HERO’s Mission: Building a Blueprint for Wave Energy Components

Researchers at the National Laboratory of the Rockies have been refining a device called the HERO WEC, which uses wave energy to desalinate seawater. It works by pumping seawater through an onshore filtration system, powered either hydraulically or electrically. The team has now redesigned a key electrical part called the charge controller, which regulates how power flows from the wave-powered generator into a battery bank, protecting the batteries from overcharging.

The original charge controller used standard parts built for steadier energy sources like solar, but ocean testing showed they couldn't handle the choppy, irregular surges of wave power. So the team built a custom version instead. In lab tests simulating ocean conditions, the new charge controller captured up to eight times more power than the original design, meaning the device can charge its batteries more reliably and produce more desalinated water.

This isn't a product homeowners can buy or install. It's early-stage research funded by the Department of Energy, aimed at building a reusable design that other wave-energy developers can adapt for their own devices, potentially speeding up progress across the industry. The next step is testing the new charge controller alongside the generator and batteries as a full system, simulating wave conditions before moving back to real ocean testing. For now, this is a research milestone in wave-powered desalination technology, not something tied to home energy upgrades or rebates.