Announcing the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC)
Oregon State University (OSU) and University of Washington (UW) are partnering to develop the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC) with a full range of capabilities to support wave and tidal energy development for the United States.
NNMREC activities are structured to close key gaps in understanding, inform regulatory and policy decisions, and facilitate wave energy conversion (WEC) device commercialization.
NNMREC objectives are met through testing, research, modeling, education and outreach at university facilities and in the field. NNMREC leverages marine energy expertise, facilities, and programs at both OSU and the UW.For example, •Wave efforts include the development of “mobile” test berths for full-scale wave device testing. Testing and evaluation are needed to identify best practices for maintenance and quality control of wave energy systems and refine wave energy power measurements. •Tidal efforts also focus on the development of a “mobile” instrumentation packages for device and environmental monitoring. The packages leverage the expertise of industry partners to address the needs of all stakeholders in a cost-effective manner. •Wave and tidal efforts evaluate environmental and ecosystem impacts through numerical models of devices operating in coastal and estuarine environments, validated by observational data from pilot testing. The focus is on the effects of large-scale deployment of this technology. Results are shared with local, state, and federal agencies to inform policy decisions and presented to stakeholders and the public through educational materials and workshops. •Wave and tidal device and array optimization utilizes detailed numerical models calibrated against observational data from pilot tests. Models initially focus on individual devices and then scale up to arrays of devices for investigation of both near- and far-field dynamics. •Wave energy forecasting is improved for offshore locations and extended to the near shore environment where wave energy devices will be deployed. •Wave and tidal reliability and survivability is investigated and enhanced by the application of corrosion and bio-fouling resistant materials, including new structural composites. |
NNMREC’s objectives are to:•Develop facilities to serve as an integrated, standardized test Center for U.S. and international developers of wave and tidal energy;•Evaluate potential environmental, ecosystem, and human dimension impacts, focusing on the compatibility of marine energy technologies in areas with sensitive environments and existing users;
•Study and consult on device and array optimization for effective deployment of wave and tidal energy technologies; •Improve forecasting of the wave energy resource; and •Increase reliability and survivability of marine energy systems. |
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