Ireland has one of the richest wave energy resources in the world, yet the sector is still far from commercial viability. Carrie-Anne Barry, researcher at the Centre for Ocean Energy Research at Maynooth University, has spent her PhD figuring out why.
Her research looks at how policy, funding, infrastructure, stakeholder collaboration and public acceptance shape whether a promising technology ever reaches the market. Within INFINITY, she brings that perspective directly into the project.
For example, Danish wind energy shows what is possible when the right conditions are in place. Denmark did not lead the world in wind energy because it had better turbines, the industry was also supported by long-term policy commitments, research infrastructure, certification systems, financial incentives and strong links between government, industry and research institutions. Similar enabling conditions are needed if wave energy is to progress from promising prototypes to commercial deployment, Carrie-Anne says.
Policy can help create test opportunities, streamline consenting processes, support research and demonstration projects, as well as providing the confidence investors need to engage with those technologies that are perceived as higher risk.
The valley of death
The barriers Carrie-Anne identifies in her research are less visible than engineering problems but just as real. Funding is the biggest issue in the middle stages of development, when costs rise sharply but private investors are not yet ready to commit.
– This stage is sometimes described as the “valley of death” for innovation, she says.
Lengthy permitting, limited test infrastructure, market uncertainty and the lack of a dominant technology design all add to the challenge. Public acceptance matters too, especially as devices scale up.
– Taken together, these factors demonstrate that innovation depends on more than engineering excellence.
Decades, not years
Commercial-scale renewable energy takes a long time to develop, and investors need to know that support will still be there in ten years. Frequent policy changes or short-term funding programmes increase risk and push investors away.
– My research highlights how successful renewable energy sectors have often benefited from consistent policy support over decades rather than years. Stable frameworks allow organisations to plan, invest in skills, develop supply chains and build the partnerships necessary for commercialisation.
– For wave energy, this means sustained support for research, demonstration projects and deployment pathways rather than isolated funding initiatives.
What INFINITY adds
Carrie-Anne’s role in INFINITY is to examine the policy, innovation and societal dimensions of wave energy development alongside the technical work, ensuring that governance, stakeholder engagement, funding pathways and public acceptance are part of the conversation from the start.
– From my perspective, one of the most valuable contributions of INFINITY is its ability to connect technical innovation with broader societal and policy discussions. The transition to sustainable energy systems requires not only new technologies but also new ways of collaborating across disciplines and sectors. By bringing together diverse expertise, INFINITY helps create the conditions that enable wave energy and other emerging renewable technologies to move closer to real-world deployment, she concludes.
