Lessons Learned Collected from the Marine Energy Sector
This page outlines the methods for data collection and analysis, presents the main lessons learned, and highlights links to relevant resources.
The U.S. Portal and Repository for Information on Marine Renewable Energy (PRIMRE) is a centralized system that brings together U.S. marine energy data and information. PRIMRE is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) and led by a multi-lab team (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory [PNNL], National Renewable Energy Laboratory [NREL], and Sandia National Laboratories [Sandia]). The PRIMRE team aims to improve the discoverability and accessibility of marine energy data and information through the PRIMRE web portal and its seven Knowledge Hubs. PRIMRE also highlights many other resources intended to support the growing marine energy community.
As part of this effort, the PRIMRE team is conducting interviews with marine energy subject matter experts to collect lessons learned from past and present marine energy research, development, and deployment projects. The study seeks to capture these lessons to help ensure that knowledge is not lost, past mistakes are avoided, and hard-won successes are capitalized on. The team also aims to identify where PRIMRE, DOE WPTO, and the industry as a whole may improve access to relevant information and resources.
Methods
So far, the PRIMRE team has conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with U.S. marine energy subject matter experts (in 2020 and 2021). Among the interviewees, three were from academia, eight were from industry (six wave and two tidal developers), and four were from other groups (e.g., consultancies, test centers). Each interview was semi-structured, conversational, and included a blend of closed- and open-ended questions, including:
- What worked well/did not work well for the project or project team?
- Were there any impacts to the project's timeline?
- Were changes in system or subsystem design necessary?
- What lessons did you learn that might/might not be applicable to other projects?
The PRIMRE team conducted all interviews in accordance with the Institutional Review Board requirements for human subjects research. All direct identifiers were removed from interview transcripts by replacing the identifying text (i.e., participant name) with encrypted identifiers. The team then used a spreadsheet to compile de-identified interviewee information and the data collected from each interview (i.e., interviewee's insights organized into distinct quotes).
To analyze the data, the PRIMRE team tagged each individual quote with one to two corresponding themes, reviewed and synthesized the content within each theme, and examined the connections among themes. To assist with further theme review and analysis, insights from the manual tagging of interview content were also supplemented by natural language processing. Finally, the PRIMRE team developed recommendations for further research and examined how the outcomes could support the industry.
Main Themes
Overall, the lessons learned, challenges, and successes identified during the interviews fit into 17 themes that span the entire marine energy development lifecycle, from developing key concepts and effective business plans, to identifying and procuring funding, securing services from the supply chain, and satisfying environmental permitting requirements. Many of the themes showed strong correlation to one another; for example, issues around maintaining funding streams related strongly to business planning, and information associated with foundations and anchors related strongly to the design-build-test experience.
In the following subsections, the 17 themes identified are described in detail. Each subsection includes a description of the theme, lessons learned and key findings from the subject matter expert interviews, and a list of relevant resources.
Business Management
Business management is the coordination and organization of business activities, including hiring and managing personnel, proposal writing, financial management, and market strategy.
Lessons Learned
- Subject matter experts noted key aspects of their general business strategies, including:
- Growing at the right speed (not too fast)
- Having clarity about the markets they're targeting
- Keeping core competencies in-house and contracting out other needs
- Creating flexibility to take advantage of different funding opportunities
- Discussions highlighted the importance of managing relationships with others, including:
- Developing and maintaining long-term relationships with key partners, suppliers, and other collaborators.
- Understanding funders', suppliers', universities', and other collaborators' differing timelines (e.g., academic calendar, fiscal year calendar).
- So far, many marine energy companies have had to act as both technology and project developers.
Relevant Resources
Collaboration
Collaboration occurs when organizations work together towards a shared goal, such as technology developers working together with academia, national labs, suppliers, and others.
Lessons Learned
- Long-term collaborations and partnerships are needed to build a successful business, not just a single project.
- Subject matter experts highlighted the benefits and challenges of collaborating with national labs, universities, and other partners, including:
- Opportunities to leverage national lab expertise and resources, especially for small companies.
- Adapting to university/student timelines and requirements.
- Subject matter experts expressed varying opinions on which capabilities should be developed in-house, which should be contracted out, or collaborations sought for.
- Subject matter experts highlighted the importance of developing and maintaining long-term relationships with key partners, suppliers, etc.
- Though common for early industries, there's been limited collaboration and cooperation among companies in the marine energy industry.
Relevant Resources
- Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research (TEAMER)
- University Marine Energy Research Community (UMERC)
- Marine Energy Projects Database
- National Hydropower Association Members Directory
- National Hydropower Association's Marine Energy Council
Contracting
Contracting is when two or more organizations enter into a formal and legally binding agreement for goods or services. Contracting is closely associated with business management and collaboration, and may involve negotiations, contingencies, and non-disclosure agreements.
Lessons Learned
- Most subject matter experts found that once they learned the ropes, contracting was a standard business practice and not necessarily too hard.
- Subject matter experts suggested that creating templates for contracts, non-disclosure agreements, etc. helped streamline the process.
- Several subject matter experts described contracting challenges associated with:
- Finding the right partner, establishing relationships, and communicating.
- Incorporating contingencies into contracts.
Relevant Resources
- National Hydropower Association Members Directory
- National Hydropower Association's Marine Energy Council
Data Collection, Analysis, & Reporting
Data collection, analysis, and reporting are key aspects of the research and development process. Data are information, such as measurements or statistics, that can be collected in a field, lab, or desk setting, and used to support decision making. For example, data can be used to develop and validate numerical models, support technoeconomic assessments, and inform siting and permitting activities.
Lessons Learned
- Subject matter experts highlighted the importance and advantages of using:
- Quantitative and qualitative assessment criteria and processes.
- Comprehensive data collection and storage protocols.
- Advanced modeling and simulation tools.
- Discussions highlighted challenges with collecting too much or too little data, and emphasized the need for sufficient time to analyze data.
- Subject matter experts also noted benefits of open access data and tools, and the importance of doing experimental and numerical work in parallel.
- If it's junk in, it's junk out. When working with labs and test centers, it's important to provide calibrated sensors, use the correct conditions, and ensure clear communication.
Relevant Resources
- Marine Energy System Advisor Model (SAM)
- Marine Hydrokinetic Toolkit (MHKiT)
- Marine and Hydrokinetic Data Repository (MHKDR)
- Marine Energy Software
- Telesto
Design, Build, & Test
Design, build, and test are all key steps in the research and development process. This theme encompasses technical approaches (e.g., systems engineering, numerical modeling, requirements, design trade-offs), economic assessments (e.g., Technology Performance Level [TPL], market analysis), and testing of devices (e.g., waterproofing, experimental design).
Lessons Learned
- Technical Approach
- Subject matter experts highlighted the benefits to designing simplified systems (e.g., less complex, less moving parts, less material). There's also value in developing devices that are end user friendly, as plug and play as possible, and modular.
- Discussions highlighted the value of iterative design and systems engineering (understanding requirements for each component). Don't be afraid to pivot in terms of technology. Develop work from first principles. Everything you've learned will influence the next design.
- If you can't understand it yourself, you can't rely on others to understand it for you. If you rely on external consultants to do the design work for you, they may not understand what you want to achieve or have the experience you need. It's better to bring the expertise in house for design work, and get someone else to build for you.
- Subject matter experts highlighted the importance of taking hydrodynamics into account. You don't necessarily need to do computational fluid dynamics from day one, but you want to consider and have someone who understands it from day one.
- The wave regime in which you operate will have important design implications, so having detailed resource assessments and high-fidelity load predictions is really important.
- In some cases, designing the mooring system can be more difficult than designing the device itself (e.g., challenges around length of cable, maintenance, access, installation, environmental concerns), so there are benefits to siting in shallower waters that don't require moorings.
- Discussions highlighted challenges working at small scales (e.g., instrumentation, uncertainty scaling up).
- Stay small as long as you can. If you can't get your device to work at 1:15 scale, then there's no way to get it to work at full scale.
- Discussions highlighted the value of using existing resources, including advanced numerical tools (e.g., for understanding hydrodynamics, maximizing performance), the International Electrotechnical Commission standards, and the technology qualification process.
- Importance of understanding radiation patterns and general limits of your device.
- If you're in a high latitude environment, you do not want your device to be on the surface (due to ice and debris concerns).
- Prototype in steel (not composites) to allow for greater flexibility and save time and money during the prototyping and assembly phases.
- Economic Assessment
- It's important to have a techno economic review during the iterative design cycles, and to consider the economies of scale.
- Try to develop systems based on market feedback (e.g., designing systems to be deployed in remote communities should keep transportation and local capabilities in mind). Using the market to guide different aspects of your technologies is important.
- If something is going awry, worrying about increases in time and cost is never a reason to not stop. You're never too deep to stop and restart.
- From the get-go, you need to think about whether it will work and whether it'll be cost efficient.
- Reducing the cost to weight ratio is key.
- Discussions highlighted benefits of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Technology Performance Level Assessment process.
- Testing & Deployment
- It's important to have an offshore site with good communications and power (e.g., high amount of data communications and electrical systems support).
- You need to be 100% sure your device is water tight before any testing.
- It's important to design your system with safety, deployment, maintainability, operation etc. in mind (e.g., getting onboard, infrastructure needs, logistics).
- Don't be over ambitious in the test tank, and make sure you have time on the back end to analyze and validate the test program.
- If it's junk in, it's junk out. When working with labs and test centers, it's important to provide calibrated sensors, use the correct conditions, and ensure clear communication.
- If you're trying to test scale model representation, the real key is friction. When you go past the lab, you have to design a certain level of robustness into the system, and what happens is that you introduce a lot of static and dynamic friction. Minimizing those parasitic forces from day one is key.
- Getting devices in the water gives you an opportunity to refine your approach (e.g., more cost competitive, more durable devices, improved safety).
- One subject matter expert's experience highlighted the importance of knowing the structural loads of your testing infrastructure and communicating effectively with partners.
Relevant Resources
- Technology Performance Level (TPL) Assessment
- International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Committee 114 Standards
- Signature Project: Reference Model Project
- Signature Project: MHKiT (Marine and Hydrokinetic Toolkit)
- Signature Project: WEC-Sim (Wave Energy Converter SIMulator)
- Marine Energy Software
- Telesto
Environmental Monitoring
Environmental monitoring technologies are used to understand the interactions between marine energy devices and the environment (e.g., marine animals, habitats, and ecosystem processes). Environmental monitoring is typically required as part of the siting and permitting processes for any new development, and may also be required during project construction and operations.
Lessons Learned
- Developers often underestimate the level of effort for environmental monitoring, and it is often harder, more time consuming, and more expensive than initially assumed.
- Benefits of adaptive management approach (e.g., the adaptive management approach provided their regulators with more flexibility and enables developers to modify their permits and licenses and dial back monitoring as they learn more). Requires early communication and stakeholder involvement.
- Importance of frequent and early communication with regulators. Direct communications with smaller groups of decision makers in the regulatory community led to a more streamlined process.
- Importance of proportionality (proportional effort to the level of risk).
Relevant Resources
- Tethys
- OES-Environmental
- Triton Initiative
Foundations, Moorings, & Anchors
Foundations, moorings, and anchors are key components of offshore developments. Structures such as monopiles and gravity-based foundations are typically used to support marine energy devices that are placed on a waterbody's floor. Floating marine energy devices typically require mooring lines and anchors to maintain their position in the water column.
Lessons Learned
- Discussions highlighted that selection and design of foundations and/or moorings involves site-specific, environmental, and cost considerations.
- In some cases, designing the mooring system can be more difficult than designing the device itself. Considering different options and costs is important.
- Several subject matter experts highlighted anchors and the vessels needed to deploy them as a significant industry challenge.
- Reducing the cost to weight ratio of devices is key.
Relevant Resources
Funding
Funding is money provided by an organization or government entity for a particular purpose. There are a variety of funding sources (e.g., public, private) and mechanisms (e.g., Funding Opportunity Announcement [FOA], Small Business Innovation Research [SBIR]), Prizes) that can be leveraged to support marine energy research and development, as well as a range of funding requirements (e.g., cost-share, reporting, reviews) to consider for each.
Lessons Learned
- Funding Source
- There are pros and cons of different funding sources (public vs. private), as well as DOE's various funding mechanisms (e.g., prizes, FOAs, SBIRs).
- The fundamental nature of public funding is that it always comes with time, budget, and scope limitations. Having private funding as well is key, but it can be difficult to raise private funding, especially at low Technology Readiness Levels.
- Funding Mechanism
- There's a disconnect in terms of continuity of funding sources and efforts. Being able to start at an early phase, and having opportunities for follow up funding that allows you to mature a technology would be really useful.
- Prizes are a great way to generate ideas but they're riskier for small business, they don't always lead to technology innovation, and there's limited continuity of funding.
- Small companies are limited by burn rate.
- Funding Requirements
- Managing a grant is a lot of work. Having a dedicated staff for proposals, funding, contracting, reporting, and delivering milestones is key.
- Cost share is a challenge. Finding partners who can accept 20%+ cost share becomes increasingly difficult at later stages of development (e.g., manufacturing, construction), especially for smaller companies.
Relevant Resources
- Marine Energy Prizes and Competitions
- Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs (SBIR/STTR)
- DOE EERE FOAs
- Water Power Funding Opportunities
- Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research (TEAMER)
- Water Power Newsletters (Subscribe to The Water Wire and The Water Column for updates on WPTO funding and other relevant opportunities.)
- Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) Funding Opportunity Exchange
- Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) Funding Opportunity Exchange
- Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office
Intellectual Property
Intellectual property is a tangible or intangible asset, such as a product or protocol, that the law protects from unauthorized use by others. Inventions, such as marine energy devices or their components, can be protected through patents, copyrights, trademarks, and other methods.
Lessons Learned
- Most subject matter experts reported few issues with intellectual property agreements and noted advantages of proactively discussing details ahead of time.
- Others noted headaches related to:
- Hesitation to file for patents due to expensive and complicated processes.
- Challenges collaborating with universities and/or national labs, and following specific project timelines (e.g., academic year, fiscal year).
- Lack of in-house legal and contracting expertise.
Relevant Resources
Logistics and Onshore & Offshore Marine Operations
Logistics and onshore and offshore marine operations includes the planning and management of support services, such as the provision and coordination of maritime vessel operations, and all other aspects of preparation for the installation, maintenance, or decommissioning of an offshore project, as well as its execution.
Lessons Learned
- Subject matter experts agreed that the offshore environment is inherently challenging to work in and highlighted the importance of safety and trying to minimize time on water, and maximize/optimize operations on land before deployment.
- Subject matter experts also discussed the importance of thorough planning and communication:
- Having extremely detailed, written plans for installation is invaluable.
- Communicating expectations with the boat captain early.
- Finding a good project partner is key.
- Several subject matter experts identified the Jones Act as an industry challenge.
- Subject matter experts also identified several important safety considerations.
- Importance of designing a system with operations, maintenance, and safety considerations in mind, and involving partners with knowledge and expertise in these areas.
Relevant Resources
Manufacturing & Assembly
Manufacturing encompasses the process of production from raw or semi-raw materials through to a finished product ready for sale, while assembly is the actual construction of a finished product from components or partially-compiled units.
Lessons Learned
- Discussions highlighted subject matter experts' use of manufacturers for key components, assembling devices in house, and the importance of design iterations.
- Subject matter experts highlighted challenges of working with manufacturers who work in the 10s of millions-of-products scales and noted the limited capabilities for off-the-shelf products, particularly for marine energy applications.
- Subject matter experts highlighted the importance of having a quality management system, risk management framework, documents procedures, etc.
Relevant Resources
- Workshop Report on Materials & Manufacturing for Marine Energy Technologies
- Blade Materials & Structures Testing Database
Market Focus
Market focus is the extent to which a business identifies, concentrates, and capitalizes on a defined market, such as grid-scale power markets or alternative markets, such as powering the blue economy (e.g., aquaculture, ocean observations, remote communities).
Lessons Learned
- Subject matter experts have found that presenting marine energy for grid scale applications has been challenging (e.g., due to falling costs of solar and wind).
- Targeting alternative markets within the blue economy has received much more traction (e.g., remote communities, ocean observation, desalination, aquaculture, resorts, and real estate development).
- Subject matter experts highlighted the importance of designing for the market (e.g., building with transport and local capabilities in mind for remote communities).
Relevant Resources
- Powering the Blue Economy Initiative
- Grid Value Proposition of Marine Energy: A Preliminary Analysis
Resource Assessment & Site Characterization
Resource assessment and site characterization are two key components of any offshore energy development that can inform the project's overall design and execution. Resource assessment is the process of estimating the theoretical, technical, and practical resource potential in an area. Site characterization is the process of developing an understanding of the geologic, hydrologic, and other properties at a site.
Lessons Learned
- Subject matter experts discussed resource assessment, site characterization, the use of buoys and other tools, and the need for increased fidelity, highlighting the:
- Importance of detailed resource characterization records with high spatial and temporal resolution.
- Importance of understanding local site characteristics to optimize siting and device design (e.g., for load predictions).
- Benefits of freely sharing buoy data.
- Challenges associated with a lack of data (e.g., on seabed composition) led to more conservative project designs and higher project costs.
Relevant Resources
Siting & Permitting
Siting and permitting activities are typically required for deploying devices, including for testing activities, and require navigating local, state, and federal compliance requirements. Specific requirements likely vary from region to region.
Lessons Learned
- Subject matter experts noted differences in regulator awareness and understanding (lots of unknowns and challenges, but some understand the issues), highlighting the importance of education and engagement.
- Subject matter experts discussed major pitfalls attributed to miscommunication, politics and personalities, stakeholder opposition, and outdated information.
- Solutions ranged from strategic engagement to adaptive management, such as:
- Developing in-house capabilities.
- Applying a proportional level of effort to the risk.
- Using available information (e.g., through Tethys).
Relevant Resources
- Signature Project: Marine Energy Resource Assessment and Characterization
- OES-Environmental
- Tethys
- Tethys Engineering
- Marine Energy Toolkit
- Marine Energy Atlas
Skills, Experiences, & Competencies
Skills, experiences, and competencies encompass the knowledge needed by project personnel and partners to successfully execute a project. These may include experience with past offshore energy deployments, numerical modeling capabilities, and more.
Lessons Learned
- Most subject matter experts noted the importance of:
- Leveraging seasoned experts.
- Developing a well-balanced team.
- Growing your team at the right speed.
- Balancing core competencies with areas for collaboration.
- Discussions also highlighted the benefits of collaborating with national labs, as well as strategically developing expertise with collaborators.
Relevant Resources
- University Marine Energy Research Community (UMERC)
- Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research (TEAMER)
Stakeholder Engagement & Public Relations
Stakeholder engagement is the process an organization uses to engage and influence relevant stakeholders for a particular purpose, while public relations is the relationship between an organization and the public. Both are crucial to a successful offshore energy deployment.
Lessons Learned
- Subject matter experts generally underestimated the potential for opposition, as well as the time and resources needed for effective stakeholder engagement. Some experienced unexpected push back (e.g., from cable operators, tribal communities), which highlights the importance of identifying and engaging all stakeholders
- Discussions also highlighted the importance of early and often communication, and developing and maintaining good public relations.
- Balancing the number of people engaged with decision-makers helps tackle issues quicker and with fewer holdups.
- Engaging the local communities and workforce (e.g., demos, trainings) helps them to develop buy-in and a sense of ownership.
Relevant Resources
Supply Chain
Supply chains are networks of individuals and organizations involved in the production and distribution of a product or service, such as a marine energy device. A marine energy supply chain can be broken into various segments, including technology developers, manufacturers and suppliers, project developers, engineering and construction companies, research and development organizations, and business services.
Lessons Learned
- Subject matter experts noted a lack of capabilities in the U.S. as an industry challenge.
- Primary best practices are focused on:
- Leveraging existing industries' assets, capabilities, and experience.
- Engaging with suppliers early and building long-term relationships.
- Understanding major suppliers' culture and timelines.
- Several subject matter experts noted opportunities to develop local expertise through current engagements.
Conclusion
The marine energy industry is advancing from early-stage research and development towards small scale deployments, and moving towards commercialization of devices around the world. Many U.S. marine energy device developers, researchers, and test center staff have been active in the industry for a decade or more and have amassed considerable knowledge and practical skills on the research, development, and deployment of devices. This project sought to capture the lessons they have learned, many of which are not routinely documented in project reports or papers. By interviewing the group of marine energy professionals, this project ensures that knowledge is not lost, that past mistakes are avoided, and that later entries into the field can capitalize on the successes of the early adopters. The format used for the interviews was purposely informal, to allow the participants to provide information in the most comfortable and appropriate way that would enable them to tell their stories.
The participants chosen and the format applied to these interviews limit the manner in which the resulting data can be interpreted. Although the informal nature of the interviews yielded rich content and uncommon information, it did not lend itself to standard analytical techniques, largely preventing quantitative analyses and outcomes. Similarly, the small sample size (15 interviews) limited the replication and outcomes that a larger sample might have allowed. It is important to note however that the number of experienced marine energy practitioners in the U.S. is small, and the interviews included many of the major players. In the future, this process could be duplicated as more developers, researchers, and others enter the industry.
In addition, the information gathered from the interviews is heavily biased based on the experience of the individual. The anonymity of those interviewed was protected; however, it was clear to the interviewers, who know the marine energy community, that many of the opinions and information provided were the result of specific interactions the interviewee had had with funding agencies, supply chain operators, other companies, and research institutions. These opinions often resulted in contradictory information on topics: for example, certain developers felt the need to remain faithful to a single design of marine energy device, incrementally improving on the design, while others advocated pivoting towards wholly different operational designs as they discovered new information. Similarly, the ethos expounded by developers on business development strategies and the pathway their companies might take to be successful differed considerably.
The interviews and subsequent analyses yielded some intriguing results. However, by restricting the interviews to U.S. marine energy practitioners, the results provide only a small slice of the information that the international industry and research community might yield. Considering the history and nature of the marine energy industry to date, with a preponderance of commercial activity taking place in the U.K. and Europe, interviewing the international marine energy community would provide additional richness to the results.
How to Contribute
The PRIMRE team is continuing interviews with U.S. developers and other members of the marine energy community. If you would like to participate, or simply contribute additional resources to this page, please contact PRIMREHelp@groups.nrel.gov.