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The Physics and Hydrodynamic Setting of Marine Renewable Energy

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Marine Renewable Energy Technology and Environmental Interactions

Part of the book series: Humanity and the Sea ((HUMSEA))

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Abstract

Increasing interest is apparent in marine energy resources, particularly tidal and wave. Some TeraWatts of energy propagate from the world’s oceans to its marginal seas in the form of surface waves (≈ 2 TW) and tides (≅ 2.6 TW) where that energy is naturally dissipated. The seas and coastlines around the UK and its neighbours are notable for dissipating a significant fraction of the global energy of waves (≈ 50 MW km−1 on the Atlantic coast) and especially tides (> 250 GW north of Brittany). Displacing a significant fraction of the natural dissipation by energy capture is a tempting and reasonable proposition, but it does raise technical and environmental issues. Sustainable exploitation of the energy needs to consider diverse effects on the environment, waves and tides having a role in maintaining the shelf sea, coastal, estuarine and shoreline environment through associated advection, stirring and other processes. Tides are particularly significant in controlling the stratification of shelf seas and their flow characteristics. Surface waves are more important in determining conditions nearshore and in the intertidal zone. Also, the exploitation of wave and tidal resources is only practical economically and technologically at a limited number of energetic and accessible sites, and societal and ecological considerations inevitably narrow the choice.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the support of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Scottish Funding Council and the European Regional Development Fund through the Supergen Plus and Marine Renewable Energy and the Environment (MaREE) projects.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Research Institute, Centre for Energy and the Environment, North Highland College, University of the Highlands and Islands, KW14 7EE, Ormlie Road, Thurso, Scotland, UK

    David K. Woolf, Matthew C. Easton, Peter A. Bowyer & Jason McIlvenny

  2. International Centre for Island Technology, Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, The Old Academy, Back Road, Stromness, KW16 3AW, Orkney, Scotland, UK

    David K. Woolf

Authors
  1. David K. Woolf
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  2. Matthew C. Easton
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  3. Peter A. Bowyer
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  4. Jason McIlvenny
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David K. Woolf .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Aberdeen, Newburgh, United Kingdom

    Mark A. Shields

  2. A&B Word Ltd, Halesworth, Suffolk, United Kingdom

    Andrew I.L. Payne

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Woolf, D., Easton, M., Bowyer, P., McIlvenny, J. (2014). The Physics and Hydrodynamic Setting of Marine Renewable Energy. In: Shields, M., Payne, A. (eds) Marine Renewable Energy Technology and Environmental Interactions. Humanity and the Sea. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8002-5_2

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