DOE funding will evaluate ocean thermal energy potential

Aimed at developing tools to draw up potential mapping, for purposes that include electricity generation

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is funding studies to assess the potential of ocean thermal energy. The latter is the temperature difference of the ocean’s warm surface water and colder water below, which can be used for energy production.

Lockheed Martin was awarded a $ 1 million grant to produce a tool to estimate the amount of energy that can be extracted from the ocean’s thermal layers by using the OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion) technology in a specific marine area.

This tool will be used to create maps not only regarding electricity generation but also systems that use seawater-based air conditioning (SWAC ). This technology, which will allow to reduce the peak summer electricity demand due to air conditioning consumption, has already been tested in a number of cities (Stockholm and Ottawa) and islands (Hawaii and Bora Bora).

Under the same funding, Lockheed Martin will develop estimates of performance and life-cycle costs associated with OTEC systems, so as to provide useful analytical tools for the economic assessment of utility-scale projects.

(March 2010)