News & Updates

We're happy to share that residents of Beaver Island, Michigan, are actively participating in the University of Michigan's initiative to develop a community-centered wave energy converter. This collaboration aims to harness Lake Michigan's wave power to provide sustainable and reliable energy for the island's approximately 600 year-round residents, who currently depend on a single underwater cable for electricity.

During a recent visit, U-M researchers, including doctoral student Vishnu Vijayasankar and assistant research scientist Xiaofan Li, engaged with the community through workshops and surveys. The response was enthusiastic, with 15 residents joining a feedback panel and 21 expressing interest in ongoing surveys. This community involvement is crucial for designing a wave energy prototype tailored to the island's unique needs and environmental conditions.

This project is part of a broader $3.6 million National Science Foundation-funded effort led by Professor Lei Zuo to develop community-centric wave energy solutions. The initiative emphasizes co-designing technology with local communities to…

We're excited to announce that the University of Michigan is spearheading a $3.6 million National Science Foundation-funded project aimed at developing community-focused wave energy converters. This initiative targets sustainable energy solutions for coastal areas, beginning with Beaver Island, Michigan, and Nags Head, North Carolina.

Led by Prof. Lei Zuo and a multidisciplinary team, the project emphasizes:

• Collaborative design with local communities to ensure energy solutions meet specific regional needs.

• Development of a comprehensive assessment framework balancing engineering efficiency, environmental impact, and socio-economic considerations.

• Field testing of wave energy devices tailored to the unique conditions of each site.

This effort represents a significant step toward harnessing the vast potential of wave energy, which could supply up to 35% of the U.S. electricity demand, while ensuring that the technologies are environmentally responsible and socially equitable.