Nature's Green Remedy

Wave power is a method of harnessing the movement of the ocean (and other large bodies of water) in order to produce energy. It’s an evolving science that is not yet widely used, but is gaining respect because of its environmentally-friendly method of utilizing a renewable resource that is available 24-hours per day to generate power.

There are several different ways to use ocean waves to generate electricity but the process always involves combining natural (or artificial) waves with wave power devices to activate the electrical system.

Ocean Wave Power Generation Systems

Some of the techniques include placing generators on or below the ocean’s surface, using floating tubes to pump ocean water into a generator, or using fake wind, pools and air chambers to direct moving air into a turbine which activates a generator. An example of using wave generated wind-flow to drive the turbines is demonstrated in the following video:

Wave power has the potential to produce large amounts of electricity, but there are currently very few wave farms in the world. Wave power still appears to be in an experimental phase: the technology is proven to work, but the logistics of financing and setting up large-scale wave farms along major coastlines is not high up on the agenda for most nations, at least not yet. Additionally, there are difficulties with the actual conversion of wave energy into electricity. Although the potential for energy is there, harnessing wave power and putting it to use is not as simple as it is with wind and solar power. It’s also a challenge to design wave power devices that can withstand the constant crashing of the waves without getting damaged.

Wave power is only truly effective in coastal areas with enough wind to generate frequent, high-energy waves, such as parts of Scotland, Australia, Africa, Canada, and the United States. However, none of these locations currently have any wave farms large enough to generate a significant amount of electricity.

One of the more recent wave farms is the Aguçadoura Wave Farm, which opened in Portugal in 2008, but not to great success. After two months of operation, the wave farm came to a halt due to technical issues with the machinery and because of a lack of financing, the farm has yet to re-open.

There have been discussions about funding wave farms in Scotland (one of the earliest wave generators was built in Scotland decades ago) and Cornwall, England, but aside from these possible locations, there are still no other prospective commercial wave farms in the world. Currently, the wave farms that do exist are small, and are mostly used for desalination and pumping water.

Other Ocean-related Energy Systems

Similar to wave power is a system called “tidal power.” People sometimes confuse the two, and although they both use the movement of water to generate energy, they are not the same thing. Waves are caused by wind blowing across the water’s surface.

The tide, however, has nothing to do with the wind; it’s caused by the gravitational forces of the moon. As the moon rotates, the tide rises and falls because of the gravitational pulls. Although it’s easier to make predictions about the tide than the waves, the use of tidal power is still very minimal, mostly due to high expense and a lack of optimal places to implement it. The first tidal power station emerged in France in the 1960’s, and since then a handful of other tidal energy sites have sprung up in North America, Europe, and Asia. Tidal power mostly relies on the use of tidal barrages, dames, and turbines to generate energy.

Ocean Power: A Developing Resource

The main criticisms of wave power fall under the problems of finance and difficulty in effectively harnessing potential wave energy. Some people also complain how the wave energy devices are eyesores on what would otherwise be beautiful coastal areas. Additionally, these devices could potentially affect marine life or cause a bothersome amount of noise.

The evolving technology surrounding the wave power industry will likely continue to make improvements to address these concerns, and although it currently falls short of competing with wind and solar power, it’s possible that wave power will become more regularly used as technologies improve, the cost goes down and efficiency goes up.