Scientists Use Waverider Buoys To Conduct Wave Energy Research
Mike Muglia hates to miss a wave.
A self-described surf junkie, Muglia catches waves on his surfboard off the coast of the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Further into those waters—15 nautical miles to be exact—sits another surfer. Aptly named Waverider, this surfer is a 440-pound, half banana-yellow, half beet-purple buoy that Muglia uses to study the energy that flows in our oceans.
This banana-yellow Waverider buoy will spend 12 months off North Carolina’s coast, collecting data on ocean waves, currents, tides, and water temperatures to help marine energy developers find the best spots to source clean, renewable energy from the ocean. Photos courtesy of Mike Muglia
Marine energy—clean power generated from ocean currents, waves, tides, and water temperature changes—is still young, but it has the potential to deliver clean, renewable electricity to coastal communities where nearly 40% of Americans live. Before that can happen, scientists need to pinpoint which oceanic arteries host the most reliable energy. With 3.4 million square nautical miles of U.S. waters—a larger area than the combined landmass of all 50 states—there is a lot left to explore.
Now, Muglia and Miguel Canals just deployed two new Waverider buoys—one off the coast of North Carolina and the other off Puerto Rico. There, the surfers will collect detailed data on the surface waves in those areas of the Atlantic Ocean, adding to publicly available data sets on waves, currents, and water temperatures that will not only move marine energy closer to widescale use but also help scientists understand how climate change is affecting our oceans.
Muglia is a principal investigator at the Southeast Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association and research professor at the Coastal Studies Institute of North Carolina, and Canals is a principal investigator at the Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System in Puerto Rico.
“We want to characterize the wave energy resources available,” said Canals, who, like Muglia, surfs the same waves he studies. “But we also want to collect long-term data on waves to understand the ocean and the changing climate for the benefit of future generations.”
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which owns the two Waverider buoys, partnered with ocean experts Muglia and Canals to collect this critical new data. This NREL-led effort is part of a larger, nine-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office. The collaborative, multi-institution study generates the resource data that technology and project developers need to design the next generation of devices. No one institution (or buoy) can collect it all, which is why partners like Muglia and Canals are so valuable. The data these partners generate are used to verify and improve model accuracy, and are also valuable on their own as detailed records of the real ocean. The data from this project—both the measurements and the models that use them—is publicly available on the Marine Energy Atlas.
“The ocean,” said Levi Kilcher, a physical oceanographer at NREL who leads the Waverider and Marine Energy Atlas projects, “is an extremely challenging environment. But we’re starting to see success, which makes it a very exciting time to be in this industry.”
On Aug. 2, 2021, Muglia set off in the Miss Caroline with a deckhand and marine mammal observer, who watched for sea turtles, dolphins, and other wildlife that might swim too close to the boat. For the 40-nautical-mile, three-hour trip, the bulbous Waverider buoy sat secure in a rubber tire on the back of the small skiff. When the Miss Caroline cruised to the selected spot—indistinguishable from the surrounding waters except by GPS—the team scanned the area for underwater obstacles before anchoring the Waverider under an almost-cloudless, blue sky.
From their lonely ocean homes, the two buoys will send live data back to Muglia’s and Canals’ teams using satellite communications systems. Solar panels help power those systems, and flashing lights alert boats to keep a safe distance.
Now, Muglia, Canals, and their colleagues and students wait impatiently for the first batch of data to stream in. Wave energy researchers and engineers are also waiting impatiently. Using high-quality data on how the ocean moves, they can design wave energy converters that are better tailored to extract energy from the motion of the ocean surface.
The data can serve climate and environmental scientists, too.
In the tropical Puerto Rican waters, violent winter storms and summer hurricanes can create energetic seas. Canals and his team chose their buoy site specifically for its high energy potential—those waves pack power—but the data can also help researchers understand how extreme wave events impact the coastal environment. So far, Canals has only lost one buoy in Puerto Rico—to Hurricane Maria. It was recovered two weeks later off the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Canals, who successfully deployed his Waverider on June 15, 2021, also chose his site because the seabed lacked a significant population of benthic organisms—seabed dwellers, like clams, oysters, sea stars, or sea cucumbers—or sensitive habitats. “There’s just sand and mud,” he said, “which makes it an ideal location for the anchor deployment.”
In Puerto Rico, the Waverider buoy can help climate scientists track how extreme waves—forged in violent winter storms and summer hurricanes—can impact the coastal environment. Photos courtesy of Miguel Canals
Neither Canals nor Muglia, who monitor multiple offshore buoys, have ever seen wildlife get tangled in buoy moorings. In fact, they have seen the opposite: The buoys attract shoals of slender, mud-colored Cobia and big-nosed, neon-yellow mahi-mahi, which like to swarm the bobbing devices.
And the Waveriders are not just for fish and scientists.
By streaming the buoys’ measurements to North Carolina’s Jennette’s Pier aquarium, which welcomes about 250,000 visitors a year, “the public can walk in and see what the wave heights are, see what the water temperature is, see what the ocean surface currents look like off the coast of North Carolina,” Muglia said.
You can find the same data from any computer anywhere in the world: With an online data feed available through the Coastal Data Information Program, surfers like Canals and Muglia can check for dangerous currents, frigid temperatures, or flat waves before heading out on their surfboards. It can also help law enforcement navigate volatile waters to catch up with offshore lawbreakers.
“Even though the main purpose is for resource characterization,” Canals said, “the buoy will have a lot of applications for surfers, fishermen, paddleboarders, divers, law enforcement, coastal managers, and boaters.”
Both buoys now float near the Gulf Stream, which swings through the Gulf of Mexico (near the Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System on Puerto Rico’s northern coast) and hooks around Florida before heading up the east coast to Canada. With its warm and nutrient-rich waters, the Gulf Stream is a major regulator of the world’s climate, feeds marine wildlife, and helps their populations thrive, so the U.S. fishing industry can thrive, too.
Still, Muglia said, “What happens down here is not well understood.” Those rich, energetic waters could help power coastal communities with clean energy. But, if their temperatures shift or their speedy currents slow, that could disrupt global weather and climate, potentially causing more violent storms in Europe or higher sea levels in major U.S. cities like Boston and New York.
The two Waverider buoys will help both marine energy developers and climate scientists better understand these mysterious waters.
For now, as he waits for the data, Muglia is guaranteed to never miss another wave—either on his surfboard or in his laboratory—with the Waverider surfing offshore.
Learn more about NREL’s water resource characterization research.
Article courtesy of NREL.
Appreciate CleanTechnica’s originality? Consider becoming a CleanTechnica Member, Supporter, Technician, or Ambassador — or a patron on Patreon.
After launching a wave of new electric SUVs, sedans, crossovers, and vans, Kia is about to hit a big milestone. Kia’s EV series is expected to cross over 500,000 in cumulative global sales this month.
After Hyundai hit the half-million mark with its IONIQ series in January, it looks like Kia is right behind it. It’s been five years since Kia launched its first dedicated EV, the EV6, but the growth is expected to quickly pick up from here.
Kia set a new record, selling over 1.5 million vehicles globally in the first half of 2025. The Korean automaker credited the growth to the arrival of new models, including the EV3.
The EV3, Kia’s compact electric SUV, is already the sixth-best-selling EV in Europe through June, having arrived late last year. With over 35,000 units sold, the EV3 trails only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3, as well as Volkswagen’s ID.4, ID.7, and ID.3.
According to local reports, Kia is expected to cross 500,000 in cumulative global EV sales this month. With 485,055 EVs sold so far, the company is about to join the half-million club.
Kia’s EV sales are expected to top 500,000 this month
Kia’s EV sales have been climbing in recent years from 29,482 in 2021, to 83,411 in 2022, 131,242 in 2023, and 124,835 last year. This year, Kia has already sold over 116,000 EVs, but with new models rolling out, it could see even higher numbers.
The EV6 is Kia’s top-selling EV with 282,639 cumulative sales, followed by the EV3 (101,162), EV9 (79,312), and EV5 (18,621).
Kia launched several new EVs, including the EV4, EV5, and PV5, that are expected to drive even more demand over the next few months. The EV4 is Kia’s first electric sedan. In Europe, it’s also sold as an electric hatchback.
Meanwhile, the PV5 is the first from Kia’s new PBV electric van business. During its PV5 Tech Day event this week, Kia revealed plans for seven new body types based on the electric van, from camper to pickup.
Kia has already opened orders for the EV4 (sedan and hatchback) and PV5 in the UK. They will be rolling out in Europe later this year. Although the hatch isn’t expected to make the trip overseas, Kia is launching the EV4 sedan in the US in early 2026.
Following the EV4 and EV5 this year, Kia will introduce the EV2 in Europe and other global markets in 2026. The EV2 is Kia’s new compact, entry-level electric SUV.
Source: ChosunBiz, Kia
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Solid-state battery developer QuantumScape has posted its quarterly fiscal report and letter to shareholders for Q2 2025. QuantumScape’s progress update includes an expanded agreement with Volkswagen Group’s battery business, PowerCo, and a new joint development agreement with an additional OEM.
As far as quarterly updates go, I personally look forward to the letter to shareholders from QuantumScape ($QS) four times a year. The solid-state battery developer continues to improve its technology and production techniques, pushing closer than ever to delivering mass-produced energy-dense cells to market.
Last month, QuantumScape reported that its proprietary Cobra solid-state separator process had been fully integrated into its baseline production processes, achieving a 2025 goal while enabling gigawatt-level solid-state cell production.
QS said the Cobra breakthrough is expected to lay the groundwork for higher-volume B1 sample production of its flagship QSE-5 cells, which will eventually lead to scaled production for the battery market.
Furthermore, the technology supports QuantumScape’s licensing model with PowerCo, a division of Volkswagen Group, which was announced a little over a year ago. As part of its Q2 2025 report, QuantumScape shared details of an expanded deal with PowerCo among several other exciting updates.
Partnerships, Volkswagen AG; Dennis Segers, QS Board Chairman; Jupp Kaufer, VP of Product Management and Corporate Quality, PowerCo / Source: QuantumScape
QuantumScape ended Q2 2025 with runway through 2029
All details outlined below are available in QuantumScape’s Q2 2025 Letter to Shareholders. Per the company, its capital expenditures were $8.3 million in Q2, primarily spend on facilities and equipment purchases to
prepare for higher-volume QSE-5 B1 sample production using the Cobra separator process mentioned above.
GAAP operating expenses and GAAP net loss in Q2 were $123.6 million and $114.7 million, respectively. Adjusted EBITDA loss was $63 million in Q2 (in line with expectations). Per the letter:
We continue to streamline operations consistent with the company’s capital-light licensing focus and capture gains from cost reduction initiatives and process improvement, including the Cobra process. We narrow the range of our full-year guidance for Adjusted EBITDA loss to $250M – $270M. We ended Q2 with $797.5M in liquidity and extend our guidance for cash runway into 2029, a six month improvement over our previous guidance. Any additional funds from other customer inflows or capital markets activity would further extend this cash runway.
As hinted above, QuantumScape’s Q2 2025 update also included news of an expanded deal with PowerCo, which entails the latter company contributing an additional $131 million to the former over the next two years. That amount will come in addition to the original $130 million committed by Volkswagen Group’s battery arm if and when QS delivers “satisfactory technical progress and execution of the full licensing agreement.”
In exchange for the additional funding, QuantumScape will prioritize QSE-5 cells manufactured on its San Jose pilot line to support its joint development agreement with PowerCo. That said, QS still maintains a non-exclusive arrangement and has the right to provide cells to our other customers.
Speaking of which!
QuantumScape’s Q2 2025 report also includes news of an additional joint development agreement (JDA) with “another major global automotive OEM.” Although QS did not name the OEM, it did say the JDA builds off an existing relationship, as the client was a solid-state sample customer. Unfortunately, QS keeps that client list close to its chest, so we’d rather not speculate on who the new joint development partner could be, but it’s exciting news nonetheless.
Looking ahead beyond Q2, QuantumScape is set on its second goal for 2025 – installing higher-volume cell production equipment to support scaled solid-state cell production. From there, QS is looking to ship more samples of its prototype cells and has shared a more concrete timeline for actual field testing. Per the letter:
We are working closely with our launch customer, and in Q2 we shipped QSE-5 cells for pack integration and testing, including safety testing. These cells were the final Raptor-based B0 samples to be shipped; future shipments will be Cobra-based B1 samples, in line with our third annual goal. This launch program is designed to be a low-volume, high-visibility project that will allow us to put our cells into a real-world vehicle application and generate customer feedback. We continue to target 2026 for the beginning of field testing.
That’s all for now. Be sure to check back with Electrek soon for the latest solid-state battery and other electric mobility news.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
The “holy grail” of electric vehicle battery tech may be here sooner than you’d think. Mercedes-Benz is testing EVs with solid-state batteries on the road, promising to deliver over 600 miles of range. Here’s when you can expect to see it hit the market.
Mercedes moves to launch EVs with solid-state batteries
Earlier this year, Mercedes marked a massive milestone, putting “the first car powered by a lithium-metal solid-state battery on the road” for testing. Mercedes has been testing prototypes in the UK since February.
The company used a modified EQS prototype, equipped with the new batteries and other parts. The battery pack was developed by Mercedes-Benz and its Formula 1 supplier unit, Mercedes AMG High-Performance Powertrains (HPP)
Mercedes is teaming up with US-based Factorial Energy to bring the new battery tech to market. In September, Factorial and Mercedes revealed the all-solid-state Solstice battery.
The new batteries, promising a 25% range improvement, will power the German automaker’s next-generation electric vehicles.
According to Markus Schäfer, the automaker’s head of development, the first Mercedes EVs powered by solid-state batteries could be here by 2030.
During an event in Copenhagen, Schäfer told German auto news outlet Automobilwoche, “We expect to bring the technology into series production before the end of the year.”
In addition to providing a longer driving range, Mercedes believes the new batteries can significantly reduce costs. Schäfer said current batteries won’t suffice, adding, “At the core, a new chemistry is needed.” Mercedes and Factorial are using a sulfide-based solid electrolyte, said to be safer and more efficient.
Mercedes claims the new battery can extend driving range by around 25%. With the Mercedes EQS 450+ rated with a WTLP range of 511 miles, that would suggest over 620 miles of range.
Factorial is collaborating with other leading OEMs, including Hyundai and Stellantis, to introduce solid-state EV batteries to the market by 2030.
Several others, including Volkswagen, BMW, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda, are all advancing the promising new batteries. And don’t forget BYD and CATL, which are already dominating global sales, are also quickly advancing new EV batteries, including solid-state.
Earlier this week, MG’s brand manager, Chen Cui, claimed that the new MG4 will be the first mass-market EV sold globally with semi-solid-state batteries.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike