In 2019, WPTO supported the creation of a central portal for U.S. marine renewable energy data, and in 2020 an integrated search capability was added so that users can now access information via a single search function. Given the early stage of many marine energy technologies, there is limited publicly available data and information from commercial marine renewable energy projects, and data produced under different research efforts reside in many diverse locations and formats, and are often not catalogued or easily accessible. The Portal and Repository for Information on Marine Renewable Energy (PRIMRE) provides centralized access, standardization, community building, and integration of federally funded Knowledge Hubs, tools and codes, and other resources covering a range of marine renewable energy subject matter.

Following the launch of the PRIMRE site in 2019, the multilab PRIMRE team—Sandia, PNNL, and NREL—focused on the development, maintenance, and integration of both new and existing Knowledge Hubs:

• The Marine and Hydrokinetic Data Repository houses data collected by WPTO-funded research and development, including device testing data, resource characterization data, and more.
• Tethys hosts more than 3,200 documents on the environmental effects of marine renewable energy development and supports an international community through the Ocean Energy Systems’ Environmental initiative.
• Launched in 2019, Tethys Engineering hosts more than 4,700 documents on the engineering and technical aspects of marine renewable energy development, as well as a library of marine renewable energy photos for free third-party use.
• Released in 2020, the PRIMRE Technology Database contains information on marine renewable energy devices, points to companies active in the marine renewable energy field and traces the development of projects around the world.
• Opened in 2020, MRE Software is a collection of software relevant to marine renewable energy development, including the MRE Code Hub and PRIMRE Code Catalog.
• Launched in 2020, Telesto is a collection of information and guidance for testing, measurement, and data analysis for marine renewable energy research, development, and demonstration.

To improve the connectivity of these Knowledge Hubs, a common metadata schema was created to support information exchange between the sites in a manner that can also be scaled to incorporate new sites in the future (e.g., international databases). In accordance with the schema, an aggregate search capability was then implemented for the PRIMRE site, as well as for the Marine and Hydrokinetic Data Repository, Tethys, and Tethys Engineering, enabling users to find data and information from each site using a single entry point. Finally, the web presence for several signature projects was created in 2020, bringing focus to a number of WPTO projects and enhancing the discoverability of their reports, data sets, and associated papers. Future work will focus on enhancing integration (particularly with international sites) and documenting lessons learned from marine renewable energy researchers and developers.

PRIMRE contributes to WPTO’s priority to ensure broad access to information on marine renewable energy so that stakeholders can build upon existing knowledge and lessons learned. With efforts like PRIMRE, WPTO hopes to ensure that researchers and technology developers have easy access to federally funded tools, research, and analysis that can be used to advance marine renewable energy technologies now and in the future.

For additional information, contact TJ Heibel.