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Leading the Way in Offshore Renewable Energy and Wave Energy Conversion

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A3: Wind, Wave and Tidal Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 April 2026 | Viewed by 4564

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Luana Gurnari

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Guest Editor

Department of Information, Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy Engineering, University of Reggio Calabria, Reggio Calabria, Italy
Interests: renewable energy; wind energy; wave energy; tidal energy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to our Special Issue, “Leading the Way in Offshore Renewable Energy and Wave Energy Conversion” This Special Issue will focus on recent advances, ongoing challenges and innovative solutions in the field of offshore renewable energy and wave energy conversion. We will highlight research that addresses technological, environmental and economic barriers while presenting breakthrough solutions and strategies for the large-scale deployment of marine energy conversion systems.

We welcome submissions that address key challenges in this area. Typical challenges include the following:

- Environmental Impact: Studies on the impacts of wave energy devices on marine ecosystems, focusing on noise pollution, migration disruption, habitat modification, coastal erosion, sediment transport and environmental compliance.

- Technical and Engineering Barriers: Research on structural durability, power generation efficiency and grid integration. This includes work on the reliability of offshore devices under harsh marine conditions, improvements in device efficiency and the optimization of energy transmission from offshore to onshore grids.

- Economic and Financial Challenges: Papers investigating the financial dynamics of offshore renewable energy projects, including the high initial costs, long payback period, financing and subsidies and comparative cost effectiveness versus other renewable energy sources.

This Special Issue also examines the latest advances in offshore renewable energy and wave energy conversion, including the following:

- Technology and Device Design Innovations: Papers on point absorbers, oscillating water columns, overtopping devices, hybrid systems and advances in cabling and mooring;

- Materials and Construction Advances: Studies on corrosion-resistant materials, self-healing materials and modular, scalable designs that enhance durability and ease of deployment;

- Data and Digital Technologies: Research using IoT sensors, predictive maintenance, wave prediction with machine learning and digital twins to improve device performance, efficiency and resilience.

Finally, we encourage submissions that present innovative solutions to address challenges in sustainable power generation, cost reduction and environmental mitigation, such as the following:

- Sustainable Power and Storage Solutions: Research on battery storage systems, hydrogen production and offshore energy hubs that integrate multiple renewable energy sources;

- Cost Reduction and Scaling Strategies: Studies on floating wave energy farms, shared infrastructure and public–private partnerships;

- Environmental Mitigation and Community Engagement: Solutions such as artificial reefs, community benefit programs and adaptive environmental monitoring that address ecological concerns and support local communities.

This Special Issue invites both experimental studies and comprehensive reviews in each of these focus areas. We look forward to receiving valuable contributions that will advance knowledge, technology and sustainability related to offshore renewable energy and wave energy conversion.

Dr. Luana Gurnari
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

offshore wind turbine design
offshore renewable energy sources (ORESs)
offshore wind
floating offshore solar systems
ocean wave energy
tidal energy
wave energy converter
energy conversion

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 5291 KB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Simulations of a Motion-Based Latching Control Strategy for Enhanced Wave Energy Conversion in a Point Absorber

by Sabrina Galbo and Stefano Malavasi

Energies 2025, 18(24), 6387; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18246387 - 5 Dec 2025

Viewed by 270

Abstract

The power take-off (PTO) system is central to wave energy converter (WEC) performance, and therefore control strategies are essential to effectively enhance energy absorption and device response. However, many existing controls often rely on predictive or mechanically complex approaches that limit their practical and numerical implementation. This work proposes a passive, non-predictive, sub-optimal PTO control strategy suitable for CFD modeling. This study focuses on latching control, which temporarily restrains the device, introducing a novel release mechanism based solely on the float’s angular velocity and providing a simple motion-based criterion. A nearshore point absorber serves as the reference device, featuring a single degree of oscillation achieved through a heaving float. CFD simulations are conducted using a FLOW-3D (HYDRO) model previously developed at Politecnico di Milano, in which the PTO is modeled as a torsional spring object. Software customization enables damping modulation, and the latching strategy is refined by optimizing the threshold angular velocity under two monochromatic wave conditions. Results show an approximate 20% increase in absorbed energy, improved phase alignment, and a clear operational threshold-velocity window, indicating that the proposed motion-based strategy can effectively enhance WEC performance. Further assessments under additional wave conditions will help establish its robustness and validate its broader applicability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leading the Way in Offshore Renewable Energy and Wave Energy Conversion)

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21 pages, 4484 KB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Study on the Dynamic Response of an Offshore Converter Platform with Integrated Equipment During Float-Over Installation

by Zhenqiang Jiang, Weiwei Wu, Tianchai Wang, Zhenzhou Sun, Bo Zhang, Guohai Dong and Chunwei Bi

Energies 2025, 18(21), 5656; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18215656 - 28 Oct 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 317

Abstract

With the transformation of the global energy structure, offshore wind power is developing on a large scale, and the efficient and safe installation of offshore converter platforms has become a key technological bottleneck. Based on the elastic force–gravity similarity principle, a 1:65 model scale was adopted. A physical model of the offshore converter station platform was constructed, and the accuracy of the numerical simulation was validated by comparison with the physical model tests. This study investigates the dynamic response of the offshore converter platform and converter valve equipment during the float-over installation and mating process. The structural dynamic responses at key positions were analyzed. The results indicate that, due to the slender and flexible structure of the converter valve equipment, the Z-direction acceleration at the top is about 20% higher than that at the bottom. Moreover, the stress and strain at the bottom connection with the deck are higher than those at the top. The Y-direction acceleration at the edge foundation beam of the platform module is 47% higher than that at the mid-span position. The vibration frequency of the foundation beam on the first floor with the converter valve arranged is increased by 15%. When the jacket piles are subjected to impact, the mid-span response is 25% higher than that at the edges, showing characteristics of “strong at mid-span and weak at the edges”. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leading the Way in Offshore Renewable Energy and Wave Energy Conversion)

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34 pages, 10191 KB

Open AccessArticle

Design and Numerical Investigation on Octagonal Barge-Type FOWT with Counterweight Suspension System

by Yung-Chun Sun and Ray-Yeng Yang

Energies 2025, 18(2), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18020264 - 9 Jan 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1301

Abstract

This study aims at enhancing platform design and passive control technology, reducing maintenance costs, and increasing stability and efficiency. The selected site for this study is offshore water in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Owing to shallow water conditions at the selected site, an octagonal barge-type platform was chosen for investigation of its suitability in this study. A counterweight suspension system was used to improve stability and avoid pitch resonance. Meanwhile, an octagonal barge platform carrying the NREL-5MW offshore wind turbine was designed. It uses SolidWorks for modeling, Ansys AQWA for hydrodynamic calculations, and Orcina OrcaFlex for wind/wave/current coupling dynamic analysis. Key research results include optimizing the counterweight suspension system and ensuring compliance with Det Norske Veritas (DNV) regulations, covering Ultimate Limit States (ULSs), Accidental Limit States (ALS)s, Serviceability Limit States (SLSs), and Fatigue Limit States (FLSs). Thus, the major inspections include platform motions, mooring line tension, and suspension system tension during turbine operation and parking. Comparisons are made with and without the counterweight suspension system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leading the Way in Offshore Renewable Energy and Wave Energy Conversion)

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Review

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42 pages, 2933 KB

Open AccessReview

Advancements and Challenges in Floating Photovoltaic Installations Focusing on Technologies, Opportunities, and Future Directions

by Ryan Bugeja, Luciano Mule' Stagno, Cyprien Godin, Wenping Luo and Xiantao Zhang

Energies 2025, 18(22), 5908; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18225908 - 10 Nov 2025

Viewed by 2091

Abstract

Floating and offshore photovoltaic (FPV) installations present a promising solution for addressing land-use conflicts while enhancing renewable energy production. With an estimated global offshore PV potential of 4000 GW, FPV systems offer unique advantages, such as increased efficiency due to water cooling effects and synergy with other offshore technologies. However, challenges related to installation costs, durability, environmental impacts, and regulatory gaps remain. This review provides a comprehensive and critical analysis of FPV advancements, focusing on inland, nearshore, and offshore applications. A systematic evaluation of recent studies is conducted to assess technological innovations, including material improvements, mooring strategies, and integration with hybrid energy systems. Furthermore, the economic feasibility of FPVs is analysed, highlighting cost–benefit trade-offs, financing strategies, and policy frameworks necessary for large-scale deployment. Environmental concerns, such as biofouling, wave-induced stress, and impacts on aquatic ecosystems, are also examined. The findings indicate that while FPV technology has demonstrated significant potential in enhancing solar energy yield and water conservation, its scalability is hindered by high capital costs and the absence of standardised regulations. Future research should focus on developing robust offshore floating photovoltaic (OFPV) designs, optimising material durability, and establishing regulatory guidelines to facilitate widespread adoption. By addressing these challenges, FPVs can play a critical role in achieving global climate goals and accelerating the transition to sustainable energy systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leading the Way in Offshore Renewable Energy and Wave Energy Conversion)

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