In addition to conventional sources of energy including and not limited to geothermal, wind, and solar, the ocean can be tapped to generate power. Turbines, special buoys, and other technologies are used convert kinetic energy possessed by the waves and tides to environmentally friendly electrical power. Notably, tidal and wave energy is variable just like other renewable energy sources. Waves are produced by wind and their arrival time at the wave power generating station may be predictable. Tides are caused by the gravitational pull between the sun and the moon, and thus, they can be predicted in advance. Commercial tidal and wave power generation is still under development. The minimal collection efforts by the company over the past ten years of tidal and wave energy harnessing has seen a minimal gain in electrical power generation due to the massive investment required to install and run a tidal and wave power generation plant. There are essential fundamental ways that can be implemented to ensure that the wave and tidal energy are used as alternative energy source. Funds must be made available to support tidal and wave power production. Also, adoption of proactive policy support by the company will ensure that the cost of producing wave and tidal power is relatively less.
Summary
The report discusses the most suitable location and practices of harnessing tidal and wave energy including and not limited to near the shore, offshore, and far offshore. Tidal and wave energies are influenced by the cycles of the earth, sun, and the moon (Castellucci, Eriksson " Waters, 2016). Therefore, it is crucial to understand the generational force of potential cycles concerning their location and their production capacities of useful electrical power. Notably, barriers to tidal and wave power generation such as lack of government subsidies and support, prohibitive costs, and high regulatory handles should be addressed. Also, lobbying for incentives for developing and investing in tidal and wave energy for commercial use should be done. Wave power has limited locations and the best zones to locate the turbines include between 40 and 60 degrees’ latitude. Presently, Hawaii, California, and Oregon have the most significant potential for wave power generation globally (Duckers, 2013). Successful tidal power generation is also dependent on the location where the developers need to have access to large channels and fast currents sufficient to run the turbines. Remarkably, the company should focus on investing in smaller turbines with a power generation potential of about 5 to 20 Kilowatts. Through production and economies of scale, tidal and wave power harnessing costs are expected to be lower than the national average electrical power generation.
Discussion
Power machines are used to extract and convert kinetic wave energy into electricity through the help of generators. Research indicates that wave and tidal energy have the potential of supplying more than 400 TWh/yr, which represents more than ten percent of the total energy demand in the United States (FRAENKEL, 2014). Wave and tidal energy could produce electricity at the cost of 4.5 to 6.9 cents per kilowatt-hour (Duckers, 2013). Marine environments are harsh, and thus, there is a need to install the best machines, and an optimal location should be identified to ensure the project generates as much power as possible. The consistency of the wave energy location should be reliable, and the generation station should be close to the national grid (Soleimani " Ketabdari, 2015). Notably, the mean wave energy flux should be high, and the climate at the location of the wave and tide power generation turbines should be determined with factors such as temperatures, conditions of the sea, salinity levels of the waters, and wind velocity is taken into consideration. The company should have an energy policy that encourages the use of clean energy and thus, mobilizing the management team to invest in tidal and wave power generation. Most of the wave energy devices that are tested and developed recently are highly diverse, and many technologies are available to harness wave energy (Mazumder, 2012). Wave energy technologies are designed to be fixed at or near the water surface, and there are a variety of technical concepts and design. Mostly, the technologies differ by wave orientation and the manner of energy conversion.
There are four basic applications used in wave power technologies and can be deployed on the outer continental shelf. Terminator devices usually extend perpendicularly to the direction of the waves, and they are typically nearshore or onshore (Profita, 2012). Attenuators are oriented parallel to the direction of wave travel, and they have restraints along their length to tap wave energy. A point absorber contains floating structures and usually utilize the fall and rise actions of the waves (Soleimani " Ketabdari, 2015). Overtopping devices are used to build up the pressure in the ocean by holding and releasing water, and through gravity, the water flows back to the sea. These technologies are used to ensure most of the kinetic energy from the tides and waves are converted to electrical power.
Conclusion
Use of older technologies and poor placement of wave and tidal energy generation stations are responsible for the diminishing efforts of the company to produce clean and green energy. Research should be conducted on the best locations for tapping wave, and tidal power for their respective installations are expensive, and thus, their maximum utilization should be enhanced. Modern technologies should be adopted to improve efficient harnessing of wave and tidal energy to reduce the related costs and increase on potential benefits. The company should focus on eliminating any potential barriers into achieving the goal of utilizing tidal and wave energy in producing clean power.
Recommendations
The company should consider harnessing tidal, and wave energy for power production for it is a renewable and clean energy source. The initial installation of the power station may be high, but the running costs are relatively low. Tidal and wave energies could be a valid alternative source of power for the smooth running of the company.
References
Castellucci, V., Eriksson, M., " Waters, R. (2016). Impact of Tidal Level Variations on Wave Energy Absorption at Wave Hub. Energies, 9(10), 843. doi: 10.3390/en9100843
Duckers, L. (2013). Water power - wave, tidal and low-head hydro technologies. Power Engineering Journal, 9(4), 164-172. doi: 10.1049/pe:19950403
FRAENKEL, P. (2014). Tidal Current Energy Technologies. Ibis, 148, 145-151. doi: 10.1111/j.1474-919x.2006.00518.x
Mazumder, R. (2012). Wave-generated tidal bundles as an indicator of wave-dominated tidal flats: COMMENT: COMMENT. Geology, 36(1), e179-e179. doi: 10.1130/g25125c.1
Profita, C. (2012). Offshore renewable energy: accelerating the deployment of offshore wind, tidal and wave technologies. Choice Reviews Online, 50(02), 50-0905-50-0905. doi: 10.5860/choice.50-0905
Soleimani, K., " Ketabdari, M. (2015). Feasibility study on tidal and wave energy conversion in Iranian seas. Sustainable Energy Technologies And Assessments, 11, 77-86. doi: 10.1016/j.seta.2015.03.006
