Ocean waves represent our planet's last untapped natural renewable energy resource. Over 70 per cent of the earth's surface is covered with water. The energy contained within waves has the potential to produce up to 80,000TWh of electricity per year - sufficient to meet our global energy demand five times over. The potential to capture energy from the sea offers a vast and endless source of clean sustainable electricity. Predictable by nature
Ocean waves are generated by wind passing over the surface of the sea - a process which often begins many hundreds or thousands of miles from shore. Because waves originate a long way from shore, computer models of wave propagation allow us to accurately forecast incoming waves up to five days in advance.
In comparison with wind energy, it's easier to accurately predict how much energy can be generated by waves, and when. In addition, the peaks and troughs of wind and wave energy do not always coincide. This means there are times when there is abundant wave energy and little wind. This diversity helps even out the fluctuating nature of some renewable energy sources. When combined with other renewable energy, such as hydro power, it helps provide a more predictable and steady renewable energy mix.
A diverse renewable energy portfolio means a more stable energy system, reduced variability and lower cost. In addition, a strong renewable energy mix means we become less reliant on traditional power sources such as oil and gas. This gives us greater energy security.
Minimal environmental impact
Wave energy is, by its nature, a clean energy resource. Aside from the energy expended in manufacture and installation of wave energy devices, it produces no carbon emissions. Our industry is still very new but studies undertaken to date show the process of capturing wave energy has minimal environmental impact. Our Oyster device, for example, is a simple, slow-moving buoyant flap. This flap moves backwards and forwards in the waves and pumps water ashore. There is no electricity production or fast moving equipment at sea. And as Oyster uses freshwater as its hydraulic fluid it means there are no hydrocarbons in its system. The device sits largely underwater so there is minimal visual impact.
Other applications
There is an obvious link between wave energy and desalination - the process of removing salt from water to produce freshwater. There are a number of island groups, such as the Canary Islands, which receive little rain or have limited means to capture and store rainfall. Instead seawater must be desalinated by a technique known as reverse osmosis. Energy fuelled by diesel generators is used to pump high pressure saltwater over special membranes to produce freshwater.
Our Oyster device offers a cleaner, more cost-effective solution. Oyster could be configured to produce high pressure saltwater direct to a desalination plant, without the need for fossil fuels whatsoever.
A Portuguese energy company called Enersis is funding a commercial wave energy project in Northern Portugal. Construction of Pelamis Offshore Wave Energy Project will begin at the end of October 2006. The project will use Pelamis wave generator technology (manufactured by Ocean Power Delivery) to harness energy from the ocean. After two decades of research and testing at the Lisbon Technical Institute, the first stage of this ocean energy project is intended to produce 2.25 megawatts and power homes through the nation�s state-run electrical grid system. Ocean Power Delivery is considered to be the world�s leading ocean energy company. �This project, begun in 2003, is now in the world vanguard,� said Rui Barros, Enersis director of new projects. �Of all the varieties of renewable energy, perhaps harnessing the waves is the only one where Portugal might have a real future,� he said. With its geographical position and extensive coastline giving access to the larger and more powerful Atlantic waves, official estimates from Portugal�s State Secretariat for Industry and Innovation have predicted wave power could account for up to 30 percent of the country�s gross domestic product by 2050. Renewable energy experts have determined wave farms in Portugal could yield as much as three times as much energy as that produced by a wind turbine park for the same investment cost.
A report published by the Portuguese Wave Energy Center has confirmed the long-term economic benefits of wave energy for the country and calls on the government to put in place a strategy to attract foreign investment into Portuguese wave power ventures. �The utilization of wave energy may have a significant socio-economic impact on Portugal, namely regarding renewables, creation of job opportunities, opportunity of exportation of equipment and services, innovation and development of technology, as well as companies dedicated to the exploitation of other oceanic resources,� the report says.
Relatively new in development, modern research into wave power had its beginnings in response to the 1973 oil crisis. Professor Stephen Salter of the University of Edinburgh pioneered research into wave energy with his prototype machine �Salter�s Duck.� Though the duck remains a laboratory prototype, the machine remains the standard for wave energy. The experimental device converted around 90 percent of the wave power by bobbing up and down on the surface of the water � like a duck. Despite its early promise though, setbacks and a general lack of government support saw the project shelved.
However, with the Portuguese system set to be the world�s first commercial wave energy venture, the exploitation of wave power has found itself back on the renewable energy agenda.
Following the Enersis announcement, other countries naturally suited to the development of wave power have expressed their interest in introducing the technology. Following his recent visit to Aguadoura, Scottish Executive Enterprise Minister Nicol Stephen announced that a portion of the 8 million pounds already set aside for renewable marine energy in Scotland would now be directed towards installing the Pelamis wave devices at the European Marine Energy Center in Orkney.
�I am committed to supporting Scotland�s huge wave and tidal energy resource. Scotland has a real opportunity to be a world leader in this field,� said the minister shortly after his visit to view the wave energy project in northern Portugal. �The opportunity now exists to create a multi-million pound industry based in Scotland, employing thousands of highly skilled people,� he said.
However, environmental group Friends of the Earth, while supporting the minister�s announcement, sounded a warning that any delays in introducing the wave power technology could lead to an exodus of Scottish expertise.
�Wave and tidal power could supply a fifth of U.K. energy needs and Scotland is ideally placed to generate significant amounts of this pollution-free energy,� said Friends of the Earth chief executive Duncan McLaren. �However, there is a danger that unless we see full-scale devices in our waters soon that the world-leading expertise Scotland has built up will rapidly depart these shores,� he said.
As part of the government supported alternative energy plan, another 28 wave power devices will be installed in Portugal within a year, reaching a target of 22.5 megawatts of electricity produced using wave energy. The project is supported by state run power company Energias de Portugal.
Ocean wave energy can be captured directly from surface waves. Blowing wind and pressure fluctuations below the surface are the main reasons for causing waves. But consistency of waves differs from one area of ocean to another. Some regions of oceans receive waves with enough uniformity and force. Ocean waves contain tremendous energy. Currently scientists and companies are considering exploiting the wave power of oceans to harness clean and green energy. ANSYS Inc is a global trend setter of simulation software and technologies. Recently it has developed software that is assisting in converting the persistent forces of ocean waves into electricity. Green Ocean Energy Ltd is an Aberdeen based renewable energy company. Their mission is to create and innovate in the field of clean and green energy. They are developing mechanisms to harness energy from the Earth�s oceans. They are also focusing on other facts such as the economic viability and sustainability of their products.
Green Ocean Energy has produced two innovative devices � Ocean Treader and Wave Treader. These devices will move on the ocean surface in a manner as if someone is nodding, these up and down movements of the arms will help in generating power.
It is estimated that each machine will produce around 500KW of electrical power. This power can be transported to the shore with the aid of underwater cables. This amount of electricity can be utilized by about 125 homes. Wave power farms can be established to generate any required amount of power.
Ocean Treader is a floating device. It will be tied up 1 � 2 miles offshore in ocean wave systems. It will not pose any obstruction on the shoreline. The theory has been put to test in wave tank. Now the company is producing a full size machine for offshore testing.
Wave Treader has grown out of our work with Ocean Treader. Wave Treader uses its Sponsons and Arms and are mounted on the base of a static offshore structure. That structure can be a Wind Turbine or Tidal Turbine. By sharing the high infrastructure costs with another device, such as the foundation costs, cabling costs, etc., the economics of both devices are enhanced and the energy yield for a given sea area greatly improved.
Green Ocean Energy has receives a noteworthy boost to the development of its wave power technology after managing �100,000 of funding from the Scottish Enterprise Seed Fund. They have also secured �150,000 of private investment. Graeme Bell, Special Projects Director at Green Ocean Energy said: �We are delighted to receive this support from Scottish Enterprise. The funding will enable the company to take a major step forward and begin detailed engineering and design of a full scale Wave Treader. It�s been an exciting time for the company and we�re enjoying a fantastic level of interest in our activities.�
This financial support will enable the company to continue the engineering and testing of its ground breaking Wave Treader device. This device is affixed to the transition piece of an offshore wind turbine thereby providing combined wind and wave energy.
It is expected that manufacture of a full scale prototype will start next year once an appropriate site has been acknowledged with deployment in early 2011. Commercialization is expected to being in 2012.
Just like wind mills and wind turbines that generate power and electricity from the wind, scientists are now working to generate power from the sea. Stephen Wood, an assistant professor of marine and environmental systems at Florida Institute of Technology�s College of Engineering is working on this technology for its advance and proper use. This technology will use Wing waves in a very efficient way to generate electricity and power from the sea.
The wing waves technology to produce electricity and power from sea is a project initiated by a renewable energy firm from Tallahassee called the Clean and Green Enterprises. This firm has been working in this area since the past five years. The use of Wing Waves to produce electricity from the sea According Wood, about 200,000 houses can be lit with the help of one square miles of wings that produce around 1000 units of electric power. Power is generated by changing elliptical motion wave into mechanical energy after trapping it 30 feet to 60 feet below the sea.
The chief executive with Clean and Green Enterprises Inc., Terence Bolden says that the wings sway 30 degrees from side to side. They take 8 to 10 seconds to complete every arc. In this process, they produce electricity.
Basic requirements to use Wing Waves to produce electricity from the sea To use Wing waves to produce electricity from the sea, there are two basic requirements: depth of 40 to 50 feet and a sandy bottom. Sea fans are placed on the sandy base. Though, bigger wings can be used to tap water to make electricity but for that the plant to make these wings has to be situated near the ocean. Till then, the fans having trapezoid-shaped wings that are 8 feet tall and 15 feet wide will continue to be used and they will be transported through road. The height and the width of the wings are carefully made so that they can be transported by the road and can be easily placed under the sea.
Advantages of using Wing Waves to produce electricity from the sea An example of Wind Waves to produce electric power from the sea was showcased when two 8-foot-tall wing flaps moved up and down on the seabed, just a few miles away from the Fort Pierce Fla.
The advantages of Wing waves are: * It is a clean and green way to generate electric power. * It is an alternative way to provide power. * It protects sea life. Wings waves are very environment friendly as they do not cause any danger to the turtles and attract fish. * The power produced in the sea can be used on land by transferring the electricity from sea to land through cables. * The wing waves are a treat for the eye to see. * If these wings are properly maintained, they can be used up to 20 years. * The wings will operate and generate power even when the sea is a bit calm. The wings will get locked automatically during hurricanes, when the sea is rough. * Wing wave�s technology can operate in any coastal area. * Wing Waves also help in desalinizing sea water.
The prototype of Wing Waves technology The prototype of wing waves that has been working from November 17 off the Florida coast is built with aluminum. It has helped to collect data on wave motion and other relevant matters. The prototype that is going to replace the one used now will be made from composite material that is more resistant to corrosion.
Hopefully, Wing waves will be a revolution in generating power and electricity from the sea.
Every time we turn around we are seeing something new and exciting in renewable energy forms and Aquamarine Power is the latest in a long line of energy sources to be pumped up about. Aquamarine Power is a company that is developing wave energy. This is a source of energy that has barely been tapped into and they are one of the leaders in developing it.
Their Oyster project has been stealing headlines for quite some time and it continues to be successful to this day. It officially launched in November of 2009 and was responsible for bringing this company into the limelight and winning them quite a bit of recognition. This particular project was so successful that Aquamarine Power has already received funding and is developing an Oyster 2 project. What makes this very exciting is the fact that this is one type of renewable energy that can actually be predicted with regularity for all of eternity. Solar power requires the sun to be effective. While solar panels can still charge under clouds, they do not fully charge and every day that they go without direct sunlight means that they are not being fully charged.
Wind power obviously relies on the wind for all of its power. On a calm day, there would be no power to generate. This is why wind turbines are placed strategically in areas that always get wind. Even in those areas, there are days when the blades do nothing more than sit still for hours on end.
Wave energy is different because we know each and every day when high tide is and when low tide is. Because of this predictability, a hydro-electric wave energy converter like Oyster can be placed and will generate a predictable amount of energy every day. Add to the equation that the energy that is produced is cheaper than other renewable and we do indeed have a winner.
Solar power has definitely been stealing the headlines because of its attractiveness and portability. However, if projects like Oyster from Aquamarine Power continue to be successful, wave energy is going to start to become more and more feasible as an alternative energy source. It would actually enable areas around the world to come totally off of the grid and have energy that is supplied 100% from Mother Nature. While it is tough to say how much longer it will be until all these forms of renewable energy come to true fruition, projects like this would lead us to believe that this time will be sooner rather than later.
