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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Numerical Modeling Research at the US Navy Wave Energy Test Site, Honolulu, Hawaii.

The U.S. Navy Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) in Hawaii, the United States’ first grid-connected test site of its kind, has been operational since 2015. The Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) at the University of Hawaii is providing key research support for this facility. In this paper, we present some of the numerical modeling research on Wave Energy Converters (WECs) undertaken as part of this effort. In the first part, we describe numerical modeling results and comparison with trial data for the Northwest Energy Innovations (NWEI) Azura WEC device. In the second part, the power performance of a WEC array currently being developed by a Honolulu based company –National Power Concepts (NPC)– is described.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2020

Exploration for Blind Geothermal Resources in the State of Hawaii Utilizing Dissolved Noble Gasses in Well Waters

This study is an extension of the Hawaii Play Fairway Analysis (PFA), a statewide geothermal exploration project funded by the United States Department of Energy. Based on results from prior phases of the PFA, this project targeted 66 wells on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Oahu, and Kauai for sampling of dissolved noble gases, trace metals, common ions, and the stable isotopes 2H and 18O. Ultimately, 23 of the 66 well targets were sampled. The noble gas helium is used as an indicator of geothermal heat when excess 3He and/or 4He is present when compared to the atmospheric ratio of those isotopes (R/Ra). R/Ra is minimally affected by dilution and transport, allowing even those wells not perfectly situated over a geothermal system to indicate a geothermal anomaly. R/Ra anomalies are present on every island in this study. There is a strong correlation between R/Ra anomalies and proximity to rift zones and calderas. Across the islands R/Ra ranged from 15-16 on Kilauea's lower east rift zone, which is a mantle plume value, to 0.37 on Lanai, which is a crustal value. The majority of anomalous well samples had R/Ra values consistent with an upper mantle source. Mixing between upper mantle and crustal helium is evident on all islands. Geographically, R/Ra decreases from the high at Kilauea to upper mantle values at Mauna Loa, and remains at upper mantle values for all wells across the other volcanoes, with the exception of two of four sampled wells on Lanai.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Renewable Energy Potential Model: Hawaii Geothermal Supply Curves

This dataset extends the development of the Renewable Energy Potential (reV) model to include geothermal energy, with a specific focus on Hawaii. Provided here are the results of two scenarios that were modeled for geothermal energy in Hawaii: binary enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) at a depth of 2.5 km and hydrothermal binary systems at a depth of 1.5 km. The resource data for both scenarios were derived from Lautze and Haskins (2024) using an exponential method. The PFA probability of heat map was used as a look up table for which temperature gradient to use (Lautze and Haskins, 2024). The dataset provides geospatial and techno-economic details for evaluating geothermal energy potential. It includes spatial coordinates, estimated capacity factors, developable area, resource potential, and annual energy production metrics. Economic details such as levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), site development costs, transmission costs, and fixed-charge rates are also included. The reV model, originally developed for wind and solar energy, incorporates these variables to evaluate deployment constraints related to land use, environmental and cultural factors, and grid integration.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Providencia Island White Papers: Hawaii, USA: A Grid Planning Case Study for Providencia Island, Colombia

Special considerations exist for island grids seeking to smoothly integrate distributed energy resources (DERs), such as rooftop photovoltaics (PV), with an existing fossil fuel-based grid without compromising system stability and reliability. Hawaii, having successfully integrated nonconventional renewable energy sources for a hybrid electricity grid, may serve as a guide for technical specifications and interconnection policy. Island grid planners may seek to follow Hawaii's example by standardizing technical specifications of generators, particularly for advanced inverter components.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Community engagement in the development of bioenergy projects from cellulosic urban waste feedstock in Hawaii for sustainable aviation fuel

The purpose of the research project was to reveal the perceptions of residents and communities of the City and County of Honolulu concerning bioenergy projects, feedstock, and sustainable aviation fuel. The perception study was conducted via community-scale surveys, interviews, and town meetings to gather feedback on the preliminary design of a proposed bioenergy project, including feedstock choice and the need for sustainable aviation fuel in Hawaii. Residents on the west side of Oahu were targeted due to their proximity to the proposed plant site location. Findings from this study aim to identify resident perceptions, understanding, and desire for bioenergy projects and new infrastructure to, improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of Hawaiian islands. While Hawaii has created policies and mandates to move toward 100% renewable energy sources by 2045, the focus has been predominately on renewable electricity, largely overlooking other sustainable energy options such as sustainable aviation fuel. There is a lack of research on the community engagement and perceptions of Hawaiian residents on bioenergy projects and sustainable aviation fuel, contributing to the low adoption of bioenergy projects on the islands. Insights from this study aim to add literature on the need for community engagement in the design process, the importance of accepting new sustainable infrastructure, and the production and use of sustainable aviation fuels.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Assessment of Energy Technology Options for the Island of Molokai, Hawaii: Analysis of Floating Solar, Pumped Storage Hydropower, and Backup Energy Systems [Slides]

This presentation summarizes analysis done by researchers at the National Laboratory of the Rockies and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to evaluate the potential for and explore project concepts of electricity generation and storage additions on the island of Molokai, Hawaii, as identified in the Community Energy Resilience Action Plan (CERAP) by the Molokai Clean Energy Hui (MCEH), Sustainable Molokai, and the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI). These electricity generation and storage additions include distributed photovoltaics (PV), battery energy storage, and generators for critical facilities on the island that can provide backup energy to the facilities during grid disruptions and outages, a floating PV (FPV) system on Kualapuu Reservoir, and pumped storage hydropower (PSH) systems scaled to act as a significant or primary source of energy storage on the Molokai grid. This presentation accompanies the full technical report published under the same title.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Advanced-Research-on-Integrated-Energy-Systems-Based Analysis to Support Resilient System Upgrades: Energy to Communities Energyshed In-Depth Partnership with Molokai, Hawaii

The Molokai, Hawaii, Energy to Communities (E2C) Energyshed project represents a collaborative effort between the National Laboratory of the Rockies, Shake Energy Collaborative, the Molokai Clean Energy Hui, Sustainable Molokai, and Ho'ahu Energy Cooperative Molokai to advance Molokai's Community Energy Resilience Action Plan (CERAP). Supported by Hawaiian Electric Company and the Hawaii State Energy Office, the initiative aims to develop a community-defined portfolio of renewable energy solutions that enhance energy resilience while aligning with the Hawaiian Electric Integrated Grid Plan (IGP) and Molokai's energy goals. Phase 1 focused on technical analyses and community engagement to co-design feasible energy scenarios. Challenges such as grid upgrades, storage sizing, and inverter ride-through standards were addressed to align technical and operational requirements with community preferences. The project equips Molokai with actionable data and insights to implement energy initiatives while ensuring resilient and culturally informed solutions. Future efforts aim to finalize project designs, secure interconnection agreements, and deploy energy projects that reflect community priorities and technical feasibility.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Assessment of Energy Technology Options for the Island of Molokai, Hawaii: Analysis of Floating Solar, Pumped Storage Hydropower, and Backup Energy Systems

This report documents analysis done by researchers at the National Laboratory of the Rockies and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to evaluate the potential for and explore project concepts of electricity generation and storage additions on the island of Molokai, Hawaii, as identified in the Community Energy Resilience Action Plan (CERAP) by the Molokai Clean Energy Hui (MCEH), Sustainable Molokai, and the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI). These electricity generation and storage additions include distributed photovoltaics (PV), battery energy storage, and generators for critical facilities on the island that can provide backup energy to the facilities during grid disruptions and outages, a floating PV (FPV) system on Kualapuu Reservoir, and pumped storage hydropower (PSH) systems scaled to act as a significant or primary source of energy storage on the Molokai grid.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Numerical wave modeling for operational and survival analyses of wave energy converters at the US Navy Wave Energy Test Site in Hawaii

The US Navy Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) is currently operating three grid-connected berths off Marine Corps Base Hawaii in support of technological development through scaled-model testing and pre-commercial prototyping. The location on the east shore of Oahu is open to year-round wind waves and seasonal north swells as well as severe seas from subtropical systems and hurricanes. We have assembled a spectral wave model system comprising WAVEWATCH III and SWAN on a hierarchy of global, regional, and nearshore computational grids. With wind forcing from global forecast and rean-alysis datasets as well as their regional downscaling, the system produces operational 7-day wave forecasts and a long-term hindcast. The daily forecasts, validated with real-time buoy measurements, facilitate safe deployment, operation, and retrieval of wave energy converters (WECs). The wave hindcast from 1979 to 2017 defines the intra- and inter-annual variations for statistical analysis of sea states and energy resources. Due to limited occurrences of hurricanes in Hawaii waters, their wind forcing is determined parametrically with simulated tracks from climate model downscaling. Finally, systematic analysis of the hindcast and simulation datasets provides significant wave heights from trade winds, swells, subtropical systems, and hurricanes with return periods up to 100 years for WECs survival analysis.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

Sound Velocities of Stishovite at Simultaneous High Pressure and High Temperature Suggest an Eclogite‐Rich Layer Beneath the Hawaii Hotspot

Compressional and shear wave velocities of polycrystalline stishovite (SiO 2 ) have been measured at simultaneous high pressures and temperatures up to 14.5 GPa and 800°C. By fitting velocities to the finite strain equations, the elastic moduli and density were determined to be K S0 = 306.6(46) GPa, $K$$^{′}_{S}$ = 4.92(10), ∂K S /∂T = −0.024(1) GPa/K, G 0 = 229.0(34) GPa, G′ = 1.07(10), ∂G/∂T = −0.017(1) GPa/K, ρ 0 = 4.287(2) g/cm 3 . Our modeling suggested that, in the eclogite, coesite-stishovite transition can increase P and S wave velocities by 2.4% and 3.5%, respectively. A comparison between geophysical observations and our model shows that the coesite-stishovite phase transition in the eclogite can potentially be responsible for the occurrence of the X discontinuity beneath Hawaii. In addition, our current results suggest an eclogite-rich layer between 340 and 450 km depth beneath Hawaii. The eclogite concentration at the top and bottom of the layer is 41–55 vol% and >77 vol%, respectively.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

High-Resolution Regional Wave Hindcast for Hawaii

This report summarizes modeling efforts for hindcasting of wave climate within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around the state of Hawaii. Specifically, the report provides detailed description of model mesh development, sensitivity analysis of the configuration of model parameters, data used for model forcing and validation, model skill assessment, and model outputs for resource characterization. The unstructured, nested-grid modeling approach incorporates a regional high-resolution SWAN (Simulating WAves Nearshore) model within the global-regional WAVEWATCH III® (WW3) wave model. The models were configured to comply with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Standards for wave energy resource characterization. The SWAN model domain covers the entire EEZ with a spatial resolution of approximately 300 m in the nearshore region. Two levels of WW3 nested grids, from 0.5 arc-degree at global to 7.5 arc-minute at regional scale, were used to provide boundary conditions that drive the high-resolution nearshore SWAN model. The WW3 and SWAN models were forced by 0.5 arc-degree Climate Forecast System Reanalysis wind and 5 km regional Weather Research and Forecasting wind, respectively. Wave resource and bulk wave parameters were simulated for a 32-year period from 1979 to 2010, and were subsequently validated using wave buoy data within the model domain. Model performance was evaluated using a set of error statistics. Overall, the model shows good skills in reproducing the wave climate in the Hawaii EEZ in both spatial and temporal domains. Comparisons of time series and scatter plots for the six IEC resource parameters and the associated error statistics tables, and horizontal two-dimensional plots of annually averaged and monthly averaged IEC parameters are provided.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
NASA NTRS1974

Catalog of data summary of airglow observations obtained at Haleakala, Hawaii

The airglow studies were initiated in July 1961 in response to the discovery of unusual phenomena in the tropical airglow as observed from Algeria. Hawaii, being the southern-most area in the United States and within the tropics, and possessing high mountains with frequent clear skies well isolated from the contaminating light and dust of civilization, appeared to be an ideal location for establishing a tropical airglow station. The University of Hawaii was already developing the Mees Solar Laboratory on Haleakala on the island of Maui, so that the addition of a night sky observatory was a natural development. The collection of data covers a span of about seven and one-half years, including the minimum of the solar cycle in 1963 and just getting into the next maximum in 1968-69. It was unfortunate that financial limitations did not permit the continuation of the observations through one complete solar cycle.

Steiger, W. R.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Aerial reconnaissance over the island of Hawaii

The flight sequence in this guide is nominal and based on optimum weather conditions; it may be altered, depending upon weather and visibility. Also included at the end of the flight sequence for the island of Hawaii are sections for parts of Maui (Haleakala Volcano) and Molokai, which will be flown if Hawaii is completely obscured at flight time.

Greeley, R.↗
NASA NTRS1973

University of Hawaii Lure Observatory

The University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy is currently constructing a lunar laser ranging observatory at the 3050-meter summit of Mt. Haleakala, Hawaii. The Nd YAG laser system to be employed provides three pulses per second, each pulse being approximately 200 picoseconds in duration. The energy contained in one pulse at 5320 A lies in the range from 250 to 350 millijoules. Details of observatory construction are provided together with transmitter design data and information concerning the lunastat, the feed telescope, the relative pointing system, the receiver, and the event timer system.

Carter, W. E.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Morphology of large valleys on Hawaii - Evidence for groundwater sapping and comparisons with Martian valleys

Morphometric data on the runoff and sapping valleys on the slopes of Hawaii and Molokai in Hawaii are analyzed. The analysis reveals a clear distinction between the runoff valleys and sapping valleys. The Hawaiian sapping valleys are characterized by: (1) steep valley walls and flat floors, (2) amphitheater heads, (3) low drainage density, (4) paucity of downstream tributaries, (5) low frequency of up-dip tributaries, and (6) structural and stratigraphic control on valley patterns. The characteristics of the Hawaiian sapping valleys are compared to Martian valleys and experimental systems, and good correlation between the data is detected. Flume experiments were also conducted to study the evolution of sapping valleys in response to variable structure and stratigraphy.

Kochel, R. Craig↗
NASA NTRS1990

The Hawaii Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometer (HIFI)

At Mauna Kea Observatory, researchers conducted optical, imaging spectrophotometric studies of selected active galaxies using both the Canada-France-Hawaii 3.6m and University of Hawaii 2.2m telecopes (Tully, Bland and Cecil 1988). To maximize spatial resolution, researchers select galaxies independent of luminosity but known to possess interesting morphologies or high-velocity, extranuclear ionized gas (Walker 1968; Rubin and Ford 1968). They study both the large-scale patterns produced in IR-luminous, starburst systems (e.g., M82, NGC 253, NGC 6240) and those with compact, but spatially extended, circumnuclear, narrow line regions (e.g., M51, NGC 1068, NGC 4151). Current studies are restricted to the optical (SII), (NII) and (OIII) lines and the brightest Balmer recombination lines. These lines are, in principle, sufficient to constrain the dynamical structure and dominant excitation mechanism of the ionized component.

Bland, Jonathan↗
NASA NTRS1990

Bio-optical profile data report: Joint Global Ocean Flux Study, Hawaii Ocean Time-Series, HOT-3, R/V Moana Wave, 6-10 January 1989

Time-series measurements of the incident surface downwelling irradiance and vertical profiles of the Bio-optical properties of the ocean have been measured during the third cruise of the Hawaii Ocean Time-Series to the ALOHA site, 22 degrees 56.4 minutes N, 157 degrees 54.6 minutes W, north of the island of Oahu, Hawaii, during the period January 6 to 10, 1989. A summary of these data is presented to permit investigators an overview of the data collected. The data are available in digital form for scientific investigators.

Collins, Donald J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

First observations of mesospheric dynamics with a partial reflection radar in Hawaii (22 deg N, 160 deg W)

A partial-reflection MF radar was installed at the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kanai, Hawaii in September 1990. The wind measurements obtained with this radar system in Hawaii during the first year of operation are reviewed. The data reveal a broad spectrum of motions ranging from a mix of the equatorial mesopause semiannual oscillation (MSAO) and the annual mean cycle at middle and high latitudes in the zonal mean structure to low-frequency, tidal, and gravity wave motions at higher frequencies. The zonal mean wind structure is characterized by a downward progression of strong eastward and westward phases of the MSAO from approximately January to July. An eastward maximum of about 60/ms near 80 km during January and February is found, which descends rapidly, and a westward maximum of about 50 ms near 85 km during March and April is found, which descends much more slowly. The second MSAO cycle is greatly suppressed relative to the first due to the reversal of the correlation between this and the annual cycle at higher latitudes from July to December.

Fritts, David C.↗