RTI has been developing and wave tank testing advanced wave energy technologies for the past 7 years and holds several U. S. wave energy Patents. The Team will use the RTI F2/F2D wave energy technology as described in U. S. Patent 8,614,520 and U. S. Published Application No. 2015/00082785. The team will be supplemented in the PTO power electronics and data acquisition area by industry and independent electrical engineering representatives.

WEC Device Type
Wave terminator using floodable/submersible elongated wave front parallel float.

Team Quote
Wave Energy will ultimately deliver global renewable power at a cost below that of the solar and wind energy which produces ocean waves because wave energy is a more concentrated and consistent renewable energy resource. Wave Energy Converters (WECs), however, will have to be lighter to be cheaper than offshore wind farms, now a multi-billion $/year global business. WEC technology development is unique among renewables because there are literally hundreds of unique, distinct, even ingenious ways to convert ocean waves into renewable power. There will only be one deep water deployable, utility scalable, “BEST WEC”, however, producing the lowest Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). Costly premature scale-ups of early generation WECs, prior to convergence on a “BEST WEC” technology has wasted public and private investment, caused the collapse of early pioneer WEC developers, and delayed necessary participation of large global power equipment companies and off-shore wind farm developers.

Team Bios
John W. Rohrer (BSME, Villanova; MBA, Wharton; Capt., USMC ) is founder and president of RTI Wave Energy. As VP of Engineering and Project Development of Wheelabrator Technologies and then Zurn Nepco Mr. Rohrer participated in the development, financing, design, construction, and operations of over 1,000 MW of renewable power plant (fueled by refuse or wood waste), valued at over $4 Billion, plus over 1,000 MW of gas turbine combined cycle co-generation plants. Mr. Rohrer holds 14 U. S. Patents, including 3 in wave energy with numerous additional U. S. and international applications pending.

Sean Lewis (BSME, U. of So. Florida) is Director of Engineering and a partner of RTI Wave Energy. He was previously Principal Mechanical Engineer of BAE Systems, Nashua, NH working in defensive aero countermeasures, and Product Team Leader at Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, AZ.

RTI Wave Energy is a unit of Rohrer Technology, Inc., a Maine Corporation which holds all patents and intellectual property of its founder, John w. Rohrer. RTI wave energy has focused exclusively on development and wave tank testing of cost effective Wave Energy converters during the past 7 years. RTI Wave Energy is primarily self-funded with patent royalties. RTI Wave Energy was awarded 3 Maine Technology Institute Seed Grants (50%/50% cost sharing) for prototype wave tank testing and WEC numerical analysis work at the U. of NH, Chase Labs and U. Maine, Orono.

DISCLAIMER: The team information provided on this page is provided solely by RTI Wave Power. The Wave Energy Prize is not responsible for its accuracy, legality, decency of material or intellectual-property compliance.