The SeaRaser Could be the Future of Renewables for Ocean Front Homes

It is often noted that the sun is constantly sending an enormous amount of energy to the earth's surface every hour of the day to the tune of 1,000 watts per square meter.  The problem isn’t a lack of renewable energy but a lack of ability to capture that energy for our use. The same can be said for tidal energy. The effect of the moon's gravity on our oceans leads to a steady and constant energy source washing up on our shores in the form of waves. Unfortunately, several engineering and technological problems are associated with tidal energy production, which has led this potential renewable energy resource to be essentially abandoned as efforts on promoting solar and wind-based energies have taken the forefront. 

During the last decade, a team of researchers at the University of Dartmouth headed by British inventor Alvin Smith of Dartmouth Wave Energy Ltd and Ecotricity created a tidal energy machine called the SeaRaser which offers the cheapest form of energy available.

The Potential for Wave Energy and a Few Challenges 

An average 4-foot, 10-second wave striking a coast creates more than 35,000 horsepower per mile of the coast, amounting to a tremendous potential energy source. Solar and wind technologies also produce enormous potentials for renewable energy. However, they are dependent on specific elements that are not constant (in the case of solar and wind) or entirely predictable (in the case of wind). Even hydroelectric energy has low periods of electricity generation during extended droughts. Unlike these forms of renewable energies, tidal energy is a constant and predictable source of energy. If tapped, it could help electrical systems worldwide offer renewable energy during peak periods of demand without relying on extensive battery storage.

Unfortunately, several engineering problems come with trying to harness the energy of the waves. Waves can be violent, especially during storms, and machines that attempt to harness the power of the waves need to be sturdily built if they will withstand the constant punishment of life in the sea. The ocean's saltwater can corrode pieces of engineering located near or below the ocean. Barnacles and other invasive sea creatures could sabotage the several intricate moving parts that make up many tidal energy models.