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

SUPPORT 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.
 

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

• 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)
• 160 square foot storage container
• 450 square foot lower landing platform located +3 feet above mean high water. 
• Supports vessel loading operations, equipment deployments and dive ladder

• 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)

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

• 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)

• California Coastal Commission Coastal Development Permit 3-01-015, Regional Water Quality Control Board Discharge Permit Waiver. Allows discharge of flow through seawater in San Luis Obispo Bay.  Limited to discharge of food and nitrogenous waste associate with animal husbandry practices.

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

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.

Contact us with questions or for a facility consultation:

• Tom Moylan, Cal Poly Marine Operations Manager
• tmoylan@calpoly.edu

Learn more about the TEAMER application process and requirements.

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.