Advantages of Wave Energy

In addition to the large size of the resource and the lack of associated greenhouse gas emissions, wave energy has three distinct advantages as a renewable energy resource.

1. Wave energy is predictable
   Satellites can measure waves out in the ocean one to two days in advance of their impact on coastal locations. This ability to predict wave resource will enable utilities to manage the issue of intermittent renewable generation far more effectively than other renewable sources such as wind and solar.
2. Waves tend to be stronger in winter
   Outside the tropics, storms are usually more intense and frequent during winter, which results in wave power levels being higher in that season. Therefore wave energy provides good seasonal load-following for those regions where peak electricity demand is produced by winter heating and lighting requirements (e.g., northern Europe, western Canada and north-west USA).
3. The vast majority of the world’s population live within 30 km of the coast
   This fact makes wave energy a highly suitable source of renewable energy for a large target customer base.

Offshore wave energy has the potential to be one of the most environmentally benign forms of electricity generation with a minimal visual impact from the shore.