Ocean energy is the catch-all phrase for the energy that can be harnessed from the ocean's tides, currents and waves.
What is Wave Energy?
The power of the ocean can be seen along British Columbia’s coast. Waves are created by ocean winds and travel thousands of kilometers across the ocean before reaching the coast. Waves have very high energy densities relative to wind densities.
Wave energy represents a significant potential source of clean and renewable electricity. Technologies to harness the power of the waves to generate electricity are currently under development in a
number of areas around the world, including British Columbia.
The power potential of a wave is determined by:
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Wave height
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Wave speed
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Wave length
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Water density
Potential Opportunities?
British Columbia has an estimated 37,000 megawatts of potential wave energy distributed along its coast. The west coast of Vancouver Island has attracted international interest as an area for potential wave energy development.
Benefits of Wave Energy:
- Wave energy is a significant potential source of clean and renewable electricity;
- Because waves are so energy dense, substantial amounts of electricity may be generated at relatively small sites.
What is Tidal Energy?
Tidal energy utilizes the flow of water produced by the rise and fall of the tides to generate electricity. Modern tidal technology is focused on the harnessing of tidal “streams” or “currents”.
Tidal energy resources are based on the moon's gravitational pull and sub-sea geography and so are not affected by changes in climate, weather patterns or sea levels.
Where can it be installed?
Tidal streams or currents are found in regions with high tidal ranges and natural constrictions such as straights, narrows or fjords. The west coast of British Columbia and the passages between its islands offer sites with high potential.
In 2006, British Columbia became home to North America’s first in-stream tidal energy demonstration project at Race Rocks near Victoria. Technology and project developers are now considering a number of areas on the coast of British Columbia for future tidal energy developments.
Benefits of Tidal Energy:
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Tidal energy is produced twice daily with the tides and is predictable years in advance.
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Energy resources are unaffected by climate, weather or changes in sea level.
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Once established, tidal projects have low operating costs.
Challenges:
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Tidal power has a high capital cost, making investors reluctant to participate in projects with long lead times, uncertain cash flow and long pay-out periods;
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Tidal energy is not cost competitive at this time;
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There are specific environmental impacts associated with ocean energy such as impacts to wildlife, marine life and gravel recruitment;
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Distance of the site from the electric grid increases costs and possible environmental impacts.
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