Due to the United Kingdom’s location in the northern temperate zone, the waves which reach the nation’s shores are predictable.  The winds far out at sea that create these waves are consistent and therefore easily measured. Available power that can be generated from the water’s renewable energy is anticipated from these measurements, and prime locations for wave farms are chosen from these findings.  Thanks to the steady nature of the prevailing winds off the United Kingdom’s north shore, the resulting waves’ energy potential can be anticipated five days in advance.

Pondering water power as an alternative energy source is nothing new in the United Kingdom.  The oil crisis of the 1970s prompted many researchers to turn to the possibilities of renewable energy.  At the University of Edinburgh, Stephen Salter invented a wave energy converter nicknamed Salter’s Duck.  This device was shaped like a teardrop and designed to bob on the ocean’s waves.  The bobbing motion would swing a pendulum located inside the floating “duck”, producing electricity.  This electricity would be transferred to lines hanging from the floating device to dedicated collection points connected to the grid.  Reportedly, the device could capture wave power with 90% efficiency.  Unfortunately, falling oil prices and a miscalculation of the production cost doomed Salter’s Duck.  It was never tested in the ocean.

Currently, a project is underway in the United Kingdom known as the Wave Hub.  Its intention is to demonstrate the methods by which wave power can be collected and transformed into electricity.  As part of the Wave Hub, a variety of wave energy converters will be used to demonstrate the operation of wave power’s conversion to electricity.  The devices will be tested in other areas, and upon completion of testing, be connected to the grid at locations agreed upon by the government.  Over the course of several years, electricity production will be studied in order to determine the most efficient water energy converters.  Not only does this allow researchers to develop effective methods by which to harness wave power, but the resulting electricity produced by the research is fed to the grid.

The island upon which the United Kingdom resides is an ideal place to harness and study the renewable energy found in wave power. There is wide range of Wave and Tidal Power Energy Manufacturers in the United Kingdom.

Plus, suppliers and consultants are located all over, so get started in making the most of renewable resources now!

The Original Post is Located Here: Catching A Wave In The United Kingdom

Ireland also seeks to conserve and rejuvenate its naturally beautiful environment and to clean up its atmosphere through the implementation of alternative energy supplies. The European Union has mandated a  reduction in sulphuric and nitric oxide emissions for all member nations. Green energy is needed to meet these objectives. Hydroelectric power has been utilized in Ireland in some areas since the 1930s and has been very effective; however, more of it needs to be installed.  Ireland also needs to harness the wave power of the Atlantic Ocean, which on its west coast is a potential energy supply that the nation has in great store.

Ireland actually has the potential to become an energy exporter, rather than a nation so heavily dependent on energy importation. This energy potential resides in Ireland’s substantial wind, ocean wave, and biomass-producing alternative energy potentials. Ireland could become a supplier of ocean wave-produced electricity and biomass-fueled energy to continental Europe and, as they say, “make a killing”.

At the present time, Ireland is most closely focused on reaching the point where it can produce 15% of the nation’s electricity through wind farms, which the government has set as a national objective to be reached by 2010. But universities, research institutes, and government personnel in Ireland have been saying that the development of ocean wave energy technology would be a true driving force for the nation’s economy and one which would greatly help to make Ireland energy independent.

A test site for developing wave ocean energy has been established in Ireland, less than two miles off the coast of An Spideal in County Galway Bay.  This experimental ocean wave harnessing site is known as “Wavebob”. The most energetic waves in the world are located off the West coast of Ireland, says Ireland’s Marine Institute CEO Dr. Peter Heffernan. The technology to harness the power of the ocean is only just emerging and Ireland has the chance to become a market leader in this sector.

David Taylor, CEO of the Sustainable Energy Initiative,or SEI, tells us that SEI is committed to innovation in the renewable energy sector. Wave energy is a promising new renewable energy resource which could one day make a significant contribution to Ireland’s electricity generation mix thereby further reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.

Padraig Walshe, the president of the Irish Farmers Association, tells us that with the closure of the sugar beet industry, an increasing amount of Irish land resources will become available for alternative uses, including bioenergy production. Today, renewable energy sources meet only 2% of Ireland’s total energy consumption. From a farming perspective, growing energy crops will only have a viable future if they provide an economic return on investment and labour, and if the prospect of this return is secure into the future. Currently the return from energy crops is marginal and is hampering the development of the industry. Biomass energies need to be further researched by Ireland.

The Original Post is Located Here: Alternative Energy in Ireland

But now, advances in technology are changing that situation. Commercially viable prototypes and active production models operating in wave farms are currently producing electricity successfully. The World Energy Council has described wave energy as a concentrated form of solar energy. With three quarters of the earth covered in water, wave power is an inexhaustible source of clean energy.

Wave power- a brief history

Wave Power has been used as early in human history as 1100 AD in Egypt and, what is now, France and Russia. Wave power during this period was used to mill grain.

One of the earliest known patents was registered to a Frenchman named Girard in Paris and was dated 1799. Interest waned, as it did for wind, during the Industrial Age when fossil fuel became cheap, easy to find and more efficient to use.

In 1909, the then California Wave Power Company created electricity that was used to provide electricity to the wharves in California.

Yoshio Masuda, in 1940, used wave power to light navigation lights.

Interest in wave power strengthened in 1973, when the Arab nations invoked an embargo on the export of oil.

Universities around the world embarked on research to harness the power of the wave at such institutes as MIT and the US Naval Academy in this country. As a side note, the US Navy is currently heavily involved in the use of green sources of energy and is pushing away from a dependence on foreign oil supplies. In other countries, those involved in wave power technology were the University of Edinburgh and Norwegian University of Science and Technology. After the oil began to flow again, research slowed. Leading the way in research today is the University of Oregon, which has partnered on several installations along the Oregon coast.

Now with increases in fossil fuel costs and concern about the effects on the environment of global climate change, advances in wave power technology to create energy are full steam ahead.

Waves- how are they formed

As the sun heats the surface of the earth it creates uneven heating, which, in conjunction with the earths rotation, creates wind. Waves are formed by wind passing over the surface of water. As energy is transferred to the water it forms ripples, then, as the force of the wind continues to release energy on the surface, the water forms waves. If this process continues over an extended length of the waters surface, ocean swells are formed. These ocean swells can travel great distances without a substantial loss of energy.

The World Energy Council estimates that the energy produced by the power of the earths ocean waves would produce two times the amount of electricity that is currently created by all other sources of electrical production, including coal and natural gas. This would be done without the hazardous emissions generated by coal and natural gas fired plants. For a more complete list of pollutants and the effects of mining for coal see Energy Loft

Wave Power- The technology

A number of companies have entered the wave power generation field. Some are funded by private infusion and businesses themselves. Others are supplemented by grants or incentives from governmental entities. The countries of Portugal, Scotland, Spain and Australia are investing heavily in this technology.

Ocean Powered Technology (OPT) is headquartered in Pennington New Jersey. OPTs PowerBouy has been deployed commercially in six locations: Atlantic City, NJ, Oahu, Hawaii, Santona, Spain, Hayle, England, Reedsport, Oregon and Cross Bay ,Oregon.

In Oahu, OPT is working with the US Navy and Marines at the Marine base supplying electricity from the offshore PowerBouy array.

As you can see by the photographs, the bulk of the PowerBouy is located under the surface of the ocean and, with its design; it can be used to mount navigation signals. Communication devices and monitoring equipment can also be mounted on the buoy. They have designed their trademarked Talk on Water that allows boaters to use cell phones offshore, a great benefit for boaters if an emergency arises.

Voith Hydro Wavegen Limited is headquartered in Germany with offices and manufacturing facilities in Inverness, Scotland on the North Sea. In Islay, Scotland, Voith Hydro has a tide turbine generator built on the shoreline that looks like a concrete bunker.

Their offshore tidal current turbine looks like a wind turbine, but this one is underwater, as can be seen on this video produced by Voith Hydro. The blades are approximately 26 feet in diameter and seven stories high.

Pelamis Wave Power Ltd.is headquartered in Edinburgh Scotland. Their Pelamis Wave Energy Converter has the appearance of a segmented snake that is partially submerged when deployed. The joints incorporate hydraulic rams which pump the high-pressure fluid through motors when the wave passes along the unit.

Pelamis units are used at the first commercial wave farm at Agucadoura, Portugal and a phase of the project is planned for the near future

There are undoubtedly numerous other companies and designs, but these are fine examples of the work that is being done in the wave power generation field.

The Original Post is Located Here: Wave Generators – Power From The Sea

According to a report published by The Prometheus Institute for Sustainable Development and Greentech Media; “Less than 10 MW of ocean power capacity has been installed to date worldwide. The research report, Forecasting the Future of Ocean Power, has projected that the market will grow two orders of magnitude to reach 1 GW of installed capacity at an annual market size of 0 million by 2015. Even as the market is in its early stages, it is poised for significant growth. Although investment to date in the ocean power market — just over 0 million since 2001 — is relatively small compared to other renewable energy market segments, the report finds that more than billion will be invested to build commercial ocean wave power farms. Another billion will go towards research and development globally over the next six years.” (http://social.waveenergytoday.com/news/ocean-power-market-reach-500m-2015)

Company President, James C. Shelley, explains that “While the current agreement with Leviathon focuses on the development and manufacturing of a unique energy wave turbine, Leviathon is also pioneering the development of two different wind energy turbine systems. The Leviathon Wind Energizer is designed to enhance the efficiency of conventional wind turbines while the Leviathon Energy Wind Lotus system has been designed as a small wind turbine for rooftop stations or other such areas in more crowded urban centers where space is at a premium.”

Jack Dhaliwal, Seakinetics Chief Technology Officer stated, ” I am particularly interested in the potential performance efficiencies we may derive by adding the Leviathon wind energizers to our Tamil Nadu wind farm project. My understanding is that these systems can increase the performance parameters of our tower wind turbines by as much as 20%-40%. Likewise, we anticipate significantly higher levels of performance output on future wave energy farm development in India and elsewhere, by virtue of the proprietary design configuration of Leviathan’s above surface wave energy turbines.”

Seakinetics is in the business of designing, developing, marketing and investing in innovative technologies and services in the renewable energy field. Seakinetics’ mission is to be an industry leader in finding solutions for renewable energy today and tomorrow.

This release may include projections of future results and “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements that are included in this release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable; it can give no assurances that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those disclosed in this release, including, without limitation, in conjunction with those forward-looking statements contained in this release.

The Original Post is Located Here: Seakinetics Joins the $2 Billion Race to Harness Ocean Wave Energy

Much renewable energy is harnessed for the production of electricity to power homes and offices. While biofuels, wind, and solar energy are making strides in Canada, wave and tidal power has not received the same amount of attention. This may soon change due to the amount of ocean available on both coasts and to the north. In fact, these coasts are capable of producing a quarter of Canada’s annual electricity consumption through wave and tidal power. And because the waves and tides are a consistent natural force, wave-powered energy production is more dependable than that provided by the intermittent sun and wind.

The perception that Canada is lagging in the wave and tidal power department is partially due to its overshadowing accomplishments in solar and wind power. In actuality, Canada trails only the United States and United Kingdom in wave power development. Natural Resources Canada is helping future wave and tidal projects by creating an atlas that points to useful locations in which to construct wave and tidal power plants.

Nunavut is one such location. Meaning “our land” in Inuktitut, it became independent of the Northwest Territories in April of 1999 and comprises a large portion of northern Canada. Consisting of just over 29,000 residents spread over a region the size of Western Europe, it is an ideal location upon which to set up onshore wave and tidal power systems. Because the residents that live along Nunavut’s water do not use the shores for recreation, the concrete and steel structures of a wave powered turbine would not interfere with swimmers or boaters. Furthermore, in the waters of Nunavut and Canada’s eastern and western coasts, there are plenty of available oceans for offshore wave and tidal power systems.

Riding the waves in order to create the pressure needed to move electricity-producing turbines, the bobbers and hoses of a wave power system require no power besides the renewable energy of the earth’s waves to operate. Canada has more than enough water power on its shores to make wave and tidal power a priority.

The Original Post is Located Here: Canada Looking To Ride The Waves To Electricity Production

So what is hydro power?

Well, basically it is the generation of electricity by using the natural force of water.

And how is hydro power generated ?

It is generated in 3 different ways: hydroelectric power, tidal power, and wave power.

Hydroelectric Power:

This is the most common form of hydro-power, making up the majority of all renewable energy produced.  Electricity is produced in hydroelectric dams where the force of falling water drives massive turbines.

The advantage of this type of power is that not only does it produce electricity, but the dam helps collect water for our use, so it’s a power and water source in one.  Furthermore, the force of the water is so strong that megawatts of electricity can be produced to help power entire cities.

There is also a large amount of control over how fast the turbines spin. If more power is needed, the controller simply opens the wicket gates more, which allows more water through the turbines and spins them faster.

The disadvantage is the devastating effect dams can have on plants, animals and even humans.  When dams are built they flood large tracts of land that were once occupied by various species and communities of people.  Furthermore, the water-borne animals, such as fish can also be affected.  An example would be salmon that are blocked from swimming upstream to spawn by the newly erected dam.

Tidal Power:

The second most popular type of hydro power, tidal energy is produced by currents caused from the natural ebb and flow of the tide.

This has been achieved by France and Russia since 1966 in areas with a large tidal range, such as bays and estuaries.  One of the systems of tidal power works by trapping water at high tide with a tidal barrage, then releasing that water in one quick burst at low tide.  This gushing water drives turbines to produce power.

Although the tides are very predictable and consistent, the problem with this system is that the turbines only operate every 6 hours (once every tide).

A second, more recent, tidal system looks very much like an underwater wind turbine.  Large windmill like turbines are sunk in shallow water, where they are slowly spun by shifting tidal water.

The advantage of this system is that it is an adaptation of an already technologically advanced wind turbine – so all the refinement has been done.  Furthermore, the dense water is far more efficient than wind at spinning these turbines. Thus even slow-moving water is just as effective as a strong wind.

The drawback is that the current systems can only be built in shallow water, where tidal activity is greatest. This is very limiting since many other economic activities – like oyster farming – occur in the shallows. Furthermore, these structures can damage marine life on the seafloor.

Wave Power:

This is the youngest of the three hydropower solutions.  The system harnesses the power from ocean surface wave motion, where air displaced by waves is driven through a generator than spins a turbine. The end result is electricity. These generators can either be coupled to floating devices outta sea, or fixed along the shore where seas are rough.

Although this technology is relatively new, it has been estimated that there is enough energy in ocean waves to produce up to 2000 Megawatts of power.

But, as with all hydro-power solutions, it has potential environmental issues.  Conservationists are worried about the impact these structures will have on the coastline’s fauna and flora. Also, there is a possibility of water pollution if – for example – the hydraulic fluids accidentally leaked into the sea. This can be expected if the wave generators are constantly battered by rough seas.

Closing thought:

Man has come up with ingenious ways to harness the power of nature to produce electricity, hydro power being one of them. Although it is an important renewable energy for the future, there is still much controversy over its long-term environmental impact.

The Original Post is Located Here: Types Of Hydro Power

If you have ever been to the ocean, you were probably fascinated by the phenomena of the waves crashing against the shorelines as the tides came in. The ocean’s tides are the product of gravitational pull of the sun and the moon, as well as, the Earth’s rotation. It causes the ocean waters to be raised and lowered from time to time. The tides have cycles of twelve and one half hours, twice per day, and are easily predictable.

The use of tidal power is seen as early as the twelfth century where tidal mills used the force of the tides to grind grain and corn. The eighteenth century brought competition from windmills and waterwheels. Tidal mills pretty much became extinct with the invention of cheap steam engines. In 1967, France became the first to be able to put tidal wave power to work on a large scale to produce electricity.

The generation of electricity from tidal waves is similar to that of hydroelectric power generation. Bigger dams, known as barrages, are built on the bottom of a tidal basin. Gates on the barrage allow the tidal basin to fill during incoming high tides. Likewise, the basin will empty through a turbine during the outgoing tide. This would turn an electric generator for the production of electricity. There are also systems that generate electricity from incoming and outgoing tides. This system can have a negative effect on plants and animals in the area.

Tidal fences are also used to generate electricity. Vertical axis turbines are mounted on fences. Passing water is forced through the turbines. Ideal locations for these are channels between two landmasses. Tidal fences are cheaper than tidal barrages and cause less of an environmental impact on large marine life.

Tidal turbines are a new technology used for tidal energy. They are similar to wind turbines and are arranged underwater in rows. They work best in areas with strong tides. Although they are heavier and costlier to build, they also are capable of capturing more energy. They are also the least environmentally damaging of all the tidal power technologies, since they do not interfere with migration paths.

In order for tidal power to work successfully it requires a tide difference of at least sixteen feet. Unfortunately there are only a few places where this occurs. This means tidal power plants cannot just be constructed anywhere. There are only a handful of sites on Earth with this type of tidal range. At present, France is the only country that has been successful in using tidal power. It is hoped developments in technology, through research, will be made to allow better use of this, what is now, wasted energy. The future of tidal energy seems hopeful. Tidal power has great potential and hopefully we can make better use of it in the future in our quest to find a replacement for fossil fuels.

The Original Post is Located Here: Ocean Tidal Power as Renewable Energy

Wave energy is produced when electricity generators are placed on the surface of the ocean. The energy provided is most often used in desalination plants, power plants and water pumps. Energy output is determined by wave height, wave speed, wavelength, and water density. To date there are only a handful of experimental wave generator plants in operation around the world.

The Aguadora Wave Park (AWP) in Portugal is the worlds first commercial wave farm. The AWP produces roughly 2.25 Mega-Watts of power (enough for 1500 homes) and cost just over 8.5 million euros to deploy (though by 2009 costs are expected to exceed 70 million euros).

Construction and Maintenance

Most turbines require a constant, powerful flow which works in opposition to the very nature of waves, as waves are inconsistent in both direction and power. Powerful storms and the corrosive power of salt water are also adversarial to the construction of a reliable energy collection device. Accounting for the aforementioned problems, a device and its maintenance may become too expensive to be a reliable alternative to coal, oil, biodiesel or even solar power.

Harnessing the Waves

Wave energy collection is, however, remarkably passive. Unlike oil which requires a distillation process before energy can be used, wave energy is automatically converted by turbines. Wave energy is also environmentally friendly, as it creates no atmospheric pollution and has a small carbon footprint (non-existent if not for the manufacture of its devices). More-so, it allows us to utilize a space which has, for most of history, been underutilized: the ocean.

The flowing waters in the rivers and tidal waves can be a good source of alternative energy. With 70% of the earth’s surface covered with water, a great amount of energy can be produced by placing turbines at strategic locations under strong currents. This method of generating electric power is called hydrokinetic power generation.

The Future of Wave Power

According to Trey Taylor Co founder & president of Verdant Power, 4 commercial projects are planned for the next 3-5 years which should have the capacity to produce more than 200 MW when operating in waterways. As great minds continue to tackle the problems of renewable energy, we may see major advancements making wave energy more feasible. Groups such as OREC (Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition), continue to drum up support for projects, but it seems policy makers are a bit uncertain of wave energy’s true benefits.

For now we should focus on implementing wind power and solar power strategies to replace our dependence on oil. It may seem like a panacea on paper, but the reality exposes the truth, wave power is just not ready for wide-scale commercial use yet.

The Original Post is Located Here: The Potential of Wave Power

The Original Post is Located Here: Front Page

Agucadoura Wave Farm - Pelamis

As the conventional sources of energy are dwindling, scientists are continuously looking for alternative sources of energy. We are frequently reading about generation of alternative and clean energy from unconventional sources. Portugal built Agucadoura, the world’s first wave farm off its coast. This wave farm has three Wave Energy Converters which are producing a total of 2.25MW.

If we can trap the wave power of oceans as a new alternative energy resource most of our energy crisis can be resolved. It is estimated that if we can install these 142m long wave energy converters all over the world’s oceans, 2 terawatts of power can be harnessed — twice the consumption of the entire world. We all know that this kind of alternative energy solution will be quite impractical to implement but we can definitely trap the ocean wave clean powerhouses for small-scale rollout. These types of alternative energy resources can provide the necessary respite for an energy-starved planet.

Currently four cylindrical caterpillar-look-alike converters are being used to harness the wave power. These carbon steel cylindrical wave energy converters are 142m long and weigh 700 ton. They are designed and built by Pelamis Wave Power generating a total of 2.25MW. These wave energy converters produce clean electricity for 1,500 homes at peak hours. The Agucadoura station will open another 25 Pelamis units later on, thus generating 21MW of power. They will save 60,000 tons of CO2 per year compared to a conventional fossil fuel plant. Humankind has realized that ocean waves can prove to be good alternative energy resources.

Each wave converter consists of four articulated sections. When the waves move up and down these four sections move too. At the hinges between sections, hydraulic rams utilize the wave motion to drive generators, producing power. This energy is transported by underwater electrical cable to the Agucadoura substation and fed into the Portuguese national grid.

The Original Post is Located Here: Agucadoura Generating Power for 1,500 Homes