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Marine energy devices have the potential to deliver gigantic amounts of power―if they can survive the ocean's punishing conditions. Innovative system designs are needed to convert wave movements into electricity, but the sea is vast and complex, and deployment in these remote locations is expensive.

Created by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia), the Marine and Hydrokinetic Toolkit (MHKiT) can save time and money in the assessment of breakthrough technologies in marine renewable energy (MRE) and their performance under a wide range of aquatic conditions.

How can researchers and developers overcome obstacles and harness the full potential of MRE, a small fraction of which could provide enough electricity to power approximately 22 million U.S. homes?

Part of the solution lies with the measurement of waves and ocean currents, as well as power production, using real-world and modeled data. MHKiT supplies the data validation and standardized analysis tools needed to make informed decisions and maximize the potential clean power generated from this abundant supply.

NREL research involving MHKiT and other tools is helping maximize the amount of renewable marine energy captured from the ocean and other bodies of water. Credit: NREL

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