Introduction
Over the years, there have been concerns on the impact of carbon fuels in use throughout the world. The resulting carbon emissions are accredited with damaging the ozone layer and resulting to global warming.
Consequently, global organizations, energy research institutes and individual nations invest numerous resources towards the generation of green energy. These are sources which are sustainable and with little depressing effects to the environment. Some of the sources being researched on, and implemented in different scales, include wind, solar and wave energy.
Wave energy has the allure of being ever renewable and inexhaustible. In 1799 two people attempted to patent a system that used waves for power (Scigliano). Nevertheless, development of such technology has always been instigated by turmoil in the oil sector; when the problems facing the sector are resolved, research and enquiry into wave energy subsides.
However, the current surge of research seems to have gained momentum, especially, from the growing environmental concerns. Wave energy utilizes floating or shore-side devices to capture waves and convert the waves into electricity. Waves arise from the difference in temperature between the air and water. Hot water rising creates a wind, which in turn makes the water move into waves.
The water particles do not travel far, but they jolt other adjacent particles to move, which goes on for miles. Waves have the advantage of being more concentrated that wind. This results from the density of water, which is significantly greater than that of air.
Waves are also more predictable, when they build up; they do not die easily and may go on for several days. Tides are quite predictable; they can be predicted for decades. Finally, waves generators do not cause disturbances like wind turbines. They lack exposed moving parts which can harm marine animals; additionally, they produce low noises.
Current prospects and success
Numerous research resources have been utilized in the area of wave energy in the recent years. Universities and energy corporations have set up experiments evaluating the feasibility of wave energy. Examples include the Pelamis by Ocean Power Delivery in Scotland (Scigliano).
In the US, such projects have been deemed feasible in the northeastern and northwestern coasts, for example, Oregon. Nevertheless, despite the significant progress in the area of wave energy, there are numerous issues, especially pertaining to the reality of the prospects within wave energy.
Banholzer identified these problems relating to the hype attached to the quest for green energy from waves, wind and other green projects. He identified the lack of basic understanding amidst the public concerning energy issues. This is convoyed with the quest for green solutions to mitigate environmental concerns.
In numerous areas, scientists theorize that projects will be applicable only to turn out that they are uneconomical or unsustainable (Banholzer 5478). He consequently warns about the hype around wave energy.
In another article, a scientist argued for the effects of extensive harvesting of wave and wind energy. Though they a considered as green energy, Axel Kleidon postulated that it is a wrong assumption that wind and wave energy are renewable.
In his theory, building enough stations to replace the use of oil would result in a significant depletion of atmospheric energy. The depletion of energy would in turn have catastrophic consequences.
His postulates are based on the conception that all energy comes from the sun, and only a small percentage of the energy reaching the earth’s atmosphere is useful (Kleidon 9). The useful part drives the waves and the winds, while the heat cannot be utilized. Extensive use of wind and tidal energy will convert a large percentage of the utilizable part into heat energy, resulting in significant weather effects.
Limitations
There are several limitations associated with wave energy. Waves vary considerably in intensity around the world. These variations bear considerable significance to the feasibility of wave energy projects (Falnes 189). Numerous wave generators are designed to operate with a certain range of wave intensity.
Below the threshold intensity, the generators produce insignificant amounts of electricity making them inefficient. Above the upper bound, the waves may damage the components of the generators resulting in stalled electricity production and losses. Replacing the equipment is quite expensive, and some may be sunk by large waves.
The dependence of generation on the intensity of the waves further limits some places for production of electricity through wave energy. Because the earth spins eastward, the winds flow, typically, from the west. This has a significant bearing in the strength of winds across the globe. The mightiest waves are at latitudes far from the equator and the eastern edges of extensive fetches.
These are mostly the western coasts of continents. This means that not all the sea is useful for the generation of wave electricity. In other parts, for example, the west of Ireland and Scotland, the waves have significantly higher energy. In these areas, the energy generated may reach up to 70 kilowatts. The eastern coasts of most of the continents have waves with significantly lower energies.
Wave energy is, therefore, comparable to oil deposits in their unequal distribution. In the event that the wave technology offers a solution to the energy woes facing the earth, it will not be a solution for all nations. Even those with coasts may lack access to waves with sufficient intensity.
The suitability of locations for the generation of wave energy is a matter of chance. This problem, of access to wave energy, is further compounded by the fact that numerous countries have no access to the seas or oceans. 48 nations and regions, in all the continents, lack coasts. These regions have no access to wave energy whatsoever.
Other concerns regard the fact that the systems that have been designed have not been tested for long-term survivability. This alludes to the lack of data that can prove how long a system of generators and turbines can survive in the water. Additionally, there concerns regarding inaccessibility of the areas harboring the wave farms; this has resulted in questions of navigation and sea-space.
Works Cited
Banholzer, William. “Practical limitations and recognizing hype.” Energy & Environmental Science, vol. 2, no. 5, 2012, pp. 5478-5480.
Falnes, Johannes. “A review of wave-energy extraction.” Marine Structures, vol. 20, no. 4 , 2007, pp. 185-201.
Kleidon, Axel. “How does the Earth system generate and maintain thermodynamic disequilibrium and what does it imply for the future of the planet?” Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society: A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences, vol. 370, 1962, pp. 1012-40.
Scigliano, Eric. “Harnessing Wave Energy.” Discover Magazine, 02 Dec. 2005, discovermagazine.com/2005/dec/ocean-energy.