Generating Electricity with Ocean Waves
When 2GreenEnergy first came along a little over a decade ago, it appeared that ocean wave energy devices like the one shown in this video here might have a place in the constellation of renewables. For better or worse, however, this is no longer the case, largely due to the plummeting prices of solar and wind. It appears that the whole collection of hydrokinetic technology, including ocean current/tidal and run-of river hydro, are going to be limited to niche applications.
If I lived on an island with ideal wave conditions and I didn’t like the look of solar PV, I suppose I’d give this a try as something of a novelty, but that’s about it.
Craig,
How many times can you keep repeating “plummeting prices of solar and wind”, before becoming a cliched joke?
Both solar and wind have stopped “plummeting” and started to increase in price.(if they kept “plummeting” they would have reached zero by now).
As conventional technologies , such as clean coal, natural gas, Thorium nuclear generation plants etc become increasingly emissions free and more efficient,the requirements of industrialized nations will render most large scale renewable energy generation obsolete and uneconomic.
As awareness grows concerning the logistics involved in safely disposing of hundred of billions of old panels and turbines becomes of greater concern, these technologies will wane in popularity.