Hello friends! I’m sure we all love going to the beach, but did you know that the huge waves you see there can actually be harnessed for energy? Tidal power and wave power are two forms of renewable energy that convert the flow of water into electricity.

Tidal and wave power differ significantly. Wave power generates electricity in short, continuous chunks. Tidal energy is much more sporadic but generates large quantities of energy. 

Currently, we do not have any commericailly operating tidal plants in the United States, but there are a few under development. There are tidal plants in other places around the world though, with the largest being in South Korea. 

There are three ways to generate tidal power. The first is by using tidal barrages, which are installed, similarly to a dam, across a basin of water. 

One disadvantage of tidal barrages is that they disrupt the lives of marine creatures that live there. They can also increase the water level in the basin, sometimes causing floods.

However, another way to generate tidal power that can avoid these problems is using tidal turbines, which are similar to a wind turbine but underwater. Water spins the blades, producing electricity. 

Using tidal fences is the third and final way to generate tidal power. They have turbines as well, but are connected to each other unlike tidal turbines which are individual units. 

One con of tidal power in general is that it can only be used in very specific places. They are also very expensive to construct, but the energy generation over time tends to pay off. 

One pro of tidal energy is that it is very predictable. Unlike wind and solar which rely on the weather, tidal energy depends on the flow of water, which is always ongoing.. Tidal energy is also very powerful, more so than wind turbines. They are estimated to be able to produce around 500 gigawatts of energy, which is one fourth of the energy we get from coal. 

Now, moving on from tidal energy, wave power is another form of hydropower. In theory, we could harvest only two thousandths of the ocean’s energy to meet worldwide energy demand. 

There are no current large-scale wave power plants in the United States, but there is great potential on both the West and East coasts. 

There are a lot of different ways to harness wave power, including placing devices on the surface of the water or attaching it to the ocean floor. You can also divert waves into a small channel to increase their power, generating more electricity.

Regardless, wave power is very expensive to start. There is still a lot of research being done on them, so it’s not yet able to be widely used. One problem we need to fix is finding material that holds up against the constant wear and tear of the ocean; this environment is harsh, leading to a need to use more expensive building materials. 

Overall though, both wave and tidal energy have extreme promise, but are still far away from massproduction. 

I had never heard about tidal or wave power before writing this, so this was all very interesting to me. I don’t know about you, but the next time I go to the beach I will definitely be thinking about all the energy available right under my feet!

Tune in tomorrow to learn about biomass!

Elena