Power At Sea Prize

Congratulations to the winners of the first phase of the Power at Sea Prize! The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) today announced 20 CONCEPT Phase winners, who were each awarded $10,000 in cash prizes and will now be eligible to compete in the second phase, DEVELOP. The winning submissions showcased a wide range of innovative concepts that leverage marine energy to power ocean-based activities. Read the full announcement from WPTO.

The winning teams are as follows (in alphabetical order):

• AquaSync (Ann Arbor, MI)  
• BlueBio&Beyond (Hoboken, NJ)  
• Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering (San Luis Obispo, CA)  
• Changzheng Huang (Irvine, CA)  
• E-Wave Technologies (Hoboken, NJ)  
• IMTAqua (Ithaca, NY)  
• OceaniCal (Berkeley, CA)  
• ODU Ocean Wave Energy (Norfolk, Virginia)  
• OffshoreLink (Hoboken, NJ)  
• Oscilla Power Inc. (Seattle, WA)  
• Pittsburgh Coastal Energy (Pittsburgh, PA)  
• Poseidon's Kite (Keswick, VA)  
• SEAquestration Team (Ithaca, NY)  
• Seatrec, Inc. (Vista, CA)
• Sperra (Boulder, CO)  
• Streaming Energy (Wendell, NC)  
• Team Michigan Tech (Houghton, MI)  
• Wave Water Works (Farmington Hills, MI)
• WaveRiders (Calverton, MD)
• Waverocker Energy (Montrose, CA)

The Power at Sea Prize CONCEPT Phase was one of WPTO’s most competitive challenges to date, and we appreciate the engagement and effort of all the teams who competed. We hope you will continue to advance your technologies and compete in future prizes from the American-Made program.  

The deadline is fast approaching to apply for the PBE: Power at Sea Prize this Friday, July 26, 2024, 3:00 p.m. MDT/ 5:00pm EDT

Reminder for last minute questions and feedback: 

HeroX Forum

Post your question on the forum. The forum is monitored M-F from 9:00am-5:00pm MT.

Final Days for Office Hours and One-on-One's

OpenSeas, through the Power Connector Program, is providing open office hours to support teams participating in the challenge. Registration will be via the Calendly application identified below.

Schedule:

• Tuesdays – 18 June through 23 July, from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm ET
• Wednesdays – 26 June through 24 July, from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm ET 
• Register here through calendly. 

One-on-One’s

Multiple 30-minute availabilities for providing support to individual teams to answer questions and provide mentoring. Requestors may reserve appointments for fixed available slots via the Calendly app, or schedule other times by contacting lparks@odu.edu.

Fixed 30-Minute Availabilities:

• Tuesdays – 25 June through 23 July, from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm ET
• Wednesdays – 26 June through 24 July, from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Register here through calendly.

Open Scheduling

• Check availability from 18 June through 23 July
• Contact lparks@odu.edu

Good luck!

The Power at Sea Prize Team

The deadline to apply for the PBE: Power at Sea Prize is: July 26, 2024, 3:00 p.m. MDT/ 5:00pm EDT

Questions? Join us for the: PBE: Power at Sea Prize APPLY! Webinar

We'll walk through the process to apply using HeroX and will answer questions live. Register here: https://nrel.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_NOLrDARnSdy0l1L05G98Pw#/registration

Can't make it? Post your general questions on the forum.

Looking for more personalized feedback on your submission? Schedule a one-on-one with OpenSeas or stop by an office hours:

Office hours

OpenSeas, through the Power Connector Program, is providing open office hours to support teams participating in the challenge. Registration will be via the Calendly application identified below.

Scheduled multiple times during June and July.

• Tuesdays – 18 June through 23 July, from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm ET
• Friday – 21 June, from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm ET
• Wednesdays – 26 June through 24 July, from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm ET 
• Register here through calendly. 

One-on-One’s

Multiple 30-minute availabilities for providing support to individual teams to answer questions and provide mentoring. Requestors may reserve appointments for fixed available slots via the Calendly app, or schedule other times by contacting lparks@odu.edu.

Fixed 30-Minute Availabilities:

• Thursday - 20 June, from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm ET
• Tuesdays – 25 June through 23 July, from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm ET
• Wednesdays – 26 June through 24 July, from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Register here through calendly.

Open Scheduling

• Check availability from 18 June through 23 July
• Contact lparks@odu.edu

Dear Power at Sea Prize Community, 

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Power at Sea Prize “Ask!” and “Explore!” webinars. Your engagement and curiosity truly enriched the discussions. For those who missed the live sessions or wish to revisit key moments, we’re pleased to announce that the recordings are now available on our American-Made Challenges YouTube channel. Please click on the links above to access the recordings.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue our webinar series with two more dynamic sessions, designed to further your understanding and spark your innovative spirit in marine energy solutions:

• Innovate!

Monday, June 24 at 2 p.m. ET (12 p.m. MT)

Join our experts from the Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office, Pacific Northwest National Lab, and National Renewable Energy Laboratory as we delve into an early-stage marine energy use case. This session will outline the specific challenges, the communities impacted, and the abundant opportunities available for new innovators. We aim to build a diverse community of innovators, welcoming those historically underrepresented in STEM and individuals new to Marine Energy. Don’t miss this chance to bring your ideas to life and compete in the first phase of the prize, CONCEPT, for a part of the $200,000 cash prize. 

Click here to register for the Innovate! webinar.

• OpenSeas Webinar: From Idea to Implementation

Tuesday, June 25, at 12.30 p.m. ET (10:30 a.m. MT)

Friday, June 28, at 4 p.m. ET (2 p.m. MT)

Taking an innovative idea to a successfully sustained enterprise that delivers its value to the world requires two major components that proceed in parallel – the development of technology, and the development of the business opportunity. This webinar will discuss the commercialization process – and how to increase the probability of your success beyond the Power at Sea Challenge.

Register here through Calendly.

Finally, do you need mentorship with your CONCEPT Phase submission? Then sign up for a (free!) individual team consultation, or join the open office hours provided by our prize Power Connector: OpenSeas. Their organization is here to provide invaluable support to all the teams participating in the challenge. Click here to see specific times available.

Don’t wait! Register now to secure your spot in the Power At Sea Prize: Innovate! webinar, OpenSeas Webinar: From Idea to Implementation. Be sure to sign up for consulting time with OpenSeas, so that your team can make the most of these opportunities to enhance your submissions.

Looking forward to connecting soon,

The Power at Sea Prize Administrative Team

Celebrate Earth Day by joining the Power at Sea Prize: Explore webinar, on April 22, at 2 p.m. ET. This enlightening session will introduce the crucial role you can play in advancing sustainable solutions for marine renewable energy. We’ll cover the various types, practical applications, and the challenges facing the field. We’ll also review the basic details of the Power at Sea Prize, including its structure, cash prizes, and important submission reminders. 

Whether you’re a stakeholder in marine technologies, a researcher, or simply curious about marine renewable energy, this webinar will equip you with essential information and an opportunity to engage with experts from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Don’t miss out on this informative event! Click here to register.