Wave Energy Interview

one get energy from waves?Well, that's a good question. There are many different ways to get energy from the waves. By waves, I mean ocean waves. The ocean is obviously not man-made, and it naturally has waves. We use the waves to our advantage to create energy. One way to create energy from waves is by making a dam-like structure. It's in a square shape, with tall walls that trap water. The water washes in with the waves, and flows out to turn a generator and thus, making energy. This method is called 'Overtopping Devices.' Another method is called a 'Point Absorber.' Point Absorbers look like huge yellow buoys, with a cylinder in the middle. The cylinder in the middle moves with each coming wave, and creates energy with the up and down movements of the waves. There are many other ways to create wave energy, such as a 'Attenuators' or 'Terminator Devices,' but we will move on for the sake of time.

Where are these methods being used in the world?

Well, as that we take advantage of the ocean's waves, lakes or rivers wouldn't do in our case. Rivers and lakes don't have natural waves. It's obvious that we couldn't manufacture things such as the 'Point Absorber' because it wouldn't move up and down with the waves, it would just sit there. This contributes to the answer to your question because this makes it clear that it wouldn't be used in the mainland. It would be logical that the contraptions would be on the coast, as that they would be easier to repair that way. Another thing contributing to location is that in some places, the waves aren't very good. The best places where waves are would be where we put our machines. To finally answer your question, where we actually put them is mostly around Alaska. Alaskan shores have very big waves, and the machines produce more energy there then places such as Puerto Rico. Alaska produces 620 terawatts a year, compared to Puerto Rico which only produces 20 terawatts. They are also being used on the east coast of U.S.A, which produces around 160 terawatts per year.

What are the pro's and con's of using your wave energy?

I'll start with the pro's. Wave energy can always be used. While solar panels can only work when the sun is out, or windmills can only be used when it's windy, the ocean will always have waves. Yes, the waves may be small, but atleast they're always there. Another point is that compared to both solar or wind energy, wave energy produces a lot more energy. They might have their little megawatts, but we have terawatts. Another thing is the cold water in Alaska. Only during the summer will the water warm up, but the water is still very frigid even then. I know first-hand how cold the water can be. This prevents most people from swimming in it. Why this is a good thing is that people won't be disrupted by an overtopping device in the water, if they don't even really see it, or swim in the water surrounding it. Some might argue that you can very easily see a large, yellow point absorber floating in the water. To argue against this, in the case of Alaska's point absorbers, the buoy like structures would be an almost common sight. Alaska is known for it's fishing, and when you fish out in the sea, there is buoys around to guide, and mark where fishing spots are. If you just have a larger one, it's almost the same.

What do these wave energy machines look like?