Sandia Energy > Programs > Renewable Energy > Water Power > Research Capabilities > Resource Characterization Sandia National Laboratories catalogues key statistics needed to assess energy conversion opportunities, constraints and risks at wave and tidal energy sites, including power density and metrics for environmental loads required for current energy converter (CEC) and wave energy converter (WEC) design. Marine energy resource classification systems developed by Sandia facilitate energy planning, project development, device design and type-certification. Wave energy resource classification system for US coastal waters show distinct regional trends. From S. Ahn, K. A. Haas, V. S. Neary, Wave energy resource classification system for US coastal waters, Ren & Sust Energy Rev, 104, 54-68, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2019.01.017 Work flow for design load and response analysis for USDOE Reference Model 3 (RM3) point absorber demonstrates application of Sandia’s environmental contours tool within the WEC design response toolbox (WDRT). From Debruyne, Y., Cruz, J., Neary, V.S., Coe, R.G. Long term load response of a two-body point absorber in extreme seas. Intnl. Conf. Oc. Energy (ICOE), 12-14 June 2018.