09-02-2012, 10:08 AM
Tide energy systems are powered by the moon. There are two basic tide energy systems, tidal wave and tidal turbine. Tidal wave systems generally float on the surface or use oscillating panels in shallow depths.
The Department of Energy (DOE) recently released a tide energy assessment for the US. Hawaii is one of the higher potential areas with a potential 130 Terawatt-hours per year.
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/water/pdfs/m...ssment.pdf
This would far exceed the entire state's energy needs for the near future and make all the other sources secondary backups, especially when tidal energy rates are comparable with hydroelectric, about 7 cents per kilowatt-hour.
The catch is tidal energy generator designs are in the test & evaluation stage before going into scaled down pre-production designs. Large scale installation requires some baseline standardization in design before proceeding to large scale industrial production. However, this is happening very rapidly.
The first US permit for a commercial tidal wave system:
http://www.kval.com/news/local/166808416.html
Reedsport wave power project gets federal permit
This is significant since they are re-using the turbine from a several month evaluation off Norway:
http://gcaptain.com/subsea-turbine-installed-powering/
Subsea Tidal Turbine Installed And Powering Homes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18100191
Tidal power gets a stormy birth off coast of Scotland
1MW per turbine
The new elephant in the room is this. Look at the scale of the turbine and production rate goal of 100 per year.
http://www.openhydro.com/home.html
France's DCNS to set up tidal-turbine factory in Normandy
"French naval defence giant DCNS has unveiled plans to set up an industrial facility in the Port of Cherbourg for the serial-manufacture of full-scale tidal power turbines, with expectations the base will be fabricating some 100 machines a year by 2018."
The Department of Energy (DOE) recently released a tide energy assessment for the US. Hawaii is one of the higher potential areas with a potential 130 Terawatt-hours per year.
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/water/pdfs/m...ssment.pdf
This would far exceed the entire state's energy needs for the near future and make all the other sources secondary backups, especially when tidal energy rates are comparable with hydroelectric, about 7 cents per kilowatt-hour.
The catch is tidal energy generator designs are in the test & evaluation stage before going into scaled down pre-production designs. Large scale installation requires some baseline standardization in design before proceeding to large scale industrial production. However, this is happening very rapidly.
The first US permit for a commercial tidal wave system:
http://www.kval.com/news/local/166808416.html
Reedsport wave power project gets federal permit
This is significant since they are re-using the turbine from a several month evaluation off Norway:
http://gcaptain.com/subsea-turbine-installed-powering/
Subsea Tidal Turbine Installed And Powering Homes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18100191
Tidal power gets a stormy birth off coast of Scotland
1MW per turbine
The new elephant in the room is this. Look at the scale of the turbine and production rate goal of 100 per year.
http://www.openhydro.com/home.html
France's DCNS to set up tidal-turbine factory in Normandy
"French naval defence giant DCNS has unveiled plans to set up an industrial facility in the Port of Cherbourg for the serial-manufacture of full-scale tidal power turbines, with expectations the base will be fabricating some 100 machines a year by 2018."
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*