Facilities

Marine Operations

Website Update

Cal Poly Pier: TEAMER's First Open Water Pier Facility

Cal Poly Pier in Avila TEAMER facility aerial view

Cal Poly Pier at California Polytechnic State University,
San Luis Obispo

The Cal Poly Pier facility has been designated as an open water test site for industry evaluations of marine energy devices and systems by the U.S. Department of Energy.

As part of the Testing Expertise and Access to Marine Energy Research Program (TEAMER), the Cal Poly Pier offers collaborators open-water access from its kilometer-long marine research station in San Luis Obispo Bay in Avila Beach, California — among the first fixed-platform, open ocean sites in the program. See below to learn more on the Cal Poly Pier facility, the TEAMER program and the RFTS application process.

Cal Poly Pier Open Water Testing Facility

STEP 1

Fill out and submit this online form so we can evaluate compatibility between your project specifications and the Cal Poly Pier facility's capabilities.

Cal Poly Pier Cal Poly Pier Open Water Testing Facility

STEP 2

After completing and submitting the Initial Assessment Form, begin the application process or learn more details on the TEAMER webpage.

Cal Poly Pier: Test Facility Overview

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 Cal Poly Pier TEAMER test and research facility open water

Cal Poly Pier TEAMER Test Facility for marine energy researchSUPPORT TYPES: Open Water Facilities, Open Water
APPLICATION AREAs: Power System Integration
TECHNOLOGY RELEVANCE: Wave
LOCATION: Avila Beach/San Luis Obispo Bay, California (part of the Cal Poly campus) View map of the Cal Poly Pier location.
 

FACILITY OVERVIEW

The Cal Poly Pier allows users to test equipment from a shore-based facility with easy access, without the expense and complications of ship time. The Pier extends 1 km into San Luis Obispo Bay, in 12 m/40 ft of water, providing ample depth for deploying and testing a range of equipment and access for vessel support as needed. There is also a 100 gallon per minute rate flow through seawater system for aquaculture and organismal studies. It is a secured facility, with restricted access and large loading capacities sufficient to transport large equipment out onto the Pier. The area around the pier is semi-protected by the Port San Luis Breakwater (~1.8 km to the SW), with moderate wave and wind fields relative to the open coast. As such, it provides an excellent location to deploy and test equipment in semi-exposed conditions from a fixed, easy-to-access platform. The Pier is in a commercial harbor not associated with any special regulatory zones and provides easy access to port infrastructure.

Go to this TEAMER webpage for more details on the Cal Poly Pier as a test facility or to begin the application process.

 

 

Cal Poly Pier: Map and Location

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 Cal Poly Pier map and location

The Cal Poly Pier is located in Avila Beach on the Central Coast of California (San Luis Obispo Bay). This site houses the only marine research laboratory facility between Santa Barbara and Monterey, providing a vital resource for government, non-profit and private agencies. At one kilometer in length and with its furthest section in 40 feet of ocean depth, the pier's size and capacity is unparalleled in the state. The Cal Poly Pier is well positioned to become one of the first open water Blue Economy research, innovation, testing and demonstration facilities in the U.S.

SAMPLE DISTANCES:
Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach to Cal Poly Pier = ~205 land miles, ~151 nautical miles
Port of Oakland to Cal Poly Pier = ~234 land miles, ~175 nautical miles
U.S Naval Base San Diego to Cal Poly Pier = ~310 land miles, ~240 nautical miles

 

Cal Poly Pier: Specs and Technical Details

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 Cal Poly Pier Facility TEAMER test site specs

AVAILABLE AREAS

Pier Platform
  • Total deck space: 90 feet x 150 feet (13,500 square feet total)
  • 2,000-square-foot, 2-story main building (classroom, conference room, shop, storage)
  • 1,700-square-foot Flowing Seawater Facility (indoor and outdoor aquaria support)
  • 160-square-foot Scientific Diving support container (compressor and fill station)
  • 450-square-foot lower landing platform located +3 feet above mean high water. 
    Supports vessel loading operations, equipment deployments and dive ladder.
     

Pier Landside

  • 0.4-acre mixed parking and staging areas

Roadway (2,960 feet, single lane)

  • American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials HS-20 rated
    • 8,000 lbs. per front axle
    • 32,000 lbs. per rear axle
    • 40,000 lbs. max per vehicle

Flowing Seawater System

  • Continuous ~100 gallons/minute flow rate. Both Filtered Seawater (5–10-micron filtration pass) and Raw Seawater are supplied via overhead supply piping.

Boating Support

  • 26-foot Radon with 1,000’ capacity hydro winch and pole crane (500 lbs. over side load).  Bent pole davit (500 lbs. over side load), DC/AC power.
  • 21-foot Munson, Bent pole davit (300 lbs. over side load), DC/AC power.
  • 19-foot Zodiac inflatable.

Scientific Diving Support

  • American Academy of Underwater Sciences standards
  • Compressor and fill station

Crane/Davits

  • Jib Crane: 2-ton load rated with motorized trolley and boom (west side of platform)
  • Davits: Two 500 lb. capacity pier deck mounted (east and south sides of platform)
     

UTILITIES

Water

  • Potable water in buildings and multiple outside hose locations
     

Electrical

  • The facility is served by a 12 kV AC primary distribution source.
  • Secondary service is 480 VAC, three-phase, which serves as the backbone for high-load equipment and distribution panels. From this system, additional voltages are derived as needed.
  • 80 kW diesel backup generator 

Phone/Internet

  • Cell/Hot Spot coverage available via standard carriers. (No institutional Wi-Fi on site.)

Permitting

  • NEPA Biological Assessment clearance
  • Regional Water Quality Control Board Discharge permit exemption. Allows discharge of flow through seawater in San Luis Obispo Bay. Limited to discharge of food and nitrogenous waste associate with animal husbandry practices.
  • All additional permitting requirements are independent of Cal Poly, are specific to discrete operations and the responsibility of individual project leads to obtain and maintain.

Learn more about the Cal Poly Pier facility, research and history.

Contact Us: Questions, Facility Consultation and Timelines

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 Contact the Cal Poly Pier

Applicants interested in collaborating with the Cal Poly Pier facility are required to consult with our designated TEAMER coordinator and Marine Operations Manager prior to applying for support. Recipients should discuss their technical objectives with us to ensure that our facility has the capability to assist and provide the necessary support. After the consultation, the collaborator and the Cal Poly Pier can then partner to complete the application together and submit to TEAMER.

Only certain types of testing may occur at an approved Open Water Facility, so pre-application collaboration is critical for determining whether or not a project would be possible.

PROCESS OVERVIEW:

  1. Submit Project Initial Assessment Form
  2. ~15-30 days: Cal Poly review and short consultation with TEAMER. If approved, proceed with TEAMER application (see TEAMER website).
  3. ~30-60 days: TEAMER proposal submittal in coordination with Cal Poly (timing mostly dependent on applicant.)
  4. ~30-90 days: TEAMER proposal review; may require resubmission. Upon acceptance, Cal Poly initiates permitting notifications.
  5. ~30-90 days: Development and approval of Test Plan in coordination with Cal Poly (timing mostly dependent on applicant.)
  6. ~6 months: Permitting and approvals (should be concurrent with Test Plan Development.)
  • NEPA: National Environmental Policy Act
  • USACE: United States Army Corps of Engineers
  • CEQA: California Environmental Quality Act
  • RWQCB: Regional Water Quality Control Board
  • CDFW: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
  • California Coastal Commission

Contact us with questions or for a facility consultation: teamer@calpoly.edu

Learn more about the TEAMER application process and requirements.

TEAMER Program Info

TEAMER: Program and Overview

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 TEAMER logo
About the TEAMER Program:

Testing Expertise and Access to Marine Energy Research Program (TEAMER)

TEAMER accelerates the viability of marine energy by providing access to the nation’s best facilities and expertise in order to solve challenges, build knowledge, foster innovation and drive commercialization.

The energy stored in the motion of waves and currents has the potential to provide a vast and resilient source of energy to meet a significant portion of society’s needs. To reach this potential and move marine energy technologies closer to market, researchers and developers must first refine the most promising technologies and advance their progression toward achieving commercial viability, all while navigating development and testing barriers along the way.

The Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research (TEAMER™) program accelerates that process through annual open funding calls to support developers seeking access to the nation’s best facilities and expertise. TEAMER plans to distribute more than $25 million through these periodic competitive opportunities (known as Requests for Technical Support, RFTSs) to support Marine Energy testing and development projects.

Visit the TEAMER website to learn more.

Read the online article, "Cal Poly Pier Designated as Wave Energy Testing Site by Federally-Funded Program."

 

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