MADWEC Wave Energy Converter Techno-Economic Analysis Scenarios

An assessment of 18 scenarios compares the Maximal Asymmetric Drag Wave Energy Converter (MADWEC) against photovoltaic solar buoys and battery swapping for AUV charging and remote monitoring. The analysis, conducted by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth for the TEAMER RFTS 7 program, models capital expenditures (CapEx), operational expenditures (OpEx), and power performance across three locations.

Use Cases

• Compare total system cost (CapEx + OpEx) across 18 scenarios involving three power sources (MADWEC, PV solar buoy, battery swapping) and two end-uses.
• Identify key cost drivers for wave energy converter deployment by analyzing CapEx and OpEx estimates for nearshore, far-offshore, and high-latitude locations.
• Evaluate the power performance of MADWEC in terms of required installed capacity and estimated theoretical annual energy output relative to alternative power sources.
• Develop high-level installation, operation, and maintenance plans using the model's outputs for AUV charging and offshore remote monitoring applications.

Strengths

• Analysis is based on 18 distinct scenarios combining two end-uses, three power sources, and three geographic locations.
• Model provides structured estimates for key financial and performance metrics: CapEx, OpEx, and power performance.
• The techno-economic model has a dynamic format allowing for custom inputs to accommodate future system changes.

Limitations

• The dataset is a static analysis model (Excel file) rather than a time-series or observational dataset with rows and columns of raw data.
• Findings are based on modeled estimates and projections, not on empirical operational data from deployed systems.
• Geographic scope is limited to three generalized location types (nearshore, far-offshore, high-latitude) without specific site coordinates.

Provenance

Source

Department of Energy, TEAMER RFTS 7 program.

Collection Method

Techno-economic model created in Microsoft Excel for scenario analysis.

Freshness

Last updated on January 20, 2025.

Geography

Modeled for nearshore, far-offshore, and high-latitude marine environments.