Rodrigo Griesi left Brazil for the United States with a mission: To harness the power of offshore winds to unlock a more affordable source of renewable energy.
To do that he started Neptunya Ocean Power, an early-stage startup that is researching and designing prototypes for floating offshore wind turbines. About two-thirds of U.S. offshore wind energy potential exists in waters too deep for fixed-bottom wind turbine foundations that must be secured to the sea floor. To get around that, Neptunya aims to build floating platforms that can access that wind energy.
"A few different companies are trying to find the perfect design," Griesi said. "This technology is not established yet, so there is huge opportunity."
Neptunya Ocean Power was recognized for its efforts this month as the winner of the 2022 Cade Prize from the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention in Gainesville. The Boca Raton startup received the prize for its floating wind turbine design known as the Octopodz. The goal, Griesi said, is to generate a clean and affordable source that will drive renewable energy adoption by power companies and other consumers.
Ocean tides, waves, currents and winds can be used to produce electricity, but currently only accounts for a small fraction of global energy generation. However, much of the technology that can make that happen are still in the research and development stage – including floating wind turbines.
The technology is especially promising because offshore wind is well-suited for providing clean energy to densely populated coastal regions with high demand, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The federal agency recently launched the Floating Offshore Wind Shot, an initiative to drive U.S. leadership in floating offshore wind design. In addition to the environmental benefits, the initiative could lead to the creation of thousands of jobs in wind turbine manufacturing and installation.
Neptunya is in the process of building a second prototype, said Griesi, an entrepreneur with a degree in industrial engineering. On top of being able to float in the deep ocean, the giant wind turbines will need to have a low impact on the environment at every stage of production, from manufacturing to operations.
"We're still in the R&D stage, so we don't know what design is going to stick yet," Griesi said. "Hopefully in the next couple of years we'll have a final product that works and can survive storms and corrosion while posing no harm to the marine life around it."
Winning the 2022 Cade Prize was a sign Neptunya is heading in the right direction, he added. The competition brings together innovative early-stage ideas from Florida, Georgia and Alabama before they reach the marketplace. Winners shared $67,000 in cash prizes.
Neptunya is among a growing number of ocean technology ventures setting up shop in South Florida, including carbon capture, sea level rise prevention and pollution reduction companies. Local organizations such as Seaworthy Collective and Endeavor Miami operate incubation and accelerator programs for young companies in that sector, with the goal of making the Miami area one of the blue technology hubs of the world.
Harnessing the power of the ocean to produce clean energy will be a team effort, Griesi said. And if Neptunya doesn't crack the code, he hopes the company will at least contribute a small part of the solution.
"If we help push the needle and the next guy comes around and makes it work, that will be enough for me," he said.
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