Ocean energy and its potential

In today’s world we are facing mammoth problems such as global warming; due to this scientists are trying to discover as many alternate forms of sustainable energy which will in no way damage our environment. The concept of zero carbon cities, which we spoke about in our previous blogpost is completely based on sustainable energy and marks the way forward for our planet. The day is nearing when all the energy we consume will run on renewable sources of energy; this is because all our reserves of oil, gas and coal will run out. Some of these renewable sources of energy are solar energy and wind energy, which have gained a lot of visibility and are being used the world over. Another form of alternative energy which has off late been the main topic of discussion among scientists is ocean energy.

The Wavebob, a device used to convert ocean energy into electricity

The seven seas are full of energy, they are suppose to be the world’s largest solar energy collector and storage system. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory believes that on an average day, the sea absorbs solar radiation which is equivalent to around 250 billion barrels of oil.

Oyster, wave energy converter

Ocean energy would seem like the most obvious form of alternate energy, as 70% of our planet is made up of water bodies. However, there are many technological hurdles which need to be crossed before ocean energy can yield something concrete. The greatest hurdle when it comes to ocean energy is if it could be financially viable? However certain companies have taken up this huge challenge.

Greenwave, a shallow water oscillating column 

One country doing tons of research on ocean energy is Australia. Ocean energy has an umpteen amount of potential in Australia as it lies on the southern coastline. This belt faces waves which are over a meter in height, which make it an endless energy source and have the potential to generate gigantic amounts of electricity. The three top companies specializing in ocean energy in Australia have already started their projects and we should hope to see some great work being done in this field in the near future.

Biowave, an underwater ocean energy converter

Another country witnessing a lot of research in ocean energy is Ireland. There are several reasons why Ireland is the ideal country to invest in ocean energy. One of those main reasons is that the Irish government has allotted a large chunk of its energy portfolio for ocean energy. By 2050 Ireland plans to export most of its marine renewables to other countries that are a part of the EU. There are four companies that each have their own technology, they plan to combine these different technologies and pave the way forward for ocean energy in Ireland.