at the Navy’s Maneuvering and Seakeeping (MASK) Basin in Carderock.
“For our teams, whether they are the winner of the $1.5 million grand prize or not, November 16 is not the end, but rather a new beginning. In the months following the Prize, the teams will analyze the data obtained during testing at the MASK Basin to help bring their innovative technologies to the market,” Wave Energy Prize administration said.
Having completed all testing activities, the teams are now waiting for the judges to determine how many teams were able to meet or exceed the Prize’s goal of doubling the energy captured from ocean waves, and to ultimately announce whose technology met or exceeded the required average climate capture width per characteristic capital expenditure (ACE) value and produced the highest hydrodynamic performance quality (HPQ).