Wave Energy Potential Warrants Further Research

Wave Energy Potential Warrants Further Research

Mar 31 - Sea Technology

A new report from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) suggests that generation of electricity from wave energy may be economically feasible in the near future. The study was carried out by EPRI in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and energy agencies and utilities from six states.

Conceptual designs for 300,000-megawatt-hour plants were performed for five sites: Waimanalo Beach, Hawaii; Old Orchard Beach, Maine; WellFleet, Massachusetts; Gardiner, Oregon; and Ocean Beach, California. The study determined that wave energy conversion may be economically feasible within the territorial waters of the United States as soon as investments are made to enable wave technology to reach a production volume of 10,000 to 20,000 megawatts.

According to the study, wave energy will first become commercially competitive with land-based wind technology at a cumulative production volume of 10,000 or fewer megawatts in Hawaii and northern California, about 20,000 megawatts in Oregon and about 40,000 megawatts in Massachusetts. Maine is the only state in the five-site study whose wave climate is such that wave energy may never be able to economically compete with a good wind energy site. This forecast was based on the output of a 90-megawatt Pelamis wave energy conversion plant design and application of technology learning curves that will enable cost savings.

Researchers say there are several compelling arguments for investing in offshore wave energy technology. First, with proper siting, conversion of ocean wave energy to electricity is believed to be one of the most environmentally benign ways to generate electricity. Second, researchers say that wave energy conversion devices have a low profile and are located far enough away from the shore that they are generally not visible. Third, wave energy is more predictable than solar and wind energy, offering a better possibility of being dispatchable by an electrical grid systems operator and possibly earning a capacity payment.

A characteristic of wave energy that suggests that it may be one of the lowest cost renewable energy sources is its high-power density. Processes in the ocean concentrate solar and wind energy into ocean waves, making it cheaper to harvest, says ESRI.