The Missing Ingredient in Wave and Tidal Power: Standards

Wave and tidal researches have yet to agree on the standards, such as machine design, that will allow the industry to catch a wave.

EDINBURGH, U.K. — Wave and tidal makers are going to have to start to agree on the basics for the industry to take off.

Although researchers have demonstrated that it’s possible to extract energy from waves and tides, the industry probably won’t start to gain momentum until manufacturers converge on one or two standard designs for machines. A few basic designs will also let utilities better evaluate and test the potential of wave power as well as erode the cost of making them.

“We’re not made a commercial device yet,” said Ian Bryden, professor of renewable energy at the University of Edinburgh, who analogizes the current situation to the early days of aeronautics. “They had biplanes, triplanes. It took a long time to evolve.”

… The situation has been improving. Venture capitalists and government are cautiously funding marine power projects. The University of Edinburgh will actually demolish its current wave tank to make way for a circular tank that can test both waves and tides. Large scale demonstrations are also underway. Ireland’s Open Hydro, for instance, has a 250 kilowatt tidal device