Wave Energy Prototype Exceeds Expectations

Is this the power power plant of the future?

The case for commercialized wave energy is enjoying another surge forward now that Columbia Power Technologies has officially deployed a prototype wave energy device and secured fresh funding from both private and government backers. Their protoype device, called SeaRay, is floating in the Puget Sound and sending back performance data for analysis.

"The SeaRay is performing beyond our expectations and tracking well with modeling predictions," said Reenst Lesemann, CEO of Columbia Power Technologies.

Read the full story here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/17/wave-energy-power-searay_n_837006.html

Join the conversation on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/thedailyconversation

Follow The Daily Conversation on Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/thedailyconvo

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Wave
• power
• energy
• science
• technology
• green
• clean
• renewable
• new
• electricity
• columbia
• technologies
• Oregon
• Puget
• Sound
• SeaRay
• Sea
• Ocean
• Waves
• Raw
• TDC
• TheDailyConversation
• Bryce
• Plank
• vlog
• environment
• oil
• dependence
• USA
• United
• States
• America
• funding
• investment
• prototype
• exceeds
• expectations
• commentary
• analysis
• climate
• change
• global
• warming
• OSU
• engine

[Tocapelotas19]

Sounds very interesting. What is the power peer unit?

Good luck!!!!

[moety2]

@kzolly Thats a huge problem with our culture. We build institutions that try to preserve themselves when anything that may threaten them comes into the picture, even when it's obvious that it is far better. People do not realize what a paralyzing system we live in. We are probably 50-100 years from where we would be if we didn't have such a warped system of self preservation before common good. I love the idea of kids. A bunch would probably question why countries have imaginary lines lol

[kzolly]

@moety2 - Thanks - I'll check it out. And you're right $350 billion would go a long way to advancing the development of alternative energy source, but where's that leave all the companies getting rich off the the current energy sources. I'd love it if we could let kids ages 5 through 10 run the country for while....

[moety2]

@kzolly Look up verdantpowerDOTcom Your concerns are things they have long since considered and have solutions for or working on it. I would speculate if we gave half the funding we do for the military in america which is between 725-900 billion a year on projects like verdant power the concerns you have would have been solved 10 years ago.

[kzolly]

This is interesting, but you always have to examine the "what if's. Powering 600 million homes will require a whole lot more than one yellow dingy. What will be the impact of all those wave power generation structure on the environment they're immerse in? What if the storage units collapse, rupture, etc. You catch my drift.

[waltermh111]

@valhala56 Do you mean for the plastic?

I guarantee the payoff is net-positive easily.

Its silly to think otherwise. These things make so much energy for years, just one can make enough in a year to power a few homes. Does it take so little oil to run 5 homes for a year that your worried about the cost/benefit of these things?

Are you just trying to find things to complain about before even doing your own research? I just cant tell if your sincere and lazy or a troll.

[DrQuijano]

If you harness wave power in stormy areas and under the sea with ocean currents you could power the entire world eternally.

[acewings221]

I've always wondered about this idea. What about if there was something to generate waves? Then wouldn't it be able to basically be stationary with an unlimited source of power? I mean: a tank filled with water, and some kind of fan to generate the waves, thus powering the generator in an endless cycle and power people's homes?

[moety2]

It's good that this is covered here. it's sad that it has took this long. This kind of information is old news to those who have since learned of the alternatives of wave, tidal, wind, solar and geothermal. With these used in combination we would cover the worlds energy needs many times over. The so called energy crisis is a joke because it's based on the extremely limited methods we use today. We would have energy in such abundance that it will be silly to charge for it.

[Joshua001A]

They're big on wave power in Portugal if I remember correctly, and already have offshore (obviously) generators sending power into their grid right now.