MIT centers, laboratories, departments and programs provide a multi-faceted approach to solving the world's energy challenge.
Wave power
Generating power from waves has been a focus of research since the 1970s. Some wave energy technologies have reached the demonstration stage. Theoretical power available from wave energy is 1,000 megawatts per kilometer of coastline. In reality, however, only a fraction of this energy can be extracted, in part because wave intensity is highly variable based on the hour, day and season. The hostile ocean environment adds to the difficulties of wave energy development. Harnessing power from waves presents significant technical challenges that must address these variations in the wave resource, the ability to operate safely in difficult weather and the need to optimize electricity-generating equipment when its source of energy is characterized by nonlinear, random changes in frequency.
Various wave power devices have been developed and demonstrated, but each has significant limitations. Additional research is needed to predict the performance and security of specific wave power systems and to develop grid systems that collect and distribute power. Also, we need a better understanding of how large wave-energy farms might alter the coastal climate and impact coastal ecology and marine life.
