University of Maine reveals new hybrid renewable energy system

August 5, 2013 0 By Bret Williams

University of Maine shares funding with others interested in developing hybrid renewable energy system

The University of Maine recently received federal funding to help support the development of a hybrid renewable energy system. The university has decided to share these funds with the Maine Maritime Academy and two other organizations. Together, these organizations will work to develop a system that can harness the electrical power from ocean and offshore wind currents. The venture is meant to showcase the viability of hybrid renewable energy systems and how they can be used to reduce the need for fossil-fuels.

$1 million in funding devoted to hybrid Wind-Wave system

The organizations are sharing approximately $1 million in funding, which has been issued by the National Science Foundation. The funding is meant specifically for the aid of renewable energy systems and was awarded to the University of Maine for its ambitious approach to marine and wind energy. The University of Maine calls its renewable energy system the Wind-Wave generating system. Researchers expect that the system will be able to produce significant amounts of electrical power because it taps into two renewable sources.

US Renewable Energy FundingDOE-Backed laboratories join University of Maine

Sandia National Laboratories and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory are the other organizations that have teamed up with the University of Maine. Both organizations have extensive experience in the renewable energy field and are backed by the federal Department of Energy. The expertise that these two organizations have in the field could help the University of Maine’s Wind-Wave system take form in a relatively short amount of time.

Offshore wind lagging behind in the US

Offshore wind energy has yet to establish a strong following in the U.S. Much of the country’s wind energy initiatives are supported by the Production Tax Credit, which provides financial support to innovative wind-based projects. The Production Tax Credit has a turbulent history, which has made wind developers somewhat wary of bringing their projects to the country. Currently, the Production Tax Credit remains in effect, which has helped pave the way for wind-related projects, such as that coming from the University of Maine, to take form.

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