Trent Dillon is a researcher with the Water Power group and the Integrated Decision Support group, contributing to interdisciplinary projects related to wave-powered desalination and energy justice.

Dillon began collaborating with NREL during his doctoral studies, working in the Water Power group through the Research Participant Program. His doctoral research focused on the economics, optimal system design, and social impacts of small-scale wave energy conversion, and he received his Ph.D. in 2023. He has experience in computational modeling and optimization of various renewable energy resources and applications, and has studied and supported community-centered renewable energy projects.

Research Interests

Energy and environmental justice

Wave-powered desalination

Regenerative design

Education

Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington

B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh

Featured Work

Cost-Optimal Wave-Powered Persistent Oceanographic Observation, Renewable Energy (2022)

Survey and Numerical Model Analysis for Siting Kilowatt-Scale Tidal Turbines, European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference (2019)

Siting Performance Metrics: A Sequim Bay Case Study for Cross-Flow Turbines, Marine Energy Technology Symposium (2018)

A Network-Based Framework for Assessing Infrastructure Resilience: A Case Study of the London Metro System, Journal of the Royal Society Interface (2016)