http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3693390434834825253
That is an interesting lecture on ocean wave energy from Max Carcas of Ocean Power Delivery Ltd based in Edinburgh, Scotland from the Googleplex. Though there's plenty of good back ground on the benefits of ocean wave energy, but it's ultimately about their "Pelamis" wave energy converter -- which I am impressed with. I wish he gave a little more information on the enviromental impacts. The lack of it does make me a little skeptical. Either way, it's obviously a better alternative to fossil fuels. This is a valuable addition to existing alternative energy solutions. ABSTRACT: The World Energy Council has estimated the 'useful' global ocean wave energy resource as >2TW (17,500TWh/year). From this it has been estimated (Thorpe 1999) that the practical economic contribution from wave energy converters could be 2,000TWh/year (similar to current installed nuclear or hydroelectric generation capacity). Such generating capacity could result in up to 2 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions being displaced from fossil fuel generation per year - similar to current emissions from electricity generation in the US. Formed in 1998, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Ocean Power Delivery Ltd has developed the 'Pelamis' wave energy converter to harness this promising energy resource. The company is currently developing and building the first commercial projects consisting of multiple machine 'wave farm' arrays. This talk will describe the resource, the technology, practical considerations and current commercial economic status of wave energy.
