For wave energy to become a realistic part of the future energy system, it is not enough to know that the technology works. Decision-makers also need to understand what it takes to operate it over time, how much energy it can deliver, what it will cost and what environmental impact it will have throughout its life cycle.
The answers also depend on how and where the electricity is intended to be used, says Johanna Berlin, Research Director at NILU Climate and Environmental Research Institute and partner in INFINITY.
– The system could supply a community or an industry operating in island mode, feed electricity into the common grid, or combine wave energy with, for example, wind power in an offshore energy park, she explains.
More than technical performance
To assess wave energy, data is needed on the entire system. This includes energy production, investment costs, maintenance and environmental impact over time. The maintenance plan is an important part of the picture, as it affects both how much energy can be produced and what the system will cost over its lifetime.
Is there any information that is still missing today?
– We still need calculations for the entire system, both in terms of life cycle cost and environmental impact from a life cycle perspective. We also need to know how stable wave energy production can be in a situation of increased crisis, says Johanna Berlin.
How do we get there?
– The technology is still being developed. Once it is sufficiently developed, it needs to be scaled up as soon as possible so that it can be tested in a system. Technical development can then continue through maintenance and updates to the system, she says.
The right energy source for the right need
The most suitable energy solution also depends on where the energy is needed and how it will be used. Johanna Berlin points to a coastal industry as one concrete example.
– If an industry wants to be secure in its energy supply, it also needs to consider producing the energy it uses itself. For an industry located by the coast, an energy park with different energy sources, for example both wind and wave power, could be a very good alternative, she says.
Larger scale changes the calculation
When more wave energy units are used, total energy production increases. At the same time, the cost and environmental impact of the surrounding system can become lower per kilowatt-hour produced.
However, because wave energy is not yet used commercially at large scale, future costs are still based on estimates.
– You have to make estimates for everything that is going to be built. But they are estimates. The more information you have, the better the estimates become, concludes Johanna Berlin.
