As Europe becomes increasingly reliant on wind and solar power, balancing electricity generation and demand becomes more challenging. In the European INFINITY project, Professor John Ringwood at Maynooth University in Ireland explains how wave energy could complement other renewable energy sources and the role technology development plays in making that possible.
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.
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...
Wave energy technology is constantly affected by the movement of the sea. A new report from the INFINITY project presents a model that shows how key parts of the system are affected by loads over time. The model will be used as the project moves forward with testing and further development.