Steven Kaberia
Research Mentor(s): Lei Zuo
Mentor Department: Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
Authors:
Session: Session 4 (1:00pm – 1:50pm)
Presentation Type: Poster 73
Abstract
Marine renewable energy is a resource with immense potential that remains largely untapped due to technological and workforce challenges. This project introduces the Portable Co-Located Wave and Current Energy Converter, a hybrid system designed to capture both wave and tidal energy efficiently while also fostering community engagement, industry collaboration, and public outreach in furthering marine energy adoption. The focus will be on integrating marine energy concepts into K-12 curricula, hosting public workshops to raise awareness and engaging industry leaders in workforce development. Additionally the planning, building and testing of the prototype will take place ensuring the converter meets the functional and user requirements. Working side by side with policymakers and regulatory bodies, the project works to advance energy equity to ensure that underserved coastal communities benefit from sustainable power solutions. Additionally, partnerships with manufacturers and supply chain stakeholders will also help further its marketing and scalability. Technology demonstrations will be utilized in showcasing the converter’s capability, thus creating opportunities for the integration of marine energy with other generation and storage solutions. Attention will be paid to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility as a way of fostering an inclusive workforce and broadening opportunities within the industry. This provides an opportunity to build networks among researchers, educators, business leaders, and communities for further development of policy and technological implementation. It will bridge the gap in innovation and outreach, accelerating transition to a sustainable and equitable energy future.
