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Wave energy could be cheaper and easier to integrate into current energy systems than other forms of renewables because of its relative consistency, according to new analysis.
The study, a collaboration between researchers at Oregon State University, the University of Victoria, and private industry, estimates that the cost of integrating wave energy into the system would be 10% or less than the costs of integrating wind energy. However, the researchers noted that integration is just one component.
The findings, published in journal Renewable Energy, are based on a lower variability with wave energy. The researchers explain that the variability of alternative energy sources is one of the factors that holds back their wider use because if wind or solar energy decreases and varies widely, then other energy production has to back it up, adding to the overall cost of energy supply.
In comparison to other renewables, wave energy has a lower variability and by balancing wave energy production over a larger geographic area this can be reduced further. As a result, wave energy has the potential to provide cheaper and more consistent energy than both wind and solar.
“Whenever any new form of energy is added, a challenge is to integrate it into the system along with other sources,” explains Ted Brekken, an associate professor and renewable energy expert in the College of Engineering at Oregon State University.
“By producing wave energy from a range of different sites, possibly with different types of technology, and taking advantage of the comparative consistency of the wave resource itself, it appears that wave energy integration should be easier than that of wind energy. The reserve, or backup generation, necessary for wave energy integration should be minimal.”
Whilst wave energy is still in the infancy of its development, and as a result is not price competitive on an overall bases, costs are expected to fall further as technologies improve, systems are developed and the energy source becomes more widespread.
What sort of impact will this have on the coast lines? Will these systems take up large amounts of beach space? IF they do, they will be taking money out of state economies and you will probably see a big push against them.
Offhand, I'd say putting anything with moving parts in a SALT WATER environment is probably going to incur significant overhead.
Not necessarily, Florida has desalination plants that work just fine. Just a materials problem that can be sorted out. To me these types of energy producers have the same issues as offshore drill pads, they are a sight sore, albeit they do not have the potential for the huge eco-damage that drill rigs do.
The maintenance on wave energy systems makes them expensive. Oceans are corrosive and hard surfaces get fouled quickly. There is a lot of energy available.
Wave/Tidal energy is nothing new. It has been debated since the 1960s, IIRC.
THAT is the problem: DEBATE!
That is all that has been done.
I don't recall if a pilot plant was ever built.
"THEY" have only been debating it for about 50 years, though.
Perhaps in another 50 years they can actually build something.
Great until you figure the costs involved. They are huge and there are environmental impacts not yet known. We're talking about messing with sea beds but worry about plastic bits in the oceans.
There is a lot of energy in a lot of eco systems. Tapping into them usually means altering them in ways we don't fully understand until it is too late.
Great until you figure the costs involved. They are huge and there are environmental impacts not yet known. We're talking about messing with sea beds but worry about plastic bits in the oceans.
There is a lot of energy in a lot of eco systems. Tapping into them usually means altering them in ways we don't fully understand until it is too late.
The Maine system is just slowing the tidal ebb and flood. That's not a major ecological change.
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