Iberdrola affiliate company, Vineyard Wind, has launched a new Startup Challenge calling for innovative ideas that use real time data to monitor marine mammals in the vicinity of offshore wind farms. The awardees will take part in a startup accelerator program run by Greentown Labs.
The goals of the initiative are to increase safety, enhance environmental protection and boost the protection of sensitive habitats. Ultimately the challenge aims to uncover new solutions that further enhance the sustainable development of offshore wind power.
Vineyard Wind — 50 % owned by the Iberdrola group through its US subsidiary Avangrid — has teamed up with Greentown Labs. to deliver the challenge. Concepts can include tracking, data gathering, real-time data transmission and analysis. The company is currently developing an 800 MW offshore wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts.
The awardees will be involved in a six-month accelerator program run by Greentown Labs, which includes exclusive access to the networks managed by Greentown Labs and Vineyard Wind. It will also offer the chance to connect with wide variety of organisations and offshore energy suppliers, tutoring from the world's top engineers, scientists and specialists in offshore wind power permits and the opportunity to take part in training and programming workshops through partnerships with both companies.
All projects submitted must meet some of these requirements:
- The data collected must provide accurate and reliable information on marine mammal monitoring.
- The procedure has to be efficient, safe and environmentally friendly.
- Their technology must conform to existing best practice in data management and to public policies
