Hawai'i Deploys SURF-WEC Wave Energy Device
Researchers from HNEI and NLR launched the device off Makai Research Pier to test open-water marine energy generation.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Surfing
HNEI and NLR deployed the SURF-WEC wave energy device off Makai Research Pier, and it began capturing wave energy hours after deployment. The buoyant flap, roughly the size of a big-screen TV, drives a hydraulic system that spins a generator when pressure builds.
Why it matters
Open-water deployment and testing of marine energy devices have been limited, leaving gaps in the data needed before these technologies can be commercialized. Results from the SURF-WEC trial are expected to give the industry critical information to build on.
Field deployment of an open-water wave energy device, with a planned duration of up to one year. No energy output or performance figures have been released, and results will be detailed in a final report that is not yet available.
The players
Hawai'i Natural Energy Institute (HNEI)
HNEI is a research institute at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa that works on renewable energy technologies, including marine energy.
National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR)
NLR is a federal energy research laboratory that collaborated with HNEI on the SURF-WEC deployment and is gathering data for a publicly available final report.
The details
The SURF-WEC device is a buoyant flap anchored just offshore that oscillates with each passing wave. Its movement drives a hydraulic system that pumps fluid through a sealed system, and when a set pressure is reached, it spins a motor connected to a generator; researchers can remotely adjust how the system responds to waves.
Timeline
Offseason 2025-26: SURF-WEC was deployed off Makai Research Pier.
Up to one year: Planned period the device will remain in the water.
Big Picture
The SURF-WEC deployment extends the Hawai'i Natural Energy Institute's established marine energy testing work at Makai Research Pier into open-water device trials. It addresses the limited open-water data that has slowed commercialization of wave energy technologies.
The device is designed to capture wave energy through a buoyant flap and hydraulic system anchored just offshore. Readers following Hawai'i's coastal and ocean-based energy work can track the final report from NLR researchers once it is published.
The takeaway
Open-water testing is the step that turns promising marine energy designs into data the industry can use. Follow the final SURF-WEC report to see what the trial reveals about wave energy capture.
Further reading
For more on the ocean environment where the device was tested, explore Surfing coverage from Honolulu.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Ocean News & Technology.
