Alternative Energy Forums

Why is tidal energy not promoted more and more widely used? Lack of interest or lack of funds? Or the result of the lobby of the oil industry?

Is tidal energy an alternative or are there too many obstacles?

Pedro

I'll guess. It's pretty unusable compared to PV solar and wind so it's taken longer to get off the ground.

We've had PV panels for decades and used wind power for hundreds of years. People had a good feel of how to get those two sources up and going. And they could be set up on small scale.

Wave and tidal is a lot more intense. You've got to work in some demanding environments, can't just tinker in your back yard.

But it's happening. Wave is being seriously investigated in Ireland and (I think) Portugal. There's a prototype wave generation buoy being tested right now off the coast of Oregon and it seems to be doing well.

Scotland (I think) has tidal generation up and going and development is underway for the Bay of Fundy. (Nova Scotia and it has enormous tides.)

Global warming, the decreasing supply of oil, and the rapid development of places such as China and India has hit more or less at once. Energy prices have gone up rapidly and made alternative sources economically attractive.

Watch for lots and lots more to come...

Bob Wallace

The first plant to manufacture underwater turbines is being set up in Wando, South Korea. They hope to produce about 600MW worth of turbines per year.

Taiwan is planning to test ocean currents as well. They presently import coal for their thermal electric and also have two nuclear plants.

Adrian Akau

I don’t quite really understand how tidal energy works, since the process seems quite complicated. How is the energy made from the waves? What is the actual process? It actually makes sense to use this form of energy but I wish I understood the process of gaining the energy from the tides.

AE LISA

I have a few questions for a science project of wave/tidal energy:

1) What kinds of technology is there to produce wave energy and how do they work?
2) Where around the world are there wave energy plants located and where else can they be placed?
3) How much power can we harness from wave energy?
4) How far has wave energy advanced?
5) How environmentally safe is wave energy?
6) Is wave energy a good option for our country as an alternative fuel?

betagamma3

I think there has not been much headway in the harvesting of tidal and wave energy because the ocean is a very harsh environment, hard on men and equipment. Much easier to experiment on dry land with sun and wind. I have started a small company and will be working on the coastal energies available in my back yard. I do need investors for the expensive equipment that would go into the project. And again the life of such equipment would be short lived.

Does anyone have a handle for grants, etc., for such a project.

Donald