Offshore Solar Since oceans cover more than 70 percent of the earth’s surface, they receive an enormous amount of solar energy. Deep ocean currents, waves, and winds all are a result of the sun’s radiant energy and differential heating of the earth’s surface and oceans.

The energy in waves comes from the movement of the ocean and the changing heights and speed of the swells. Kinetic energy, the energy of motion, in waves is tremendous. Ocean wave energy technologies rely on the up-and-down motion of waves to generate electricity.

The ocean can produce two types of energy: thermal energy from the sun’s heat, and mechanical energy from the tides and waves.

Then we can say that “Wave Energy” is an indirect form of wind energy that causes movement of the water on the surface of the oceans and by capturing this energy the motion of the waves is converted to mechanical energy and used to drive an electricity generator.

Renewable: Wave energy and tidal energy both use the natural dynamics of the abundant ocean, and do not use any non-renewable fuels to generate electricity.

Wave energy is also a type of renewable energy and is the largest estimated global resource form of ocean energy.

Reliable Wave energy is a very reliable source of energy. It is because waves are almost always in motion. Although there are ebbs and tides, the average motion always remains.

The World Renewable Energy Report estimates the cost of wave energy at an average of 9 cents/kWh and tidal and current an average of 8 cents/kWh.

“The facility cost $1.6 million to build but our next power stations will be cheaper half the cost for the same output,” said Wavegen managing director Allan Thomson.

According to the Régie de l’énergie, it takes 4 to 7 years to build a hydroelectric power station, from the time the project initiator remits the Project Notification form to the government until the facility is up and running.

The ocean covers more than 70% of the earth’s surface and has the ability to produce two types of energy: thermal energy from the sun’s heat, and mechanical energy from the waves and tides. Wave power devices extract energy directly from the surface motion of ocean waves or from pressure fluctuations below the surface.

Waves are caused by energy passing through the water, causing the water to move in a circular motion. Though waves do cause the surface water to move, the idea that waves are travelling bodies of water is misleading. Waves are actually energy passing through the water, causing it to move in a circular motion.

According to physicists, a breaking wave can apply a pressure of between 250-6,000 pounds per square foot (1,kilograms per square meter), depending on its height.

Speed = Wavelength x Wave Frequency. In this equation, wavelength is measured in meters and frequency is measured in hertz (Hz), or number of waves per second. Therefore, wave speed is given in meters per second, which is the SI unit for speed.

Waves are most commonly caused by wind. Wind-driven waves, or surface waves, are created by the friction between wind and surface water. As wind blows across the surface of the ocean or a lake, the continual disturbance creates a wave crest. The gravitational pull of the sun and moon on the earth also causes waves.

You can tell if the tide is coming in or out by reading a local tide table since they list the predicted times that the tide will be highest and lowest. In the time that the tide shifts from its lowest point to its highest point, the tide comes in.

Compression waves

When a wave meets a surface, the wave bounces back. That is called REFLECTION. A wave also bends when it passes from one medium to another at an angle. That is called REFRACTION.

Waves interact with matter in several ways. The interactions occur when waves pass from one medium to another. The types of interactions are reflection, refraction, and diffraction. Each type of interaction is described in detail below.