Advancing wave energy converter array-to-grid transmission systems

The Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC), a US Department of Energy (USDOE) Center headquartered at Oregon State University (OSU), seeks to facilitate the integration of marine renewables onto the utility grid. This paper presents NNMREC´s approach to streamlining the research, development and testing process to enable wave energy converter (WEC) array-to-grid transmission systems. The WEC development process tools and facilities are presented, including modeling, scaled laboratory and wave tank testing as well as field testing. The NNMREC ocean testing solutions include scaled non-grid connected facilities as well as developing utility-scale cable-to-shore grid emulator and grid-connect facilities. This paper concludes with the NNMREC cable-to-shore site grid integration configuration along with a high-level array-to-grid transmission system simulation.