Centipod Wins $1.8M US DOE Funding to Design Innovative Wave Energy Converter

US DOE

DOE Announces $25 Million for Cutting-Edge Wave Energy Research

  • Centipod has been selected for support from the US Department of Energy, through parent company Dehlsen Associates, to complete the design of the Centipod 1P6 Wave Energy Converter (WEC)
  • This project will also begin the prototype certification process and ensure IEC and IEEE standards compliance

The Centipod 1P6 (C1P6) point absorber WEC, leverages a light-weight prime mover and active control to achieve tuning to the incident sea-states and highly efficient wave power conversion. The C1P6 WEC utilizes the TTI Netbuoy prime mover sub-system developed to provide the light-weight, low-cost, robust prime mover pod. This is coupled to the Centipod linear direct drive PTO that is also at high technology readiness level (TRL). The C1P6 is therefore a novel WEC system, capitalizing upon, and and integrating well developed sub-systems.

The C1P6 is a well-placed entry for wave energy, with a size that will allow for deployment as part of small utility-scale wave farms, micro-grids, or for non-grid blue economy applications.

We’re thrilled to once again have the support of DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office. With this support, innovative technologies like ours can leap to commercialization, enabling a low carbon future with greater diversity of renewable technologies.

Alan McCall, Centipod Program Director

I am happy to see the Department of Energy’s recognition and continued support for the Central Coast’s own Dehlsen Associates for their work to capture wave energy. Wave energy promises to be an important component of our clean energy future and I’m proud to represent businesses like Dehlsen Associates, which has a long history of innovative solutions to the renewable energy challenges we face.

U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)