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I AM Hydro Prize

Make a big splash—help support the development of tomorrow’s hydropower technologies!

Advanced manufacturing is revolutionizing the way products are designed and built for countless industries by lowering costs, improving designs, and reducing production timelines.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) launched the Innovations in Advanced Manufacturing for Hydropower (I AM Hydro) Prize to dramatically lower costs of hydropower components and systems designs by leveraging advancements in manufacturing and material.

I AM Hydro innovators competed for up to $175,000 in cash prizes and helped support the hydropower industry using the ingenuity of advanced manufacturing.

OverviewPartners

Advanced manufacturing technologies are revolutionizing the way products are designed and built across countless industries. And while the benefits of advanced manufacturing are well-understood, the high-impact opportunities for incorporating it into hydropower have yet to be tapped.

The I AM Hydro Prize sought innovative solutions to strengthen hydropower by applying advanced manufacturing technologies to reduce construction costs and repair frequency, improve efficiency and energy capture, and more.

Graphic illustration of hydropower dams and a city separated by a river, interconnected by electric transmission lines.

I AM Hydro was designed to:

  • Spur innovation by engaging a national community of visionaries who are not typically associated with the hydropower industry.
  • Target levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) reductions in hydropower design, manufacturing, and operation and maintenance.

Graphic of levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) formula for hydropower.  Annual costs ($)/Annual energy production (MWh) = (intial capital costs + operating and maintenance costs)/(plant characteristics * resource availability)

Congratulations to our CONCEPT Stage Winners!

Congratulations to the 11 winners, who received up to $175,000 in cash prizes!

View Challenge Results

To make more targeted investments in the future, WPTO is identifying high-impact opportunities for advanced manufacturing to address critical challenges in hydropower generation.

The CONCEPT Stage is now closed. As part of this prize, talented innovators helped guide us toward tomorrow’s hydropower technology. Competitors were challenged to develop concepts and ideas that will form the foundation of WPTO’s advanced manufacturing strategy.

While the prize solicited solutions of all shapes and sizes, organizers identified the following potential focus areas for submissions:

  • Additive Manufacturing
  • Advanced Materials
  • Casting, Forming, and Machining
  • Joining, Coating, and Repair.

Important Dates

  • Prize Opens: June 30, 2020
  • Prize Closes: October 30, 2020
  • Application Review: November 2, 2020
  • Winners Announcement: December 2020

Dates are forthcoming and subject to change. Final dates will be posted here and on the HeroX site.

Sign up for updates on our HeroX challenge page.

Who Could Participate?

Any innovators, visionaries, or enthusiasts with an idea to apply advanced manufacturing techniques to hydropower developments can apply! Join the community as an individual and find like-minded collaborators.


Solutions that help shape the future

Are you a thinker, entrepreneur, or potential partner? Anyone with an innovative idea can participate in the American-Made Challenges.

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