By 2020, Scotland expects to power 750,000 homes with commercial-scale wave and tidal power
Discover Magazine has a slideshow of the wave and tidal devices that will be used, such as the pictured tidal turbine.
PS These devices do not include Scotland’s vast potential amount of offshore wind power. That’s a whole separate subject.
Posts Tagged ‘wave power’
Scotland plans to be “Saudi Arabia of Marine Energy”
Hexicom floating offshore wind and wave power concept
The platform is self-stabilizing, doesn’t need to be tethered to the ocean floor, and designers say it could run for decades with little maintenance.
I’m unclear on how it could not drift and how the power lines are connected to shore.
More info at Ecofriend, Inhabitat, and Hexicon.
Sun, wind and wave-powered: Europe unites to build renewable energy ’supergrid’
A proposed $50 billion grid of underseas cables connecting renewable energy sources in nine European countries may become a reality – and offer a reliable, weather-proof supply of clean energy from sun, wind, and wave.
The US should do something like this too. We have the technology. All that’s needed is the will. Europe wants to [...]
Orkney wave energy machine switched on
The wave-powered generator is a hinged flap connected to the sea-bed, with each wave moving the flap to drive a hydraulic piston.
Swinging door technology for wave energy
Sooner or later someone will devise a low-maintenance, high-efficiency way to create power from ocean waves. The WaveRoller is hidden from view and uses kinetic energy to drive hydraulics.
Wave power creates air pressure to turn turbine, making power offshore
Unusually, for wave power concepts, this converts the energy of ocean swells under the platform into air pressure which turns a wind turbine. The company’s previous demo in 2007 proved it works.
It works by trapping a hollow airspace above the ocean; pushing up into a 100 square metre tunnel in the 500 tonne unit.
There are [...]
Ocean currents generate power via underwater kites
The Deep Green underwater turbine captures the power of the ocean just like a kite in wind.
Oyster wave power to be deployed in Orkneys
This innovative wave power system uses hydraulic power to move high-pressure water onshore where it then produces power. This has major advantages.
The system’s most complex equipment is onshore, meaning that maintenance workers don’t need to worry about repairing underwater gearboxes or generators that could be damaged by volatile ocean waters. Also, the system is placed [...]
Tidal and wave power is expensive
Tidal and wave power remains a pricey way of creating power. The ocean is a rough place to site energy generation, and then there’s the question of getting the power to shore reliably. Salt, corrosion, and water turbulence takes a toll.
There’s plenty of R&D going on in tidal and wave power. Hopefully someday soon they’ll [...]
Scotland making huge push toward wave and tidal power
The turbulent seas off Scotland could product massive amount of tidal and wave power. However, the industry is still in its infancy, with technical issues and financing sometimes being problematic.
However tidal power is steady and consistent, a major advantage. The WSJ details the promise and the problems with articles, images, and video.
Wave Treader. Offshore wind / wave power
Green Ocean Energy is testing Wave Treader, a wave / wind hybrid that will generate power offshore.
I am constantly struck by the difference between the optimistic, fast-moving world of clean power vs. the gloomy, wheels-falling-off financial world. Cleantech is finding solutions to the world’s problems while financial greedheads belatedly realize they need to clean up [...]
Lockheed, Ocean Power to team up on wave power
Wave power is definitely going big league, as witness this teaming up of Ocean Power, developer of wave power technology and Lockheed, who will provide the infrastructure for a massive wave power project off the west coast.
Hybrid wave / wind power
Wind and wave power will co-exist on ocean platforms similar to offshore drilling platforms being developed by Grays Harbor Ocean Energy Company. They could also be powered by natural gas from LNG platforms when the wind isn’t blowing. The company has applied for permits in several states.
Scotland to award $15 million as ocean energy prize
The Saltire Prize of £10 million will go to the company with the best plan for tidal or wave energy in the waters of Scotland, which is already a leader in such energy.
The Scottish government said the potential wave and tidal capacity in its waters is estimated at 21.5 GW, with studies showing that Pentland [...]
Giant rubber snake could be the future of wave power
The rippling “Anaconda” produces electricity as it is squeezed by passing waves.
