Spatio-temporal assessment of Wave Energy Conversion in California, across technologies and water depths

Abstract:

Wave energy could be one promising source of renewable energy for coastal cities but is not yet mature or cost-efficient enough compared to other forms (e.g. wind or photovoltaic). Among several factors, wave climate variability critically influences the availability and conversion potential and determines how much energy can be harvested. Ocean wave climate characterization and prediction are therefore crucial factors for the technological and financial assessments of wave energy conversion and key to reduce production cost and improve the efficiency of wave energy conversion (WEC) technology design and installation. However, the characterization of the available resource and the conversion by different technologies requires long time-series of wave parameters at locations close to the shore. This information is rarely available. Here we develop a new dataset to analyze the historic and future climatic conditions and technological conversion of wave energy technologies across the coastline of California. We develop downscaled, nearshore wave data for different periods (historical: 1948-present day; and future projections for the mid and end-century), and combine different wave reanalysis and future projections (e.g. ERA5, GOW, GCMs) to generate one of the most comprehensive datasets for the analysis of the nearshore wave climate. We then test eight different technologies and provide the first region-wide analysis of the technological feasibility, accounting for spatial and temporal variation in the wave climate and across technology types. The assessment provides a new estimate of the potential for wave energy use in California. This analysis is particularly relevant for both the public and private sectors. Public agencies could make direct use of the data analysis to promote wave energy development, whereas the private industry could benefit from these data and tools to improve the efficiency of present and future designs for California´s local wave climate conditions.